ST. GEORGE’S GRENADA – Grenada’s Cannabis Committee, operating through the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Fisheries and Cooperatives, has sought the expertise of an international consultancy firm in seeking to further monetize the Cannabis Sector.
Committee members and Ministers of Government met with consultants from Laconic Infrastructure Partnership on Wednesday, January 18, to get a better understanding of how Grenada can benefit from the Cannabis Industry using data on Agriculture and other Natural Resources.
Laconic Infrastructure is an organisation based in the United States, which works in agriculture production empowerment, through use of Modern Environmental Data to empower farmers to do more with less.
Chairperson of the Cannabis Committee, Rolanda McQueen, said exploring the benefits of the sector that goes beyond just plantation is important in the journey ahead.
She said, “I didn’t want out island to be known as just growing marijuana; I want us to do something that would sustain us. Because it is a new field for us, we want to do things in a premium way and that is the only way our country is going to benefit.”
Tapping into the pharmaceutical market is one of the agendas of the government in ensuring maximum benefits are realised from the Cannabis Industry. Chief Executive Officer of Laconic, Andrew Gilmore, noted that data helps in ensuring that pharmaceutical grades of Cannabis are manufactured.
He said, “With data comes the ability to grow more cannabis at a higher grade of purity for THC or Cannabinoid oil than just the standard plantings and that will enable a pharmaceutical grade of cannabis products to be manufactured by Grenada, generating more revenue and getting more potential products.” He said Grenada has the ideal climate and soil for multiple crop cultivation of Cannabis, annually, as Grenada’s volcanic soil makes it the perfect environment for the growing of the herb.
Minister for Agriculture and Lands, Fisheries and Cooperatives, Senator Adrian Thomas, in concurring with the information presented by Laconic stated that their expertise fits in with the government’s agenda.
“What you have outlined, falls directly ‘in our pot’ and will and it will definitely be of use to the transformation agenda that we are embarking on in Grenada as it relates to Agriculture,” Senator Thomas said.
Member of the Cannabis Committee, representing the Rastafarian Community, Bongo Ruan, said a lot can be learnt from the information provided by Laconic.
He said, “The position that they are taking is that they are bringing the intelligence and the knowledge and, I and I can harness this knowledge, take the mantle and move forward. The economics that are required to make that step, I think that they are bringing this.”
The Grenada Cannabis Committee consists of representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Royal Grenada Police Force, the legal fraternity, the Conference of Churches, and the Rastafarian Community.
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