Senior Government advisor Delano Seiveright wants American law students, academics and representatives of civil society representatives at Harvard University to press the US government to change “repressive” laws against the use of cannabis.

Seiveright, who is also a director of the local Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA), was speaking at Harvard Law School at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts last Thursday.

Seiveright noted that while cannabis law reform is progressing “reasonably well” in Jamaica, the county still faces fundamental challenges related directly to the US government foreign policy and outdated United Nations conventions. 

Seiveright noted that while several US states have gone the route of full legalization, sovereign states like Jamaica are fearful of the consequences from bigger and powerful countries such as the United States, despite strong public support for change.

He also noted that Canada has clearly spoken of full legalisation next year in direct contravention of UN treaties...