The Shining Star of the Caribbean: Puerto Rico and the Spirit of Innovation

The Shining Star of the Caribbean: Puerto Rico and the Spirit of Innovation
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As a student of American history, I find it troubling that too many Americans know little or nothing about a specific group of their fellow Americans.

We owe it to ourselves to learn more about the island and history of Puerto Rico.

I say that because Puerto Ricans are United States citizens: They are an essential part of the broader U.S. economy, home to a great many sources of innovation within the areas of agriculture and medicine, science and technology, travel and hospitality, and entertainment and higher education.

The island’s lush vegetation is, in part, responsible for a transformation within health care.

I refer to the research and development by health and wellness experts concerning medicinal cannabis.

These individuals, many of whom are eager to extol the island’s physical landscape and spirit of national pride, represent a diversity of disciplines –– from entrepreneurs to advocates of alternative medicine to producers of edible forms of cannabis and cannabis-based salves that may ease or alleviates symptoms involving several ailments, such as back pain, seizures, Lupus, anxiety and different forms of cancer.

James Marshall, CEO of Encanna, describes Puerto Rico’s rich territory and fertile soil as an ideal source for premium medical cannabis.

“Of even greater importance is the island’s emphasis on the sort of rigorous oversight and self-imposed standards of crop regulation, where there is a genuine investment in maintaining the environment and emulating the quality control standards common to the manufacture of most pharmaceuticals.”

This story is a much larger – and more recent – chapter in the history of Puerto Rico, as it transitions into a industry that is at the forefront of many industries, including farming, environmental safety, holistic medicine, lifestyle products, beverages (for consumption of medical cannabis) and more.

In so many words, study the history of Puerto Rico.

Learn that history because it is an inseparable part of American history.

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