By Stephen Weir

Audley Shaw, Jamaica’s Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, will tonight  discuss with members of the Canadian business community Jamaica’s plans to become the “Medical Marijuana Hub of the World. ”

Shaw will be one of  the keynote speakers at a meeting to be held at the Bay-Adelaide Center in downtown Toronto.

The Minister’s visit is  organized by Timeless Herbal Care, a Canadian Jamaican producer of medical marijuana products, and Bay Street’s Gravitas Financial Inc.

A Jamaican delegation, accompanying the minister on his trip to Canada, will be meeting banks, federal government representatives and companies involved with Canada’s medical marijuana industry.

Shaw told the Caribbean Camera that  “medical marijuana is one of the fastest growing sectors in medicine globally.  Jamaica must take its rightful place at the forefront of this significant industry with our own indigenous product that has outstanding purity levels higher than standards internationally.”

He  said  that thousands of acres of land in Jamaica will be made available for the cultivation of industrial hemp (low in THc, high in CDB for medicine) as well as  greenhouse planting which will play a major role in the development of the industry.

“This is a significant moment for Jamaica to establish itself as the  Global hub for health and wellness, said Courtney Betty, the president of Timeless Herbal Care.

The company has been from working with the Jamaican Government to create a legal framework ” to become one of the first fully integrated licensed companies to grow ganja.”

Among  the other keynote speakers  at tonight’s meeting are former Ontario Premier Ernie Eves who has been working with Timeless  Herbal Care for years to expand the global potential for Jamaica for medical marijuana,  and  Dr.Yasmin Hurd, Professor  of Psychiatry and Neuroscience  at the Icahn School  of Medicine in New York.

Shaw noted that  Jamaica’s laws are being liberalized and the technology is available to foster profitable partnerships between Canadian and Jamaican entrepreneurs.

“Our country historically has had the best ganja in the world.  Now we want to turn medical ganja into a major industry for Jamaica and due to our tropical conditions, we can grow marijuana continually throughout the year,” he said.