Steep Hill Labs, a global leader in cannabis science and technology, partnered with the University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech, JA) to support small ganja farmers in the country at last weekend’s festival.
Using this alliance last weekend, Steep Hill provided lab testing for growers competing in the Ganjamaica Cup at the Rastafari RootzFest. This collaboration comes after three years of dedicated alliance between UTech, JA and Steep Hill. The culmination of this relationship will bring cannabis science and analytics to the Jamaican Rastafarian community and the growers who are now transitioning to a legal industry. In this endeavor, Steep Hill is also hoping to help Jamaican growers preserve the cultivars and genetics that originated in their communities.
Steep Hill‘s Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Reggie Gaudino, who presented at Rastafari RootzFest, commented, “Most people are familiar with the Champagne winemaking community’s comprehensive regulations for regionally-produced wines, protecting their economic interests—including the stipulation that only sparkling wines produced in the Champagne region can be labeled and sold as ‘Champagne.’ We envision this same type of ‘brand protection’ in Jamaica’s unique cannabis varieties. Through science and technology, we can identify these strains to use as a reference point, so that Jamaica can reclaim the brands that are rightfully theirs, ultimately bolstering the Jamaican economy.”
Rastafari RootzFest is a three-day event with musical roots founded by Ras Iyah V, one of Jamaica’s foremost ganja authorities and the Chair of the Westmoreland Ganja Farmers Association. Attendees listened to seminars, an exhibition hall, three nights of music and the Ganjamaica Cup. He also serves as a member of the Board of the Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA). The Rastafari RootzFest is meant to educate those in attendance on the benefits of medical and sacramental cannabis. This year’s events were also centered around the community coming together to celebrate the newly legal Jamaican cannabis market.
Ras Iyah V said of the collaboration, “We’re very thankful to our partners Steep Hill and UTech, JA for their commitment and efforts in bringing science and technology to our event, and to Jamaica. With science by our side, we can learn more about what we have, and we can explore ways of helping our people and farmers benefit from the mighty herb.”
Steep Hill Labs and Oaksterdam University were both sponsors at this year’s musically charged event in Negril. The event was a huge success and continues laying the foundation for what will surely be a robust cannabis economy in Jamaica.
