Kaya Targets Jamaica Cannabis Delivery After New Permit Rules

NUGL Inc, the cannabis business that trades in Jamaica through the Kaya brand, is preparing to enter the local delivery market following a change in regulation that permits approved retailers to deliver cannabis to registered clients and caregivers for the first time.

CEO Balram Vaswani said the company sees Jamaica’s legal cannabis trade as still being at an early point in its move toward wider growth and a more formal market structure.

In its quarterly filing for March 2026, NUGL said it has been working on the systems and operating plans needed to support deliveries across Jamaica. The company said the effort is aimed at making products easier for customers to access and at improving delivery performance in important markets where it operates.

Vaswani said Kaya’s move into off-premises delivery gives the company a practical route to reach a larger pool of potential customers. He said the service would be especially useful for people who have limited access to transportation, while also helping the business generate added revenue and deepen loyalty to the brand.

The expansion is tied to a regulatory amendment published in the Gazette and introduced under the Cannabis Licensing Authority’s Medical Cannabis Special Permit Programme. The change allows authorised cannabis retailers to deliver products directly to clients for the first time. The wider package of reforms also creates new permit classes for traditional farmers, sets a standard three-year licence period, and introduces identification cards for workers in the cannabis sector.

CLA chief executive officer Farrah Blake addressed the delivery provision at the April 16 launch of the programme at AC Hotel by Marriott in Kingston. Blake said the measure allows retailers “to be able to make their delivery of cannabis to their clients”, and said it “increases market access and better facilitates brand loyalty to retail authorisation holders. It allows clients to receive their cannabis in the event that there's a difficulty, physical or otherwise.”

The planned delivery push comes as NUGL posted stronger operating results for the first quarter ended March 2026. The unaudited quarterly report showed revenue of about US$852,000, up 13.4 per cent from the comparable period last year. Gross profit climbed to US$461,218.

Vaswani said the quarter showed continued improvement in the company’s operations. He pointed to higher gross profit, greater cultivation capacity, and increased customer activity across Kaya’s retail network.

He also said continued regulatory movement, stronger tourism activity, and the development of delivery services leave Kaya well placed to grow its market footprint, improve access for customers, and keep building what he described as one of the Caribbean’s leading vertically integrated cannabis platforms.

NUGL still ended the quarter in the red. Although it recorded operating income of US$23,136, financing costs and non-cash charges contributed to a net loss of approximately US$96,440.

NUGL merged with Kaya in 2022. The company’s integrated cannabis operation covers cultivation, processing, and retail herb houses in Kingston, Falmouth, St Ann and Ocho Rios. The new delivery rules would allow Kaya to serve customers beyond those storefronts.

Kaya is also among the small number of Jamaican companies whose shares trade publicly in the United States. It is listed on OTC Markets under the ticker symbol NUGL.

The company is still restoring operations damaged by Hurricane Melissa. NUGL’s quarterly report said the recovery and infrastructure repair work are expected to raise near-term capital needs.