Jamaican government considers legalization of marijuana

Mogie

9:38 a.m. March 1, 2008

KINGSTON, Jamaica – Jamaica is considering the legalization of marijuana, a drug revered by members of the island's large Rastafarian population who say smoking it is part of their religion.

A seven-member government commission has been researching possible changes to the Caribbean nation's anti-drug laws, which some police complain are clogging courts and jails with marijuana-related cases, a government official said Friday.

“We have discussed it, and we are preparing a report to present to the prime minister,” said Deputy Prime Minister Kenneth Baugh.

In 2003, a government commission recommended legalizing marijuana in small amounts for personal use. But lawmakers never acted, saying legalization might entail loss of their country's U.S. anti-drug certification. Countries that lose it face economic sanctions.

A U.S. State Department report Friday said that Jamaica is the largest producer of marijuana in the Caribbean and a major hub for drugs bound for the United States.

Members of the Rastafarian movement, which emerged in Jamaica in the 1930s out of anger over the oppression of blacks, have long lobbied for the legalization of the drug that they say brings them closer to the divine.

There are an estimated 700,000 Rastafarians in the world, most of them among Jamaica's 2.6 million people.

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the.fatman.cometh

If they do this, it will not only boost their economy due to the increase of tourism, but I imagine that the population would boom!

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thenoffya

It won't increase their tourism, or their economy. I don't want to sound like a know-it-all, but I have been to Jamaica on a mission type trip. Just about everything that people want to visit in Jamaica is owned by foreigners, who often times will import their own workers (anyone heard of Sandals?). The marijuana laws in Jamaica are there so the US doesn't impose economic sanctions. They don't regularly arrest citizens who grow, smoke, or sell marijuana, unless it involves a foreigner. When I was there, I talked to some policemen about it, and they said catching a large number of foreigners on drug charges is a sure way to get a promotion, because the Jamaican government uses them to 'show' the US that they are working at ending drug use.


Other than that, great place. I would recommend getting out of the cities, and heading to the backcountry towns. If you do, you can get great deals on weed. When I went, the first night we were there, we bought about a half for ten US dollars. Also, many of the roads have little bars scattered along them, cold beer (Red Stripe, Heineken, Corona) for a US dollar.

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Jock Horror in Rubbermaid Grow Box - First Grow - Exactly what the title says.

Jock Horror in Rubbermaid Grow Box - Second Grow - This one isn't a lie either.

green_nobody

courts complaining publicly that marijuana cases block up processing of real criminal case and police fuzzing about being tight up with round up of tokin tourists missing get a beat on criminals! the drug czar would shot each and everyone personally for that kind of a statement - live on TV!

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Keep the gun oiled and the thumb green!

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