Jacana ships cannabis to Cayman
Published:Friday | February 6, 2026 | 12:07 AMNeville Graham - Staff Writer
Jacana, a Jamaican cannabis company, has completed its first regulated export of medical marijuana to the Cayman Islands.
It shipped oil-based cannabis products, vape pens, and extracts to the British Overseas Territory on January 7 under permits from Jamaica’s Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA) and the Cayman Islands’ chief medical officer. Caribbean Medical Distributors will dispense the products through pharmacies and hospitals via prescription.
Alexandra Chong, Jacana’s founder and CEO, declined to disclose the shipment’s value, but called it “an encouraging start” and proof of concept for regulated exports from Jamaica.
“It’s obviously the first step,” Chong said, adding that the company would focus heavily on patient and physician education in the Cayman market.
The export marks a further step by the regulated sector in growing exports. Jamaica’s medical cannabis sector, now operating for a decade, has struggled to translate the island’s cultural association with marijuana into global commercial success. While Jacana already distributes non-THC wellness products to roughly 30 outlets across the US, UK and parts of Europe, the Cayman shipment represents its first international medical cannabis sale.
Jacana operates a 100-acre farm in St Ann backed by a manufacturing facility that Chong said was essential to meet international regulatory requirements. The operation employs roughly 110 workers.
“You can actually produce quite a lot of product because of the amount of turns you’re able to do,” Chong said, referring to the farm’s ability to run multiple crop cycles annually, rather than expanding acreage.
The company controls the entire chain from cultivation through to manufacturing, branding and retail. Products feature sun-grown, organically cultivated Jamaican cannabis with varying THC and CBD profiles, supported by in-house and third-party testing.
Locally, Jacana operates four retail locations, including Manor Park in St Andrew, New Kingston Shopping Centre, Island Village in Ocho Rios, and Princess Grand in Hanover — the company’s first apothecary inside a major resort property. The retail model blends cannabis with broader botanical offerings, including balms, oils and after-sun products, positioning the brand for tourism and experiential sales.
Chong, who was raised in Ocho Rios, studied law in London, built a technology career in the UK and US, where she founded and sold a dating app, before returning to Jamaica.
“I always wanted to come back and do something that I felt was going to be impactful,” Chong said. Her return coincided with the emergence of Jamaica’s regulated cannabis industry, allowing her to merge her entrepreneurial background with an interest in plant-based wellness.
“I think Jacana can be the next big Jamaican brand…something long-lasting that reaches international borders and gets the recognition our island deserves,” she said.
With Cayman secured, Jacana is in discussions with European medical cannabis markets including Germany, though Chong emphasised expansion would remain deliberate.
“We don’t take deals that aren’t economically viable for us. The deal has to make sense, and it has to be worth growing on,” she said.
The cautious approach reflects the challenges facing Jamaica’s medical cannabis exporters, who must navigate complex international regulations, while competing with established suppliers in markets like Canada and the Netherlands.
The CLA, which regulates the sector, issued 166 licences to December 2024. More recent data was not immediately available, as the cla.org.jm site reads “account suspended”, while another site, cla.gov.jm, returns blank results when clicking on “approved licensees”.