LeVaughn Flynn, is the new Chairman for the Cannabis Licensing Authority

3 years ago

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Well-known advocate for the local cannabis industry, LeVaughn Flynn, is the new Chairman for the Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA).

            Minister of State in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Dr Norman Dunn, introduced Mr Flynn during a meeting at the Ministry on Tuesday.

            He said that the new chairman comes to the post with a wealth of knowledge and experience.

“LeVaughn Flynn, I know, is no stranger to a number of persons in the industry. He has written prolifically… on this particular subject matter. That is actually what caught my attention and we need somebody that knows the industry and will drive the industry,”

 he said.

 “We have amongst us a chairman that has a wealth of experience in this industry. We wanted to ensure that the person who we are asking to lead this organisation is one that knows the industry,”

 he added.

            Dr Dunn also thanked the outgoing Chief Executive Officer of the CLA, Lincoln Allen, for his service. 

            Mr Flynn, in his remarks, said that Jamaica must prepare for the possible legalisation of cannabis by the United States government over the next couple of years.

            “We’ve seen the rescheduling and reclassification of cannabis by the United Nations (UN) and also by the United States (US) Government, and those things give us the impression that, potentially, in another couple years, we could have cannabis legalised at the federal level in the US.

When that happens, that completely opens the global free trade for cannabis,”

Mr Flynn said.

             “I think the questions we have to ask ourselves are, when that happens, where will Jamaica be? And going forward, what role will Jamaica play? How will we take our piece of the pie?”

 he said.

Mr Flynn said that the CLA must be a regulator that is efficient, offers efficient processes, and seeks to create an environment that promotes greater commercial activity. 

            “I believe in authentic and strong stakeholder relationships and I believe that going forward, there needs to be a strong collaborative effort between the authority and the licensees,”

 he pointed out.