Jamaica decriminalizes small amounts of marijuana

#marijuana #jamaicanweed #reggaemusic #ganja Taking from the United States that has legalized use of marijuana and its purchase and sale in some states, Jamaica is set to follow suit. A proposal has been approved in parliament to assign final legislative approval to an act that will decriminalize small amounts of pot and establish a licensing agency that will regulate a marijuana industry that would be lawful.
This has been reported in nzherald.co.nz dated 26 February 2015.
Marijuana has been illegal in Jamaica for decades whether taken a medicinal herb or puffed as a sacrament by Rastafarians or converted into songs in the island's famed reggae music.
However, following years of dialogue about this drug, and emboldened by changes to drug laws in US states, Jamaica's Parliament gave its legislative approval and, this would pave the way for a "cannabis licensing authority" to be established that would deal with regulating the cultivation and distribution of marijuana for medical and scientific purposes.
It is expected that the Governor-General will be formally signing it into law in coming days.
As per the provisions of the act, possession of up to 2 ounces of marijuana would be treated as a petty offense that could result in a ticket but not in a criminal record. Moreover, it will be permissible to cultivate up to five plants on any premises. And, tourists who have been prescribed medical marijuana abroad will be able to apply for permits that would authorize them to legally buy small amounts of Jamaican weed which is also known as "ganja".

Jamaica to go the US way and relax cannabis laws

#jamaica #marijuana #cannabis #ganja Jamaica plans to go the US way and relax laws relating to cannabis or ‘ganja’ as it is known locally. The Jamaican cabinet has approved a bill that would decriminalize possession of small quantities of cannabis and gradually pave the way for a legal medical marijuana industry.
The bill would create a cannabis licensing authority that would handle the regulations necessary to cultivate, sell and distribute the herb for medical, scientific and therapeutic purposes. Jamaica wants to position itself suitable to take advantage of the significant economic opportunities that is offered by this emerging industry.
Under the terms of the proposed bill, the possession of 2 ounces or less would be treated as an offence but, it would not result in a criminal record. Permission would be given to cultivate maximum of five plants on any premises.
Rastafarians, who use marijuana as a sacrament, could also legally use it for religious purposes for the first time in Jamaica - the spiritual movement was founded in the 1930s.
Incidentally, the debate has raged on the Caribbean island for a long time over laws that govern use of marijuana and, with several countries and US states relaxing their laws on the herb, Jamaica plans to follow suit.