JACANA, a newly launched local medical cannabis company, has completed the country's first international export of the Jamaican medical cannabis flower.

The company completed its first delivery to cannabis-testing firm Anandia in Canada late last year.

The company has raised $2.7 billion (US$20 million) to cultivate, develop and distribute certified Jamaican medical cannabis that provide natural alternatives to the artificially manufactured products in the market.

The new investment will be used to expand operations in Jamaica, create further employment opportunities locally, drive research and development in Jamaica, and build on Jacana's existing global presence.

According to Jacana's Chief Executive Officer Alexandra Chong, the deal has put Jamaica onto the international stage as a key player in the world's fastest growing industry and is extremely significant as the development of medical cannabis offers significant economic benefits for Jamaica, opening export channels and providing new employment opportunities for Jamaicans.

“Jacana has made a long-term commitment to ensuring the Jamaican cannabis industry thrives. We will be launching programmes later this year that will share, collaborate and educate on industry best practices with small farmers to encourage more Jamaicans to cultivate medical cannabis that will meet international standards.”

“Growing up in Jamaica, I witnessed first-hand the benefits of natural medical solutions. We believe that nature has the best answers. Jacana's mission is to provide natural medicine that people can trust, enabling them to live full and meaningful lives by improving their well-being, their health, and their happiness,”she said

Chong further pointed out that she was incredibly impressed with amount of work that has been done by the Jamaican Government and in particular the Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA) to establish regulations and governance that enable Jamaica to be at the forefront of the rapidly expanding global industry.

“I can confidently say that Jamaica is on par with countries like Canada and Germany with the speed at which it's enabling patient access to medical cannabis,” she added

Meanwhile, Audley Shaw, minister of industry, commerce, agriculture and fisheries, said “Jamaica is proud to be emerging as a leader in one of the fastest growing global industries alongside trailblazing G7 nations like Canada and Germany.”

He added that Jamaica will play a crucial role in addressing the global demand for medical cannabis, placing the nation at the forefront of efforts to increase patient access to medical cannabis and its many benefits.

“It is wonderful to see Jamaican businesses such as Jacana driving research and innovation, create jobs across the island and bring international investment that will fuel the growth and development of the economy,” he said.

The launch of Jacana followed the establishment of Jamaica's Cannabis Licensing Authority in 2015, to introduce an internationally recognised regulatory framework, which includes acceptable standards for the cultivation, processing and export of medical cannabis.