by Brian Major
Last updated: 2:55 PM ET, Wed February 26, 2014
Marijuana advocates in Jamaica are riding high this week after Parliament member Phillip Paulwell indicated that decriminalization of the use of marijuana in specific quantities will be on the agenda for discussion this year. Paulwell told the Jamaica Gleaner this week that he believes "decriminalization of the weed will become a reality this year."
Despite popular conceptions, marijuana is illegal in Jamaica. Nevertheless, as more U.S. states move toward legalization of small amounts of the drug, governments in Jamaica and other Caribbean nations are also considering measures to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana.
Despite being illegal in the country, marijuana is widely available in Jamaican areas frequented by tourists. An underground tourist-driven marijuana economy already operates across the island. Last year an Associated Press reporter profiled "ganja tours" available in Jamaica's Nine Mile district and in areas around Negril, one of Jamaica's most popular resort regions. Travelers can also find a number of Jamaican ganja tours online.
In the Associated Press profile, Mark Golding, Jamaica's minister of justice, said Jamaica's government recognizes legalization efforts elsewhere, and added "We will be reviewing the matter in light of the recent developments in this hemisphere." Jamaica Tourist Board referred TravelPulse's request for additional comment to Paulwell.
A handful of other Caribbean leaders are encouraging discussion on marijuana decriminalization. Kamla Persad-Bissessar, prime minister of Trinidad & Tobago, said earlier this year the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM), will issue research data this month on weed decriminalization. Ralph Gonsalves, prime minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, has also said regional governments should consider decriminalizing marijuana use.
Last year Michael Dunkley, Bermuda's public safety minister, promised a "mature, public discussion on decriminalization," although it was unclear if the promised talk had yet occurred. "Too many lives have been unbalanced by a criminal conviction for insignificant amounts of marijuana," Dunkley said in a Bermuda Royal Gazetteinterview. "Considerable resources are expended in prosecuting cases that could be better disposed of without any court appearance."
Nevertheless, wider acceptance of marijuana across the Caribbean may not be forthcoming. Despite its international image as a laid-back, good-time place, Jamaica is actually a conservative, religious country where many do not appreciate the country's reputation for ganja. Even Paulwell has said legalization of the drug in Jamaica "is out of the question at this time."
That attitude is reflected in other some Caribbean nations. "The cultivation and use of marijuana in Grenada is illegal, and therefore, we will abide by the laws of our land," Anthony Boatswain, the country's education and human resource development minister, said recently.
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