They said several studies on the effects of marijuana on blood sugar levels, overweight and the alleviation of symptoms, especially the pain from damaged nerves, will also be presented at the conference.

President of the Diabetes Association of Jamaica, Professor Errol Morrison, said that these studies, which have been ongoing for over 40 years, “speak to the importance of all the research going on and how it is taking a lot of time and care to unravel the fact that marijuana can and does have important medical effects, which can benefit a number of illnesses, in particular diabetes”.

Morrison said the conference will serve to provide information about marijuana and its effects, by bringing local and international researchers together to discuss the subject.

He said there will also be Memorial Lecture on former prime minister Hugh Lawson Shearer, who lived with diabetes for over 50 years.

The lecture will be delivered by Professor of Psychiatry at the University of the West Indies, Wendell Abel, who will speak on the nerve damage that diabetes causes and how marijuana can help to alleviate the problem.

The Sir Phillip Sherlock Award will be given to the Chairman of the Medical Council of Jamaica, Dr. John Hall, who will be sharing his experience of being called to the United States Congress to give his report on his findings on marijuana smokers and how it affected their health.

The conference will be opened by Tourism Minister Edmond Bartlett, while President of Northern Caribbean University, Trevor Gardner, will be the keynote speaker.