G&NJA… Good And Natural Jamaican Agriculture featuring MEZ

It has been awhile, since BACKAYARD’s last looked into the world of G.A.N.J.A (Good And Natural Jamaican Agriculture), six years to be exact, and so much in that world has changed. In certain states in the United States of America – 25 in total – laws about the possession and use of the marijuana plant have been relaxed.

Now, the actual growing and selling of the herb and the vendibles associated with it, is now seen as a way to create legal (taxable) revenue for each state that chooses to go that route. As a result of this, here in Jamaica we too have been slowly, but surely, adapting our own laws in anticipation of being able to capitalize on the new markets created worldwide for exportation of various strains of the ganja plant for recreational and/or medicinal purposes.

One of the many Jamaicans who are positioning themselves to be an active player in the global marketplace is Mez owner Ravn Rae. Controlling one of the few official smoke shops currently operating on the island, Ravn has a unique perspective on what the future could hold for a legal industry built by marijuana. “We hope it will not be a lost resource or a drain. According to the Cannabis Licensing Authority in Jamaica, if you are an outside investor you have to have a Jamaican partner. There has to be a certain amount of shares that has to be Jamaican in the company. The outside investor has to show that they are tax compliant with the government of Jamaica as well, so there has been some requirements and guidelines put in place to assist with the protection of this as a Jamaican resource,” she explained. These measures were set up to try to deter overseas investors from monopolizing the expected benefits of this budding industry.

These actions are focused on building Jamaica and its brand, which is not too far from the mindset of young entrepreneurs like Ravn. “I saw that there was a gap in the marketplace in Jamaica for a smoke shop,” she noted. “I was always around friends and family who wanted certain smoking (or vaping) accessories and supplies and didn’t know where to get them. So, I just wanted to bring more convenience to people who were in search of those kinds of items.”

Mez, an amalgamation of Middle Eastern words Medina and Kasbah (pronounced commonly Kazba), has been officially been open for almost three years now. And in that time it has become the place in the capital, albeit unintentionally, for those who partake in certain herbs and other therapeutic substances to find products that provide the healthiest alternatives for their normal rituals. Beautiful timing, really, as this happens to coincide with the time that Jamaica seems to be relaxing its laws on marijuana.

“We do not sell ganja at the moment because it is not yet legal and I do not currently have a license to do so.” However, there is no doubt that as time progresses and more amendments are made to the Dangerous Drug Act, Ravn and Mez will see more ‘head shops’ popping up across the island. That, by no means, has deterred Ravn, as she is certainly planning for the future she sees for her store and for her country. “I want to be one of the leading boutique smoke and vape brands in Jamaica, offering some of the best quality products, devices, experiences and when the time is right and everything is legal and everything is set. I want to be one of the premier shops in the island and then hopefully the region. I am very patriotic, I want to help Jamaica and I want to build Jamaica. So I have to put in all my efforts into making my home: pretty, clean, successful and prosperous.”