I am a 20-year-old young man sitting on the sidelines, observing the development being undertaken in one of Jamaica's most potent industries -- the marijuana industry. Marijuana is poised for development, especially as a result of the important pieces of legislation that are in train, one of which was piloted, ironically, by the now embattled Member of Parliament for St Elizabeth NE Raymond Pryce.

ST THOMAS, Jamaica – Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) caretaker/candidate for Eastern St Thomas, Delano Seiveright, says that a combination of tourism and ganja cultivation has been proposed as a solution to the high levels of poverty existing in areas of the constituency.

He said that the plan was one of several proposals from a “high-level” task force, which he had established last year to organise and implement a development plan for the constituency, including job creation.

The integrated tourism and ganja plan would include redevelopment of the Morant Bay Courthouse into a museum; re-establishment of the statue of National Hero Paul Bogle, which has been missing for years; and the restoration of the Morant Bay Fort, which dates back to 1758.

THE EDITOR, Sir:

It is simply unacceptable that one person or entity can state publicly that they have hundreds of millions and sometimes billions in investment lined up but fall short on giving even an iota of evidence to support their claims.

This again was on display on the front page of the Jamaica Observer yesterday, with a headline screaming "US$100 million ganja deal - Canadian company to develop medicinal products from J'can marijuana for int'l market". The story went on to state that "Courtney Betty, the Jamaican-Canadian who heads THC, did not go into great detail, but said the deal would create job opportunities for many Jamaicans." Unbelievable!

Going by the announcement by Canada-based Timeless Herbal Care Limited (THC), as carried in the Tuesday edition of this newspaper, Jamaica stands to benefit from a US$100-million deal to develop medical marijuana products here for the international market over the next 10 years. This is big big news for ganja.

Mr Courtney Betty, the Jamaican-Canadian who heads THC, offered the view that the deal between his THC and Denver, Colorado-based O.penVAPE, said to be the largest consumer cannabis brand, marked the "first time in history that an international collaboration has been created to produce cannabis-infused products outside of the United States".

Jamaica’s age-old quest to begin legally exporting large amounts of marijuana for medicinal purposes seemed to be closer than ever to reality with reports this week of a major partnership between a U.S. company which wants to use weed from the island as a base for its medical products.

Officials said that the Colorado-based firm of Timeless Herbal Care, one of the largest and well known players in the industry, is planning to team up with Jamaica’s world class marijuana growers to obtain supplies from the island. The project is being billed as one with a potential to rake in about $100 million over 10 years and will be one of the first efforts by an American company to source such large amounts of weed for commercial purposes from foreign soil.

Jamaica’s progress towards its goal of becoming the medical marijuana hub of the world just reached a new high. On Monday, Colorado-based O.penVAPE announced an alliance with Jamaican-Canadian cannabis firm Timeless Herbal Care (THC). O.penVAPE boasts that it is the largest consumer cannabis brand, with over 2.2 million consumers reached by its advertising and social media efforts. Its international collaboration with THC is projected to generate over $100 million in revenue in the first 10 years.

KINGSTON – Canada-based Timeless Herbal Care Limited (THC) announced Saturday it has secured a US$100-million deal to develop medical marijuana products here in Jamaica for the international market.