Jacana is a business producing ‘sun-grown’ cannabis products in Jamaica. It’s a medical wellness company that is looking at the approach around natural-based medicine. Alex Chong, founder and CEO, believes that this is in line with consumer appetite particularly in Europe.
Sun-grown
From plant to patient, Jacana is producing one of the world’s most natural products, sun-grown in harmony with nature, empowering not just those who use it but also those who grow it.
- 100 acre flagship farm in St Ann, Jamaica
- 68,000 kg annual production capacity
- 6 unique, proprietary cultivars developed for outdoor equatorial cultivation
- Sun-grown, organic & sustainable
The farm in St Ann, Jamaica has a unique microclimate and latitude which creates the perfect conditions for cultivation. Outdoor cultivation in Jamaica’s natural environment provides exactly the right conditions for the plants to flower: 12 hours of sunlight, 12 hours of darkness each day, temperatures consistently around 25°C, and humidity between 40% and 75%.
Export
Jacana became the first company to export medical cannabis from Jamaica to Canada in late 2018. Located in the UK, Jamaica and Canada, the global team of Jacana enables the company to be one of the world leaders in the outdoor cultivation and distribution of certified medical cannabis.
Hon. Audley Shaw, Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Jamaica, said: “Jamaica is proud to be emerging as a leader in one of the fastest growing global industries alongside trailblazing G7 nations like Canada and Germany. Our country will play a crucial role in addressing the global demand for medical cannabis, placing our nation at the forefront of the effort to increase patient access to medical cannabis and its many benefits. It is wonderful to see Jamaican businesses such as Jacana drive research and innovation, create jobs across the island, and bring international investment that will fuel the growth and development of our economy.”
People
The company was founded by serial entrepreneur Alexandra Chong. She is best known for establishing Lulu (a dating intelligence app with more than 6 million users) that she sold in 2016. The leadership team that will drive Jacana’s global growth carries experience from a range of industries, with the Board including the former CMO of Microsoft, Mich Mathews-Spradlin; world-renowned Silicon Valley venture capitalist and early backer of Twitter and Zoom, Bill Tai; and former CCO and Executive Board Member of the Coca-Cola Company, Robert Leechman.
Chong says: “Being half Jamaican and growing up in Jamaica, it’s always been a theme in our culture. The spark had started with me, but the world was also changing. More and more countries were legalising medical cannabis and I realised that this could actually become a real industry.”
According to Chong, Jacana’s 4.4 million square foot farm is the largest outdoor medical cannabis farm in the world. She hints at plans to set up other farms elsewhere, in the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, and Spain.
Jacana has three factors working in its favour: sustainability, cost of production, and patient preferences. With a great team in place to drive the business forward and great brand and market message — we look forward to tracking this future industry giant.
