BMCLA has nothing to do with entity seeking foreigner for position in cannabis industry

The Barbados Medicinal Cannabis Licensing Authority (BMCLA) has distanced itself from a private entity’s plan to hire a non-national as a master grower because it has been unable to find anyone here to do the job.

The BMCLA has made it clear it had nothing to do with a notice published in the newspaper by the Business and Employment Centre located at Kensington Court, Fontabelle, St Michael.

The notice did not identify the entity that the job placement and business support services centre placed the ad for, but claimed no suitable applicants could be found in Barbados to take up the position.

“Having received no suitable application in reply to our advertisement for a Master Grower – cannabis, it is our intention to apply for a work permit for a non-national to fill the position,” the notice stated, adding that anyone who wanted to challenge that application should do so in writing to the Chief Immigration Officer.

However, following social media pushback and queries from Barbados TODAY, the regulator for the local medicinal cannabis industry sought to set the record straight.

“The BMCLA did not place the advertisement seeking a master grower as seen in the local newspaper. That is an activity that was placed by a private business or entity similar to what happens in other industries in Barbados. We also cannot comment on a private company’s needs to run its business,” Communications and Public Education Specialist with the Authority Tracy Moore told Barbados TODAY in an official response on Monday.

A master grower is generally responsible for managing cannabis or other crop production cycles of a farm or greenhouse. Duties vary by company but can include overseeing the harvesting season, developing cultivation systems, and recording inventory. The basic qualifications for the post are usually a bachelor’s or master’s degree in science, botany, agriculture, horticulture, or a related field.

Moore added that the category of master grower has so far not been included in either of the two standards – Cannabis Cultivation: Medicinal Grade 2 and Cannabis Cultivation: Medicinal Grade 3 – developed by BMCLA.

Those standards, she said, deal solely with cultivation at various levels of certification, and the BMCLA is working with one of the country’s tertiary institutions to roll out that certification programme.

“BMCLA and TVET [Technical and Vocational Education and Training] Council signed a Memorandum of Understanding to allow persons to achieve Level 2 and Level 3 certification in medicinal cannabis cultivation. Level 2 is equivalent to CAPE [Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination] qualifications (or Advanced Levels or A-levels) and Level 3 is equivalent to an Associate Degree,” she revealed.

“This has been completed. These cultivation certifications in cannabis are a first for Barbados and a first for the English-speaking Caribbean region.”

The BMCLA has so far approved two Barbadian-owned companies – Best Buds and Cleland Organics Inc. – with a combined nine licences to operate in the medicinal cannabis industry in the areas of cultivation Tier 1, imports, exports, processing Tier1, transport and retail distribution.