The Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA), established in 2015 under the Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Act, is an agency of the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce. Its primary mandate is to regulate Jamaica's legal cannabis and hemp industry, focusing on medical, therapeutic, and scientific applications. The CLA is responsible for creating regulations that guide the development of an orderly legal cannabis industry, ensuring compliance with Jamaica's international obligations, and issuing licenses, permits, and authorizations for the handling of cannabis and hemp.

In regulating this new industry, the Authority is guided by fundamental beliefs that will at all times be reflected in the Regulations developed and the manner in which the Authority operates both in its granting of licences and in how the industry is monitored and Regulations enforced.

1. The main focus of the CLA is to foster the growth, development and orderly regulation of a legal marijuana (ganja) and hemp industry in Jamaica, including the use of the plant and/or derivatives thereof for medical, therapeutic and scientific purposes. This must be done consistent with Jamaica’s international treaty obligations regarding the cultivation, production, use and export of narcotic substances.
2. The Dangerous Drug (Amendment) Act (DDA Act) 2015 gives the CLA the power to issue such licences, permits and authorizations, as may be appropriate, for the handling of hemp and marijuana (ganja) for medical, therapeutic or scientific purposes.  The CLA does not have jurisdiction over religious use of ganja, but rather this remit falls to the Ministry of Justice.
3. Marijuana (defined as Cannabis sativa with THC levels in excess of 1%) remains an illegal drug in Jamaica, a status which has not been changed under the DDA Act.
4. The CLA recognizes, respects, will actively seek the counsel of and will seek to protect the rights of, persons who have been long standing advocates for and the pioneers in the development of legal marijuana and hemp industries in Jamaica, including small farmers. This is recognized by the representation of these interests on the Board.
5. The CLA recognizes the unique contribution and cultural and historical legacy of Rastafarians to the development of the industry and will work closely with their representatives and the Jamaica Intellectual Property Office (JIPO) in supporting the protection of their cultural identity as the industry develops and grows. This is reinforced by the presence of their representatives on the Board as members of civil society.
6. In guiding the development of the marijuana industry, the CLA will place primary focus on strains and cultivars that are indigenous to Jamaica, for which the country can claim intellectual property rights and can leverage the advantages of its global brand recognition.
7. The CLA is strongly against the use or handling of marijuana by children, teenagers, adolescents and at-risk adults given the well-known and scientifically established potentially negative effects of the drug on physical and mental health. In this regard, the CLA fully subscribes to, endorses and will actively support initiatives of the National Council on Drug Abuse (NCDA) to educate at risk groups about the potential negative effects of the drug.  This support is also consistent with Government’s obligations to fund activities of the NCDA and is recognized by a position on its Board being reserved for the NCDA.
8. The CLA is cognizant of parallel frameworks that may need to be developed and implemented to form comprehensive guidelines for the industry. These, however, may fall outside of the remit of the Authority, as stated in the DDA Act, and will be considered if they impact those areas of the industry under the CLA’s regulatory control.

The scope of the Quality Management System (QMS) for the Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA), which is located in New Kingston Jamaica, includes the implementation of an ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System (QMS) for regulating the legal Cannabis Industry for the handling of hemp and ganja for medical, therapeutic, and scientific purposes. The CLA issues licences, permits, and authorizations as well as conducts monitoring and enforcement activities to preserve the integrity and transparency of the Medical Cannabis Industry. The following categories of licences are offered by the Authority:

1. Cultivator
2. Processing
3. Transport
4. Retail
5. Research and Development

The Licensing and Application process involves desk verification, due diligence checks, conditional approval, pre-licensing site inspections, and the granting and issuance of licences. Licensees are required to comply with the Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Act, the Dangerous Drugs (Cannabis Licensing) (Interim) Regulations 2016, as well as the terms and conditions of their licences. The forgoing regulatory obligations serve to ensure compliance within the industry and ultimately, to prevent the diversion and inversion of ganja, which are major threats to the survival and viability of the industry. Therefore, the Authority conducts enforcement and monitoring activities such as routine inspections, investigations, and audits, to ensure regulatory compliance and adherence to the International Conventions.