A communications and marketing firm in Denver, Colorado says it is ready to provide services to the “newly-minted” Jamaican cannabis market.
Claiming to be advisor for cannabis reform in Jamaica, the Cannabis Global Initiative (CGI) said it is now offering a “full suite of services” to assist companies wanting to be among the first to do legal cannabis business in the Caribbean, and has opened a second office in Kingston, the Jamaican capital.
Legislation to make provisions for ganja reform was approved by the Jamaican Cabinet and tabled in the Senate in January 2015.
This Bill, the Dangerous Drugs Act 2015, and popularly called the Ganja Bill, opened the door to the emergence of new financial and commercial opportunities for companies who want to do business in Jamaica, CGI said.
“We work with businesses, municipalities, policymakers, and other cannabis-related entities in local, national, and international markets,” it said.
“Our team is highly specialized in all aspects of cannabis and have expert inside knowledge and experience on the regulatory framework which can be customized for most municipalities,” it added.
Since 2009, CGI said it has worked to bring regulation, decriminalization and retail sales to Colorado, and has been “at the forefront of creating the laws and regulation surrounding medicinal, edible and now legal cannabis.”
“With the opening of its second office and CGI’s longstanding relationships with the Jamaican government, policy stakeholders and the growing community, CGI is prepared to advise companies with placing their products and/or services in the first Caribbean country to legalize marijuana for medicinal use,” the statement said.
TessMaria Leon, director of client services for CGI’s Caribbean team, heads CGI’s Kingston office.
“We’ve created a robust offering to ensure the best companies are being represented and positioned correctly to do business in the Caribbean,” said CGI President Wanda James. “CGI has created a number of packages with several levels of service designed to introduce cannabis-related businesses to Jamaican culture, lifestyle and business infrastructure.”
For example, she said CGI’s “Genesis Package” offers businesses a comprehensive, highly-personalized introduction to Jamaica including meetings with key industry representatives, growers and resort owners, assistance with the negotiation and selection of retail, grow or commercial space, a private car and driver, and a local CGI representative to accompany them for hands-on guidance.
Other packages are customized for those who would like to establish political connections, need culturally-sensitive advertising or public relations campaigns, or assistance with navigating licensing issues and procedures, once the government makes licensing available, James said.
