JANAAC to host Cannabis industry accreditation forum

By Colleen Dawkins

KINGSTON, Jamaica, (JIS) – Jamaica National Agency for Accreditation (JANAAC) will be hosting a virtual forum on Wednesday, June 2 which will explore ‘Jamaica’s Cannabis Industry and the Supporting Role of Accreditation’.

The event is in observance of World Accreditation Day on June 9.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of JANAAC, Sharonmae Shirley told JIS News that the forum will look at “the changing face of cannabis in Jamaica and the role of accreditation as a safeguard for consumer health and well-being”.

She said that related policies will also be examined by participating panellists, alongside matters of regulation, civil society concerns and recommendations.

“JANAAC believes that it is important to stage an event looking at accreditation as it relates to the cannabis industry, as it is a multibillion-dollar industry that has taken root in sectors including healthcare, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, and agriculture. The role of JANAAC in ensuring that cannabis laboratory testing meets standards, such as International Standardization Organization/International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC) 17025:2017, will also be emphasised and there will be a thematic focus on the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) focused on Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure (SDG 9),” Shirley noted.

Persons can tune in to the live discussion session, which will start at 9:00 a.m. and stream on the ministry of investment, industry and commerce’s website at www.miic.gov.jm and the JANAAC website at www.janaac.gov.jm. The event will also be streamed on the ministry’s and JANAAC’s social media pages.

“JANAAC supports the building of a robust quality infrastructure for the production, research and development, export and import of medicinal marijuana and other cannabis products, so we would like to invite citizens and stakeholders to participate in this virtual event,” Shirley said.

Speakers will include state minister in the ministry of industry, investment and commerce, Dr Norman Dunn; chairman JANAAC, Simon Roberts; Shirley; president of the Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), Diane Edwards; vice president of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ), Jason Henzell; president of the Ganja Growers and Producers Association of Jamaica, Richard “Dicky” Crawford; and chairman of the Cannabis Licensing Authority, Levaughn Flynn.

World Accreditation Day is a joint global initiative by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) to raise awareness about the importance of accreditation.

This year’s theme is ‘Accreditation: Supporting the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goals’.

Accreditation determines the technical competence, integrity and impartiality of organisations providing conformity assessment services, such as testing, calibration, certification and inspection based on international standards.