A mother of two was sentenced to one year imprisonment on Monday when she appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court for ganja-related offences, after she attempted to leave Jamaica with the drug strapped to her body.

Charged with possession of, dealing in, taking steps to export and conspiracy to export ganja is Kayon Foster.

She pleaded guilty to all counts except conspiracy and the court offered no evidence in that regard.

She was held with three pounds of ganja.

Foster was fined $12,350 or six months for possession, $25,500 or six months for dealing and $51,000 or six months, plus 12 months for taking steps to export ganja from Jamaica.

The sentences are to run concurrently.

A bill seeking to soften penalties for possession of marijuana for personal use could have its first reading in Parliament on Thursday.

The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) (Amendment) Bill 2015 is listed under private members’ business on the Order Paper.

APNU+AFC MP Michael Carrington is to move a motion seeking approval of the National Assembly for the introduction and first reading of the bill in accordance with Standing Order No. 52 (1).

A north Italy-based ice cream parlour in the small resort town of Alassio – which is seven square miles with a population of approximately 11,000 – hopes to begin selling its Bob Marley-inspired hemp treats before year end.

The parlour teamed with the Canapa Ligura organisation – best known for promoting awareness of the health benefits associated with hemp – to create the ice cream flavour as a tribute to the late reggae icon.

Hemp is a variant of the cannabis sativa or ganja plant, and is mainly used for making fibres and textiles. It is also refined into products such as seed foods, oil, wax, resin, rope, pulp, paper, and fuel.

Number one: Canada elects a marijuana-legalizing prime minister.

The global anti-drug regime has been in place for more than a half century now, but the prohibitionist consensus has been crumbling for at least 20 years, and the decomposition continued apace this year.

The international treaties that make up the legal backbone of international drug prohibition still stand, but they are under increasing attack at the United Nations, which will take them up again next year. They are increasingly being breached (especially by marijuana legalization at the national and sub-national level) and nibbled away at around the edges by moves like drug decriminalization and some harm reduction measures such as supervised injection facilities.

Tony Rebel reflects on effect before exemption

There was mirth at the launch of Rebel Salute 2016, held earlier this month at the Marriott Courtyard, New Kingston, when Justice Minister Mark Golding handed over a letter of marijuana exemption for the festival's next staging to Tony Rebel.

"What has been going on informally can now go on legitimately," Golding said to Rebel, to laughter from the persons who filled the room.

Throughout the past year we have no doubt seen groundbreaking strides in the cannabis universe.

Our continued efforts to dismantle the failed experiment of prohibition are full of excitement but also frustration.

But even though we still have a lot of work to do, it is simply awe-inspiring to look back on this year in cannabis.

To celebrate and share our gratitude, here is a month-by-month snapshot of cannabis in 2015. The resulting story arc is a powerful indication that momentum is stronger than ever – cannabis legalization will not be stopped!

There is little doubt in my mind that marijuana — cannabis, weed, pot, ganja, skunk, bud, herb, sticky icky, mota (in Mexico), le shit (in France), whatever you want to call it — is on the road to legalization. There are a lot of reasons for that. One of them is the changes taking place around the world.

Rebel Salute has become the second entertainment event to be granted exemption status under the amendment to the Dangerous Drugs Act.

The two-day reggae festival to be held at Richmond Estate in Priory, St Ann, from January 15 to 16 follows behind the recent staging of the Cannabis Cup in Negril which was the first to receive exemption since the decriminalisation of ganja in Jamaica.

Making the announcement at the launch of Rebel Salute at the Marriot Courtyard Hotel in New Kingston on Thursday Justice Minister Mark Golding noted that the festival continues to live by the fundamental aspects of the Rastafari ‘livity’ which qualifies it for exemption.

Public Defender Arlene Harrison Henry on December 9, 2015 sent an explosive report to parliament, the result of an investigation into several incidents, including the blood-stained Coral Gardens affair, for which she has recommended reparations and apology by the Jamaican State to Rastafarians. The Jamaica Observer presents part four of an edited version of the report:

“

ST JAMES, Jamaica – The narcotics police seized more than 1,000 pounds of ganja during operations in St James last Thursday and Friday.

The police say the ganja is worth more than J$5 million.

According to police reports, on Thursday a Toyota Corolla motor car was intercepted on the Liliput main road in the parish. The motor vehicle was searched and nine knitted bags containing compressed ganja weighing about 365.5 pounds were reportedly found.

The driver of the motor vehicle was arrested.

Then, investigations led the police to premises on Willow Drive in Pitfour, where a house was searched and 18 knitted bags containing ganja were also reportedly found.