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JAMAICA: Government Lobbying Support for Cannabis Industry Development

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Montego Bay, February 15, 2019 – Jamaica – The Government plans to lobby the support of the international community, particularly the United States, for the Jamaican cannabis industry’s development. 

Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Audley Shaw, says this partly stems from reluctance by local banks to fund the industry’s growth, due to fear of international de-risking, citing this as a major impediment with serious economic implications for Jamaica.

De-risking involves measures taken to make an engagement less risky, or less likely to involve a financial loss.

“We will be using all available diplomatic resources, including our Ambassador in Washington DC, to mount a lobbying effort to the Government of the United States, primarily through its Treasury Department, to address this very important matter,” the Minister said.

He was speaking with journalists following the official opening of Caribbean Producers Jamaica Limited’s (CPJ) distribution centre at the Montego Bay Freeport on Tuesday (February 12), at which he was the keynote speaker.

Mr. Shaw noted the Government’s cannabis licensing arrangement, inclusive of an established Authority, to ensure that “we are operating at global standards”.

“This simply means that we are, therefore, in a position where we can convince the United States and other global economies that we are prepared to operate at the standards that are expected of us,” he added.

The Minister said, however, that local financial institutions’ fear of de-risking remains a challenge, and places Jamaica and other Caribbean countries at a disadvantage, especially as their entities are not in a position to act independently of their American counterparts.

“All of our commercial banks in Jamaica are obliged, right now, to go through the New York system in terms of the movement of money internationally,” he pointed out.

The Minister argued that “we have the irony of a Jamaican scientist who gets an approval to develop a cannabis-based drug to fight leukaemia, and from no less an authority than the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)… [but] who had to watch as our local banks close his accounts because of this de-risking arrangement. This is why I am going to put a lot of energy into this lobbying effort”.

Mr. Shaw noted that while de-risking mainly affects smaller developing countries, like Caribbean states, the bigger developed nations “have managed to figure out a way” around the issue.  He said, however, that positive signals are emanating “at the highest level” out of the United States, pointing out that key officials “are suggesting that they would be open to take a more careful look at the benefits associated with medicinal cannabis”.

“We are also seeing where one of the Democratic frontrunners for next year’s US Presidential contest… [is] advocating for the legalisation of marijuana at a federal level,” the Minister added.

Mr. Shaw said he is “also encouraged by the utterances of the man who is expected to be the next US Attorney… who seems to be also taking a more liberal approach”.

Release: JIS

Contact: Garwin Davis

Photo Caption:

Header: Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Audley Shaw, addressing Tuesday’s (February 12) official opening of the Caribbean Producers Jamaica Limited (CPJ) distribution Centre in the Montego Bay Freeport.

Insert: Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Audley Shaw (second right), participates in the official opening of Caribbean Producers Jamaica Limited’s (CPJ) distribution centre in Montego Bay Freeport on February 12. Others (from left) are Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) President, Omar Robinson; Executive Chairman of Caribbean Producers Jamaica Limited (CPJ) Executive Chairman, Mark Hart; CPJ Founder and Co-Chairman, Tom Tyler; Attorney General, Hon. Marlene Malahoo-Forte; and CPJ Chief Executive Officer, Dr. David Lowe.

Garwin Davis Photos

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CARPHA Progresses to Eligibility for the First Disbursement of Pandemic Funding

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Following a landmark Public Signing Ceremony for the Pandemic Fund (PF) Technical Cooperation Agreement (“Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Prevention, Preparedness, and Response” [RG-T4387] Project) on December 14, 2023, in Trinidad, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) continues to progress towards the start of implementation.

 CARPHA fulfilled the IDB’s nine conditions prior to first disbursement, achieving full eligibility on March 15, 2024, and is now eligible for the first disbursement. This milestone achievement in just 3 months after the signing speaks to the commitment of both CARPHA, the Executing Agency, and IDB, the Implementing Entity, toward the regional PF project with the objective of supporting the reduction of the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean by building pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPR) surveillance & early-warning systems (EWS), laboratory systems and workforce capacity, regionally at CARPHA and in countries.

