Official release from the Medicinal Cannabis Authority
Kingstown, St. Vincent, July 21, 2020
Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Medicinal Cannabis Authority (MCA), Terral Mapp said the cannabis industry has been resilient during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mapp’s comments came on the heels of a recent online article published on mmjdaily.com, which highlighted St. Vincent and the Grenadines as one of the most promising country to be paving the way in the Caribbean for Cannabis cultivation.
He noted that while COVID-19 has delayed the commencement of several medicinal cannabis operations as investors and their technical experts have been stuck in their home countries, reports have shown cannabis’ exceptional performance on the international market during the pandemic.
The COO further stated that in North America in particular, persons have been stockpiling cannabis products to cope with anxiety and depression, amidst orders to stay at home which has spurred a significant increase in cannabis sales. With the reopening of borders, experts are now making their way in and several operations are expected to launch in the upcoming months.
According to him, SVG is the only Caribbean country which has created a special space for local and traditional cannabis cultivators. He said that these cultivators have the opportunity to acquire a license at a very low cost and have been provided training, facilitated by the MCA; all in an effort to creating an inclusive, modern, sustainable medicinal cannabis industry.
Defining the cannabis industry as multi- faceted, dynamic, and complex, the COO said every day presents new and exciting challenges to develop this nation’s cannabis industry to international standards. He further emphasized that solely the MCA cannot and should not try to regulate the industry; but rather build strong ties with governmental and non-governmental agencies as they work towards the advancement of the cannabis industry.
Mapp, who described cannabis as an extremely lucrative crop, said the industry can propel and benefit the Vincentian economy.
In expressing his gratitude to be a part of the team executing the ground work to help build a sustainable cannabis industry, Mapp is hoping that Vincentians will understand the importance of developing the industry; which, according to him, is not solely about granting licenses to farmers, but also creating jobs at all levels, encouraging entrepreneurship and investment and developing cannabis products to treat a multiplicity of medical qualifying conditions.
Mapp said he appreciates the efforts the publishers of the article made to highlight SVG’s ideal climatic conditions and volcanic soil for high quality, low cost, year-round medicinal cannabis production. He noted that SVG possesses significant cost advantages as cannabis grown in Canada, and other developed countries, is mainly done in expensive indoor settings with production cost exceeding EC$1.50 per gram; while outdoor production can be as low as EC$0 .40 per gram, less than 70% of the indoor cost.
The MCA was established through the Medicinal Cannabis Industry Act, 2018. It is a body corporate with an overarching objective to regulate the cultivation, supply, possession, production and use of cannabis for medicinal purposes
