Science, Energy and Technology Minister, Dr. the Hon. Andrew Wheatley, says the Government is committed to facilitating a fully operational medical marijuana industry in Jamaica.

He noted that with the passage of amendments to the Dangerous Drugs Act, Jamaica has joined a number of growing countries that have decriminalised marijuana and “we will be moving to have the appropriate regulations in place to guide the development of the industry.”

The Minister was addressing the second annual Medical Marijuana Integration Day at the University of Technology (UTech) in St. Andrew on May 13, under the theme: ‘Cannabis Reclaimed II’.

Finance and Planning Minister, Audley Shaw, says Jamaica must move with urgency to develop a medical marijuana industry.

He told legislators last week that exploiting the benefits of marijuana is “not about smoking a spliff” or “walking around with two ounces of the weed.”

“This is about building an industry of value-added products,” he said as he delivered his first budget presentation of the new Andrew Holness government.

Shaw, who cited other countries that have benefited from using the plant, said that Jamaica is uniquely positioned to play a leading role in the medical marijuana industry which can create wealth for the country.

It was with a sense of fulfilment and great pride that I heard that the regulations to govern the cannabis industries had been sent to the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel by the Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA) a few weeks ago.

As the former chairman of the CLA who guided the preparation of these regulations and the development of the supporting framework under which they are intended to operate, one wants to see one's work come to fruition in the manner intended and to the benefit of the nation as a whole.

Since 1996, two dozen states have approved medical marijuana laws in the U.S. The most recent was Pennsylvania, which passed medical marijuana legislation just last month. We've also witnessed four states legalize the sale of recreational marijuana.

For medical marijuana patients, approval of the drug at the state level means possible new pathways to treatment. Though each state typically differs on what diseases and disorders qualify, glaucoma, epilepsy, and most terminal cancers are ailments that commonly fit the bill. For the states themselves, legalization is primarily motivated by the additional revenue-generating potential. Since marijuana is taxed, medical marijuana provides a way for states to funnel extra money to schools or law enforcement.

Potential small ganja investors are overwhelmed that regulations to guide Jamaica's legal cannabis industry have now been approved. Yesterday, a week after being appointed by Cabinet to lead the Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA), the new board of directors approved the regulations to start the process.

"When we heard, we were overwhelmed that finally, after over 100 years and many being persecuted for this highly medicinal natural herb that our forefathers have always known holds the key to curing so many diseases, legal steps are being taken to develop it as an industry," Omar Gordon told The Gleaner.

"The cultivation of ganja holds the key to Jamaica's overall development, whether it be educationally, culturally, medicinally, or economically."

One week after being appointed by Cabinet to lead the Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA), a new Board of Directors has approved the regulations that will guide the start of Jamaica’s legal ganja industry.

The CLA, which was created by the Dangerous Drug (Amendment) Act 2015, has powers to make and oversee the implementation of regulations for licences, permits and other authorisations for the cultivation, processing, distribution, sale and transportation of hemp as well as ganja, for medicinal, scientific and therapeutic purposes.

The newly appointed board of directors for the Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA) has approved the regulations that will guide the start of Jamaica’s legal ganja industry.

The CLA, which was created by the Dangerous Drug (Amendment) Act 2015, has powers to make and oversee the implementation of regulations for licenses, permits and other authorisations for the cultivation, processing, distribution, sale and transportation of hemp as well as ganja, for medicinal, scientific and therapeutic purposes, a news release from the authority said Thursday.

If I stop marijuana, I will soon die, says 95-year old woman smoker.

Melita Gordon has been smoking for 85 years and refuses to put the pipe down despite the protests of her family, herb.com has reported. She began her connection to marijuana as a designated lighter for pipes for those in her family. As they were part of a Rastafari culture, the report has it that marijuana played a huge role in their belief system.

I have just watched the closing plenary session of the 2016 UN General Assembly Special Session on the world drug problem here in New York. Presidents and Prime Ministers will now move on to the climate change summit that opens tomorrow, and the thousands of government and NGO delegates who have filled the UN building in Manhattan over the last 3 days will catch their flights back to all corners of the globe. So was it worth it – three years of preparation, tens of millions of dollars of travel and meeting costs, and countless hours of debate and negotiation. Is the international community any better placed to reduce the health, social and economic problems associated with illicit drug markets?

In ninety per cent of diabetes worldwide, the underlying cause is related to the body's resistance to the effect of insulin, which normally acts to maintain steady blood-sugar levels.

A five-year study reported in 2013, wherein some 5,000 participants were observed, the users of ganja had 17 per cent lower levels of resistance to insulin, as well as 16 per cent had lower levels of insulin circulating in the blood.

Further, the study found that users of ganja had significantly lower levels of blood sugar compared to non-users.

This study, reported in the American Journal of Medicine, supports the finding that by reducing the resistance to insulin, ganja use could, indeed, prevent the development of diabetes.