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Jamaica’s Cannabis Licensing Authority Seeks Fourth CEO In 24 Months

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The Cannabis Licensing Authority, CLA, is set to appoint its fourth CEO in two years.

The office holders since 2021, of which two were interim bosses, were Daenia Ashpole, Faith Graham, and Lincoln Allen.

“As my tenure as CEO of the CLA comes to an end, I reflect on the journey with great appreciation for the work done in improving the local cannabis industry,” said Ashpole in a message to stakeholders seen by the Financial Gleaner. “While I have demitted the CEO’s office, I remain confident that the CLA will stay its course in ensuring the development of a sound and resilient medicinal cannabis industry in Jamaica.”

The latest data on CLA site shows an industry with over 106 issued licences, 30 applications are awaiting licences, and a further 333 applications are at the conditional approval stages.

The position of CEO remains a difficult job, according to a senior government source, speaking on condition of anonymity, who added that the pay isn’t great at roughly $6.5 million plus an additional $1.5 million for travelling.

Ashpole became ‘interim CEO’, based on CLA press releases, having replaced another interim CEO, Faith Graham, who was tapped to act in the position after former CEO Lincoln Allen demitted office on February 28, 2021. Allen served in the post for three years since March 1, 2018.

Applicants have until February 10 to apply for the vacant CEO position.

That person’s job will entail “strategic leadership of the Cannabis Licensing Authority, while managing the regulation of Jamaica’s legal cannabis industry within the context of the strategic plan,” the agency said.

The applicant should hold a post-graduate degree in economics, business administration, or any other related field, and have at least six years of senior management experience

“I really hope they can put someone inside that actually has run a profitable business so they would have the means of streamlining the efficiency of how it [CLA] is run,” said a member of the cannabis industry whose business is regulated by the CLA.

GROWTH IN REVENUES

“It would also be nice if they have at least five years of knowledge inside a regulated cannabis industry so we can actually move this forward in terms of growth in revenues, acceptance of edibles and basic amendments to the act, which has not been changed since 2015 where several states have moved from medical to recreational in same time period,” the person said.

The Cannabis Licensing Authority is an agency of the Ministry of Industry, Investment & Commerce. It was established in 2015, under the Dangerous Drug Amendment Act, with a specific role to establish and regulate Jamaica’s legal ganja and hemp industry.

The agency is now chaired by Chris McPherson, who did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Previous chairs included LeVaughn Flynn and Cindy Lightbourne.

Source: https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/business/20230205/ganja-regulator-hunting-fourth-ceo-two-years



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Latina woman alleges she was denied job with cannabis nonprofit because she’s not Black

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A Latina from Lawndale is suing an organization that bills itself as fighting for “cannabis justice” with a goal to “heal the legacy of racism in America,” alleging she was told she was not chosen for a position with the nonprofit in 2023 because she is not Black.

Briseida Lupercio Chavez’s Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit against the Hood Incubator alleges racial discrimination, retaliation and wrongful failure to hire in violation of public policy. She seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.

A Hood Incubator representative did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the suit brought Jan. 5.

According to the suit, the Hood Incubator’s website states its purpose is to fight for “cannabis justice” and to “heal the legacy of racism in America . . . for the health and prosperity” of everyone.

“However, despite its stated vision of being an anti-racist organization, its blatantly discriminatory hiring practices could not be more contradictory to its stated purpose,” the suit states.

Chavez interviewed for a position with the Hood Incubator via Zoom last July with two organization representatives, one of whom is a managing agent, the suit states. The two representatives remained on the Zoom call after the interview and spent 10 minutes talking about why they were  not interested in hiring Chavez because she is not Black, the suit states.

Both representatives mocked Chavez’s race and for saying she had biracial children, telling the plaintiff they found her comments “off- putting” and falsely implying that she only claims to care about Black people because she has Black kids and friends,” according to the suit.

One of the representatives told Chavez that because she is a Latina, she is used to the Latino community “pulling strings for each other,” the suit states.

Chavez was “embarrassed, ashamed, emotionally broken and in financial desperation” after learning that she was not hired allegedly due to her race, national origin and/or color,” the suit states.

Latina woman alleges she was denied job with cannabis nonprofit because she’s not Black

 



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Man allegedly killed roommate, went back to sleep and bought some cannabis before others implored him to call 911

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It is, of course, a law & crime story..

A Maryland man insisted that he shot his roommate in self-defense, but admitted he only called 911 after going back to sleep, buying some marijuana, and communicating with people who implored him to contact authorities, according to court documents obtained by Washington, D.C., NBC affiliate WRC and Fox affiliate WTTG.

Richard Bennaugh, 38, is charged with manslaughter, assault in the first degree, assault in the second degree, and possession of a firearm as someone convicted of a violent felony, show from Prince George’s County show.

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‘There’s only one way to find out’: Man allegedly killed roommate, went back to sleep and bought some weed before others implored him to call 911



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Illegal immigrant cannabis farmer, 30, is allowed to remain in Britain – because being sent back to Serbia would breach his human rights

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The Daily Mail get over excited once again…

A migrant who was jailed over a cannabis farm worth half a million pounds has been granted permission to stay in the UK after successfully arguing he could not be deported as he no longer spoke his native language.

Clirim Kukaj, 30, is ethnically Albanian but was born and brought up in Serbia until at the age of 13 he entered Britain illegally. Seven years later he was granted indefinite leave to remain.

Kukaj and his lawyers have now successfully appealed his deportation on the grounds that returning him to his native country would be a breach of his human rights because he cannot speak the language and can only converse in Albanian.

Immigrational tribunal judge Fiona Lindsley granted the appeal ‘on human rights grounds’, however, the decision has sparked renewed calls for human rights laws to be reconsidered.

A senior Conservative MP told the Telegraph: ‘This demonstrates why we need urgent reform of the asylum system and human rights laws to allow the rapid and effective deportation of dangerous criminals.’

More Blah here

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12941079/Migrant-cannabis-farmer-allowed-remain-Britain-human-right-no-longer-speak-language.html



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