Jamaica could be on the brink of making a strong mark in the medical research and drug development field based on the Tuesday Gleaner's lead story.

According to the story, two scientists had found endemic Jamaican plants that could help to cure five cancers. This is indeed good news and could have significant economic benefits for the island.

The story also points to the myriad of possibilities for medical benefits that can be found in our local plants and resources. We have mineral springs which have therapeutic benefits, yet the facilities at some of these mineral baths need serious upgrades for us to reap all the rewards that are involved.

There may be other plants that have medical benefits but how much is being invested in finding cures for some ailments in our local resources? Finding cures locally could prove cheaper than purchasing large amounts of foreign drugs to treat some ailments.

Jamaica has been blessed with several resources that can be used to develop new industries that would improve our economic situation However, the Government needs to take the helm and lead this research.

This research should be encouraged and funded however possible because as the lead story showed, there are possibilities that are out there that we might be missing because we are not investing.

Any money spent on research should not be viewed as a waste because there will always be some new helpful knowledge that can be had from research. What we should do is just invest in this field some more.