Header Image: Sancia Bennett Templer, permanent secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce
She says AG’s still have to get their side done
Jamaica Gleaner
Lawmakers on Tuesday criticised Sancia Bennett Templer, permanent secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, for the slow progress in enacting legislation to regulate the cannabis industry.
The Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA), an agency of the Ministry, was established in 2015 under the Dangerous Drugs Amendment Act to oversee and regulate Jamaica’s legal ganja and hemp industry. At its inception, it was noted that specific legislation would follow to support the CLA’s role.
Almost 10 years later, the Dangerous Drugs Cannabis Licensing Interim Regulations are yet to be finalised, frustrating Fitz Jackson, an opposition member of Parliament’s Economy and Production Committee.
Stating that he is a stakeholder in the industry himself, the opposition lawmaker claimed that the ministry’s lethargic approach was making life “making life miserable for people in the sector”.
“Since 2015 … , not one piece of legislation or regulation has come before the Parliament, to my knowledge,” Jackson said during a committee meeting on Tuesday.
He also criticised the bureaucratic delays at the CLA, particularly the administrative hurdles faced by cultivators. Jackson pointed out that while cannabis cultivation takes five to six months per cycle, a cultivator’s licence is valid for just one year, forcing them to repeatedly resubmit renewal applications.
“ When plants are in the ground to continue to be nurtured, your licence can expire. You have to get a new licence, you go through all the process of fit and proper [certification], police record, all of that,” he said.
Jackson and Heroy Clarke, a government legislator on the committee, both argued that the regulatory environment is unfavourable to small farmers.
“We hear all kind of big speech and reports and data, nothing has happened there, and you give reports about how many applications made, how many licences granted there, [but] behind those applications and behind those licences granted, what is happening in the industry?” quizzed Jackson.
In response, Bennett Templer explained that “legislative changes do not happen at the snap of a finger,” noting that amendments to the interim regulations supporting small farmers were being reviewed by the Attorney General’s Chambers.
“That review is at an advanced stage because the legislation had been before the Attorney General’s Chambers previously. Amendments they have asked for have been done. It is now back to them for final review. That will provide for the small farmers’ inclusion in the medical cannabis industry,” she said.
When pressed by Clarke for a timeline, she estimated that the submission could be completed by the third quarter.
She also explained that cannabis being a Schedule 1 drug poses banking challenges, but assured that the CLA continues its work on company registration and improving services, including reducing processing times and providing support.
Opposition member Anthony Hylton raised concerns about recent management issues at the CLA, particularly the disbanding of an HR oversight committee that had voted against an applicant who was later hired.
Bennett Templer responded that the CLA was undergoing structural changes and transitioning temporary staff to permanent positions.
“[This] includes looking at the organisational structure, how we then ensure that it is fit for purpose, and how staff get transition from the temporary employment [status] that they now have to permanent,” she said.
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