Jamaica has always been synonymous with cannabis and Kaya plan to make the island the centre of the global wellness tourism industry. In March 2018, Kaya became the first legal medical cannabis dispensary to open its doors. It’s first location was in St Ann and they have since spread throughout the island.
The Plant
Kaya is a vertically integrated business with a 5,000 square foot greenhouse. The quality of their strains have been put to the test at the Ganja Cup in Negril. They came in second with their strain Sting A Ling, having been beat by a local farmer. Kaya carry strains from every part of the island and look to support the local farmers.
The People
The business is headed up by their CGO ‘Chief Ganja Officer” Balram Vaswani. He was born and raised in Jamaica and worked in banking, managed Jamaica’s pioneering TV network Reggae Entertainment and established the Marley estate’s coffee brand before launching Kaya. Balram has also teamed up with longtime friend Rohan Marley (son of Bob Marley) and cannabis industry veteran Lorna Gertner to bring Kaya to the world.
The Herb house
The Kaya Herb House operate 3 dispensaries throughout the island. The first dispensary launched in March 2018 in St Ann, this was followed with a second opening in Falmouth. The third location is in Kingston’s “Golden Triangle” of tourism which includes Devon House and the Bob Marley museum. The grand openings of the dispensaries have featured performances from KyMani Marley, Spice, Vybz Kartel, Toots and the Maytals, Jah9 and many other great Jamaican artists. These locations are far more than just sterile pharmaceutical dispensaries. They include pizza places, a spa, full alcohol and coffee bars, consumption lounges, accessories, clothing shops and on-site farms. It’s an entire experience. At the Kaya Spa, you can try out hemp-based lotions, facial scrubs, and balms during your treatment. At the Kaya Farm, you can take a tour of the nursery to get a better understanding of how cannabis is grown from seed to sale. Finally, at Kaya Café you can enjoy a hot cup of coffee, eat some pastries or indulge in some rum.
Kaya’s goal is to make Jamaica the flagship of the global wellness tourism industry and become the new symbol of the island’s roots and lifestyle. They are also looking to international expansion starting with the opening of a facility in St Vincent and the Grenadines. This is a super exciting company and we look forward to tracking its development.
