Seiveright commends CLA for improving operational efficiency and accelerating turnaround times for licences

State Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce Delano Seiveright, has commended the Cannabis Licensing Authority, CLA for improving operational efficiency and accelerating turnaround times for licences.

This follows Mr. Seiveright’s recent working visit to the authority’s offices, where he met with Chief Executive officer Ms. Farrah Blake, and other staff.

Mr. Seiveright noted that Jamaica’s regulated cannabis industry continues to build momentum, now with over 190 licences issued.

He said the steady expansion of legitimate, compliant operators is strengthening Jamaica’s positioning as a credible, high-quality cannabis jurisdiction. 

He also pointed to the CLA’s strengthened post-licensing monitoring regime, including increased compliance visits, remote monitoring of licensed activities and tighter supply-chain tracking, which he said has contributed to stronger regulatory oversight and faster issue resolution. 

While acknowledging that exports remain in the early, “teething” phase, Seiveright said Jamaica’s long-term export prospects are real, citing growing regional trade interest, the country’s strong agronomic reputation, emerging processing capacity and the global pull of brand Jamaica. 

He noted that Jamaica has begun to record initial export activity within the Caribbean and that further growth will depend on regulatory alignment, logistics readiness and sustained access to international markets.

He commended Ms. Blake and the CLA team for steadily modernising internal processes, strengthening stakeholder engagement and improving public guidance to applicants.