Cannabis company NUGL Inc, which operates locally under the Kaya brand, is moving to expand into delivery services in Jamaica after a regulatory change now allows authorised cannabis retailers to deliver to clients and caregivers for the first time.
“We believe Jamaica’s regulated cannabis industry remains in the early stages of long-term growth and market formalisation,” CEO Balram Vaswani said.
The company disclosed in its March 2026 quarterly report that it has been advancing its delivery infrastructure and operational rollout plans across Jamaica, with a focus on expanding customer accessibility and improving delivery efficiency across key operating markets.
“The introduction of Kaya’s off-site delivery creates a direct and actionable pathway to expand our addressable market,” Vaswani said. “These delivery capabilities improve customer accessibility, particularly for customers with limited transportation access, while creating new opportunities for incremental revenue growth and stronger brand loyalty.”
Kaya wants to leverage a regulatory change gazetted and launched under the Cannabis Licensing Authority’s Medical Cannabis Special Permit Programme, which for the first time allows authorised retailers to deliver cannabis to clients. The broader reforms also introduce new permit categories for traditional farmers, standardise licence tenure at three years, and create identification cards for cannabis industry workers.
CLA CEO Farrah Blake, speaking at the April 16 launch of the programme at the AC Hotel by Marriott, Kingston, said the delivery change specifically allows retailers “to be able to make their delivery of cannabis to their clients,” adding that 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 development comes as NUGL reported improved operating performance for the first quarter ended March 2026. The company generated revenue of some US$852,000, a 13.4 per cent increase over the prior year, with gross profit rising to US$461,218, according to the unaudited quarterly report.
Vaswani said the first-quarter results reflect continued operational improvement across the business, including expanded gross profit, increased cultivation capacity, and growing customer traffic across its retail network.
“With continued regulatory progress, expanding tourism activity, and the advancement of delivery capabilities, we believe Kaya is uniquely positioned to strengthen its market presence, expand customer accessibility, and continue building one of the leading vertically integrated cannabis platforms in the Caribbean,” he said.
Despite reporting operating income of US$23,136, the company posted a net loss of roughly US$96,440 for the quarter after financing and non-cash charges.
NUGL, which merged with Kaya in 2022, operates an integrated cannabis business spanning cultivation, processing and retail herb houses in Kingston, Falmouth, St Ann and Ocho Rios. The new delivery framework allows the company to extend its reach beyond those physical locations.
Kaya is one of the few Jamaican companies with publicly traded stock in the United States, listed on OTC Markets under the ticker NUGL.
The company continues to rebuild operations affected by Hurricane Melissa, which the quarterly report says will likely increase short-term capital requirements due to infrastructure repair and operational recovery.
carolyn.guniss@rjrgleaner.com
