MPs accuse Cannabis Licensing Authority of ignoring small farmers
The situation is distressing as the pilot was an attempt to integrate the small farmers into formal cannabis cultivation but was doomed before even getting off the ground
Thursday, July 8, 2021
The Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA) and the State have been accused of having no real interest in ensuring that small farmers get their fair share of the legal marijuana pie, as pilot cultivation programmes have been allowed to fall by the wayside and emphasis placed on heavy regulation. This sentiment was expressed by Government and Opposition politicians at a meeting of the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC), which had in attendance senior representatives of the CLA and its parent ministry. The pilot project for cultivation launched in Accompong, St Elizabeth crashed out with the onset of the novel coronavirus pandemic, while that planned for Orange Hill, Westmoreland did not get off the ground due to problems with land access.
