Holness charged to lead Ja to global ganja prosperity

PRIME MINISTER Andrew Holness is being challenged to lead Jamaica forward to global prosperity, by way of a wellpronounced ganja industry, and to prevent the nation from soon having to import the herb.

Basil Hylton, president of the Kingston and St Andrew Ganja Growers and Producers Association, made his appeal to the prime minister during last week’s relaunch and rebranding of the Future Ganja Growers and Producers Association into the Ganja Growers and Producers Association at the Jamaica Conference Centre in Kingston.

“I am calling on the PM, who wants to be known as the greatest implementer. Sir, this is the industry you need to lead. We know what happened to nutmeg, sugar, pimento, coffee and bauxite. Mr PM, get up, stand up for our rights. It is in your hand now,” Hylton stressed.

He expressed concern that smaller jurisdictions, like the Cayman Islands, may soon start supplying Jamaica with ganja if the Holness administration doesn’t get its act together.

“The decriminalisation of the herb was a good start. After that came the greatest dilly dally I have seen in Jamaica since Independence. Past and present governments seem not to be able to get their act together while, around us, some islands that never used to think about ganja, have started to think about it now and it seems they are way ahead of us.”

“There is very substantial opportunity for Jamaica to regularise this industry. No country on Earth, I would say, has a greater association with ganja than does Jamaica. If Jamaica does not move forward quickly, you could well find yourself importing ganja from the USA, Canada and, maybe, Cayman,” highlighted Hylton.

Hylton further stressed that “big businesses in Jamaica made big money from ganja in the ’70’s, ’80’s and up to the ’90’s”.