Jamaican sentenced in Trinidad after attempting to smuggle ganja in his wheelchair

Jamaica broke rank with CARICOM on ganja issue — St Lucia group

Dr Henry Lowe, the founder and chief scientist with a local medicinal ganja research company, is optimistic that the Government will soon consider laws to govern the cultivation of the weed.

Yesterday, the Justice Minister Senator Mark Golding announced that the Government would be changing the law so that it is no longer a criminal offence to possess ganja weighing two ounces or less.

Instead offenders would be issued with a ticket payable outside of the courts.

The minister said the laws against the cultivation of the weed would remain in place.

However, Lowe says the matter of the cultivation of ganja for medicinal purposes has to be reconsidered.

Livern Barrett, Gleaner Writer

AS JAMAICA seeks to follow several countries and a number of American states that have legalised the possession of small amounts of ganja, the country's justice minister, Senator Mark Golding, says he does not anticipate any backlash from international partners.

That's because, as Golding sought to explain during a Jamaica House press conference yesterday, the Portia Simpson Miller administration has no plans to change the law relating to the cultivation, dealing in and exporting of ganja.

"What we are simply doing is modifying the penalty regime to make it more suitable for our reality in Jamaica and less oppressive of our people," Golding reasoned.

Livern Barrett, Gleaner Writer

KINGSTON, Jamaica:

The Portia Simpson Miller Cabinet has approved proposed amendments to the law that will decriminalise the possession of small amounts of ganja.

At the same time Justice Minister Mark Golding, who made the announcement today, says the government will soon table a bill in Parliament that will seek to expunge the criminal records of persons convicted for possession of small amounts of ganja.

Speaking at a Jamaica House press conference a short while ago, Golding said Cabinet has approved proposed changes to the Dangerous Drugs Act to make possession of 0.057 kilogram or less a non-arrestable offence.

Jodi-Ann Gilpin, Staff Reporter

PROFESSOR ARCHIBALD McDonald, principal of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, has called for serious consideration to be given to persons who have been criminally charged for smoking marijuana.

Speaking at the Jamaica Cannabis Conference, which was held at the Faculty of Law at the UWI last week, McDonald stressed that young people, especially, continue to encounter serious challenges in trying to move forward with future endeavours as a result of what he describes as ridiculous offences.

Another church leader has joined the growing number of persons advocating for the country to legalise the ganja trade.

Reverend Rennard White, vice president of the Jamaica Evangelical Alliance and president of the Missionary Church Association, says ganja should be given greater attention and should form part of the national development plan.

Addressing congregants at this morning's Labour Day thanksgiving service at the Covenant Moravian Church in St Andrew, he says such an industry has to be properly managed to maximise the economic benefits.

In 2012, general secretary of the Jamaica Baptist Union, Reverend Karl Johnson, called for the decriminalisation of ganja.

Edmond Campbell, Senior Staff Reporter

Opposition Leader Andrew Holness has challenged the Portia Simpson Miller administration to place the decriminalisation of ganja and a review of the country's buggery law before Jamaicans in a referendum in the next local government elections due by March next year.

In his contribution to the Budget Debate in Gordon House, Holness also urged the Government to allow Jamaicans to decide on whether to make the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) Jamaica's final appellate court and retain The Queen as head of state in the same referendum.

UK wants no role in Caribbean ganja debate

Claudia Gardner, Assignment Coordinator

WESTERN BUREAU:Harvard University's law professor Charles Nessen says the Westmoreland Hemp and Ganja Farmers Association (WHGFA) could take steps in protecting the interest of Rastafari and small ganja farmers by legally registering themselves as cooperatives.

Professor Nessen made the comments during his keynote address at the WHGFA's second monthly meeting which was held at the MXIII Lawn in Negril, Westmoreland, on Sunday.

The professor had flown back to Jamaica specifically to address the meeting after having met with the association's chairman, Ras Iyah-V, at the launch of the Jamaica Ganja Future Growers in Kingston earlier this month.