Marijuana is very much a part of Jamaican culture. I have never traveled to Jamaica, but many of of my friends and family have. All of them have consumed marijuana on their trip, and stated that it was readily available, cheap, and of high quality. But marijuana has been illegal for a long time in Jamaica, despite the fact that it is used for religious purposes, recreational purposes, and medical purposes all over the island nation. This week Jamaica decriminalized marijuana. Per The Guardian:
Jamaican lawmakers have passed an act to decriminalise small amounts of marijuana and establish a licensing agency to regulate a lawful medical cannabis industry on the island.
After several hours of debate legislators in the lower house on Tuesday gave final passage to drug law amendments that make possession of up to 2oz (56.6g) of marijuana a petty offence that would not result in a criminal record. Cultivation of five or fewer plants on any premises would be permitted in Jamaica, where the drug has long been culturally entrenched but illegal.
The law paves the way for a licensing authority to be set up to deal with regulations on cultivation and distribution of marijuana for medical, scientific and therapeutic purposes.
This is great news for the people of Jamaica. I’m hopeful that it leads to more tourism, which is an industry that Jamaica greatly depends on. Now that marijuana is decriminalized, I just might have to finally get over there.
