Medical marijuana industry progressing smoothly

Three months after this country’s medicinal cannabis industry was launched, interest continues to grow, with more than three times as many applications now in draft and awaiting submission.

That’s according to the Programme Administrator with the Barbados Medicinal Cannabis Licensing Authority (BMCLA), Shanika Roberts-Odle.

Back in January at the time of the launch, officials said there were 15 draft applications across various categories and one had been submitted. Speaking yesterday during the BAJCAN Connect-Service Providers Forum: Securing the Industry, which was hosted virtually by the BMCLA, she indicated that the draft applications now number in excess of 55, and there are in total four applications that have been submitted and awaiting approval.

“So we’re in a healthy application environment,” she told participants.

Her comments came in response to a question from one of the participants as to when the medicinal cannabis industry will “go live”.

Roberts-Odle further explained that the Authority’s goal is to process the applications within four months, and indicated that those who have already submitted applications should know if they are approved by the end of that period. She added that once they have “all of their ducks are in a row”, they can commence operations.

Speaking earlier in the session, Chief Executive Officer of the BMCLA, Dr. Shantal Monroe-Knight, noted that the medicinal cannabis industry  has a wide value chain and as such, there are opportunities for a variety of people, agencies and organisations to participate. She made the point while telling the participants how important the role that stakeholders in the security sector have in advancing the medicinal cannabis industry.

“Each and every single licensee will require some level of certain level of security and therefore if we don’t have critical players who understand the process, and who are then able to deliver the services, then it creates a weakness in the industry. Therefore, to have you with us, and to have the presenters that are going to be on with you as well, is something that we felt that we really needed to be able to do. And we’re hoping that you can carry that message, or help us carry that message that the industry is much broader,” she said.

Monroe-Knight went on to say that the industry is one that anyone can participate in, and sell their services to the other firms that are successful in becoming licensees.

“It is open to everyone and I say that, I emphasise that this is not an industry that we’re building here just for bigger firms, or even just for smaller firms, this is an industry that is open for everyone to be able to participate,” she stated.

(JRT)