Since the signing of the Technical Cooperation Agreement and as part of the conditions prior to first disbursement, CARPHA has achieved the following key outputs (i) the development of the PF Project Operations Manual, Multi-annual Execution Plan, Procurement Plan, Financial Plan, Procedure for CARPHA’s Financial Reporting System; (ii) vacancy announcements for two tranches of consultants with the subsequent hiring of five (Technical Coordinator, Financial Specialist, Procurement Specialist, Operations Officer and Project Operations Coordinator) and (iii) the establishment of the Project Execution Unit (PEU) and Project Execution Steering Committee (PESC). The dedicated PEU will be responsible for execution according to its planned timelines, which will be led by the Dr. Lisa Indar, the Project Director (CARPHA’s Director of Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control Division).

 CARPHA, as the lead regional public health agency and an expression of Caribbean Cooperation in Health is mandated by its Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) to support its 26 CARPHA Member States (CMS) in bolstering national systems and coordinating regional response to public health threats. The Agency works closely with regional and international agencies and uses regional mechanisms, surveillance systems, and networks for coordinating its public health response work.

In July 2023, the PF Governing Board announced that CARPHA’s regional entity proposal, entitled ‘Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Strengthened Integrated Early Warning Surveillance, Laboratory Systems and Workforce Development’ was successfully selected for the first round of financing. It was one of only 19 proposals selected from over 300 submissions and the only regional project. The three priority areas in the proposal are: (i) Comprehensive disease surveillance and EWS, (ii) Laboratory systems and (iii) Human resources and public health and community workforce capacity.

This project is expected to begin implementation in March 2024, starting off with a blended onboarding session. A Stakeholder Meeting with countries is tentatively planned for July 2024.

CARPHA remains dedicated to working together with the IDB, CARPHA Member States and the Pandemic Fund to successfully implement the regional proposal geared toward reducing the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean.

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Men who had Murdered Man, Marley Higgs’ cell phone face Court

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Wilkie Arthur

Freelance Court Correspondent

The prosecution intends to try two young North Caicos men, both age 21 for the offense of possession of property of a murdered man, property that was stolen and landed in their possession.

The phone belonged to Peureton ‘Marley’ Higgs, who is believed to have been an innocent gunned down at his apartment complex in the Glass Shack area in a spray of bullets on February 2 that killed another man and wounded two others, including a ten-year-old little girl.

The cell phone was described as white in colour, an iPhone, in a hard black case. 

On Monday, March 18th, JEFFVANO HANDFIELD of North Caicos pleaded not guilty to the offense, and the matter was adjourned to April 2024. He was granted bail in the matter.

A second North Caicos man was charged similarly.  

SARENO CAPELLAN aka, Kino Williams is the second individual brought before the court pertaining to the said cellphone. He appeared in court a week after JEFFVANO HANDFIELD, the date being Monday March 25th 2024.

The case for the Crown is that both men sometime in February of this year possessed the cellphone knowing or suspecting it to be stolen property.

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Supreme Court Closed for Easter

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NOTICE is hereby given that the Easter Recess shall commence on Friday 29th April, 2024 and end on Friday 5th April, 2024. During the Easter Recess Judge Selochan will be available to deal only with matters that are urgent or require prompt attention.

Court Business During the Easter Recess

A person who wishes to have a matter heard during the recess must file a certificate of urgency along with an affidavit, which must set out the reasons why the matter is urgent or requires prompt attention. The matter will not be listed during the recess unless the Judge deems it fit for urgent hearing.

Opening Hours During the Easter Holiday

The Supreme Court’s last sitting day for the first term is Thursday 28th March, 2024. The Court will officially resume sittings on Monday 8th April, 2024. The Supreme Court Offices in both Grand Turk and Providenciales will continue to operate while the Court is not sitting during the recess.

The Court Office will be closed on the following public holidays:

  • Friday 29th March, 2024 (Good Friday) CLOSED
  • Monday 1st April, 2024 (Easter Monday) CLOSED

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