The Barbados Medicinal Cannabis Licensing Authority (BMCLA) will be hosting its second in a series of BAJCAN Connect for processors in the industry.
BAJCAN Connect is the BMCLA’s event arm that connects with stakeholders in the industry for education and collaborative efforts. The first BAJCAN Connect was held last December with the local health sector.
BMCLA’s communications and public education specialist, Tracy Moore, noted: “As the industry continues to open up, we will have these BAJCAN Connect forums to make the necessary connections.
“This processor forum is a free virtual event, and we hope to attract as many persons as possible, who are interested in applying for a processor license or have already applied for a processor license.
“It will be an opportunity for those attending to get some sound advice from veteran cannabis entreprenuer, Marcus Richardson, who has been processing cannabis for over 20 years and who specialises in advanced medicinal cannabis extraction methods.”
The Barbados Medicinal Cannabis Industry allows for eight licenses, one of which includes processing. The Processor License is divided into three tiers:
• Tier 1 – less that 200 sq metres
• Tier 2 – 200 to 500 sq metres
• Tier 3 – more than 500 sq metres
BAJCAN Connect’s Processor Forum is open to all persons interested in any of the three tiers.
Moore explained the breakdown of the event.
“We are very happy to note that in addition to the presentation by Richardson, there will be a panel discussion where we can talk about the different styles of processing.
“We will also be able to discuss the BMCLA’s Processor Guide for the industry and most importantly, we will have a Q&A session. It was important for us to hst an event that is formatted to facilitate learning, discussion, networking and most importantly the exchange of ideas,” Moore added.
BMCLA’s chief executive officer, Dr Shantal Munro-Knight said: “As the regulators, we recognise that the opportunity to support the industry extends well beyond our services to provide licences and to regulate the industry.
“Enabling success for all licensed operators in the local cannabis industry is a core objective of ours. We are thrilled to offer processor technologies, information and education, at no cost, to contribute towards industry success.”
“Based on feedback we’ve received through a recent survey to our stakeholders, we found that persons interested in the industry, particularly those interested in processing, wanted more information, whether it was on equipment and costing or methods of processing.
“So the objective is to ensure that those persons get some information towards success. No matter what extraction method a person prefers, this processor forum combined with the discussions is designed to address specific needs and again to overall industry success,” Dr Munro-Knight added.
BAJCAN Connect: Processor Forum takes place on Thursday, March 18, 2021, at 11:30 a.m. Persons can still go to www.bmcla.bb to register to attend. (PR)
