Jamaica Decriminalizes Possession of Small Amounts of Ganja

Ganja is deeply entrenched in the Rastafarian culture which permeated Jamaican culture, but the herb has been illegal for quite some time — until now that is. On the night of February 24th, after several hours of debate, Jamaican legislators in the Lower House passed a law that will decriminalize possession of small amounts of cannabis.

Under the new law, possession of as little as 2 ounces of cannabis will be considered a petty crime and will not result in a criminal record. Individuals will also be able to cultivate up to five plants in their homes without legal penalty. Jamaica will also establish a “cannabis licensing authority” that will control regulation and production of cannabis for medical use and scientific study.

U.S. reactions to this development in Jamaican cannabis law have been significant. Before the vote, William Brownfield, the U.S. assistant secretary for counter-narcotics affairs, said that “Jamaican law is of course Jamaica’s own business, and Jamaica’s sovereign decision.”

This is important because in the past, attempts at ganja legalization in Jamaica have failed due to official’s fear of U.S. reaction for violating international drug treaties. Brownfield did note, however, that trafficking cannabis into the U.S. is still illegal.

“We expect that Jamaica and all states party to the U.N. Drug Conventions will uphold their obligations, including a firm commitment to combating and dismantling criminal organizations involved in drug trafficking,” he said.

Peter Bunting, the island’s national security minister, indicated that this new law by no means implies that the Jamaican government will soften its efforts against transnational drug trafficking or illegal growing plots.

“The passage of this legislation does not create a free-for-all in the growing, transporting, dealing or exporting of ganja. The security forces will continue to rigorously enforce Jamaican law consistent with our international treaty obligations” he told Parliment.

With these new developments, Jamaica brazenly moves forward towards more relaxed cannabis law, joining an international trend of easing cannabis restrictions.