PROMISED LAND

While there are no globally accepted guidelines yet for using marijuana as medicine, Israel is the industry’s ‘Promised Land’ as it has long pioneered medical marijuana research and innovation.

Israel began its research in the 1960s at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem led by Professor Raphael Mechoulam, the man credited for discovering the THC cannabinoid. Today, the university holds numerous intellectual property patents for medical cannabis.

All this has been possible due to Israel’s well-coordinated ecosystem of cannabis researchers, farmers, entrepreneurs, pharmaceutical industry and government policies.

Local regulators are in the process of developing a similar multi-agency approach that will include the Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA), the Ministry of Health, the Bureau of Standards Jamaica, cultivators, academia, pharmaceutical council, scientific labs and the cannabis companies. There are, however, some glaring contradictions.

Since the amendment to the Dangerous Drugs Act in 2015 allowing for the establishment of a medical ganja industry, the Ministry of Health has maintained a cautious stance when it comes to treating ailments with marijuana.

The ministry requires that all medicinal cannabis products are registered with its offices, and has said it does not support smoking cannabis or consuming edibles for medicinal or therapeutic purposes.

There is also the issue of the Food and Drugs Act and the Pharmacy Act, which have not been amended to support ganja’s decriminalisation. “Therefore, any company that is currently selling cannabis products for medical and therapeutic purposes is in breach”, said a release from the health ministry.