Mon, 26 Jan 2026

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 Caribbean cannabis growers eye budding domestic sales and exports

Producers in Jamaica and Antigua hope that increasing liberalisation will lead to higher revenues.
Cannabis farming has become a thriving industry in the Caribbean, with several countries decriminalizing its use and allowing medical sales. Michaelus Tracey, a master cultivator at Pineapple Road farm in Antigua, can identify different strains by their unique fragrance and leaf shape. The farm grows nine distinct varieties, each with different effects and medicinal value. Prof Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, an expert on the cannabis industry in the Caribbean, believes that decriminalization is not enough and that full legalization is needed to unlock the region's potential. She points out that the "war on drugs" has stifled research and development in the field. US President Donald Trump's executive order in December to reclassify cannabis as a lower-level drug may benefit the Caribbean industry, according to Alexandra Chong, CEO of Jacana, a Jamaican business that sells cannabis products. The reduced classification could lead to increased exports from the region, but this is currently illegal under federal law. In Antigua and Barbuda, the Medicinal Cannabis Authority is working to develop an export industry, while in Jamaica, producers are keen to start exporting the drug legally. However, high overheads and strict regulations have limited the growth of the industry, with most sales coming from illicit channels. The region's Rastafarian community has also benefited from cannabis liberalization, with official sacramental authorization granted in 2018 and plans to expunge criminal records for possession of small amounts of marijuana.
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