IN JAMAICA: Cabinet Approves Changes To Ganja Law.... Justice Minister Mark Golding announced that among the amendments to the act that Cabinet has approved are provisions for permits to cultivate, possess, import, export, transport, manufacture, sell, and distribute ganja for medical and scientific purposes under licence.

Published: Wednesday | October 1, 2014

Accepting that aspects of the Dangerous Drugs Act prohibit Jamaica from enjoying the economic benefits of medical marijuana and industrial hemp, the Government has made a number of changes to the act.

Ganja plant

Speaking yesterday at a press briefing at Jamaica House, Justice Minister Mark Golding announced that among the amendments to the act that Cabinet has approved are provisions for permits to cultivate, possess, import, export, transport, manufacture, sell, and distribute ganja for medical and scientific purposes under licence.

"While the Dangerous Drugs Act and its regulations and the Food and Drug Regulations, 1975, provide a regime for the use of extracts, tinctures, or preparations made from cannabis, the prohibitions of the Dangerous Drugs Act make any dealing with the ganja plant itself illegal, without exception, and, therefore, do not allow locally grown cannabis plants to be used to produce extracts, tinctures, or preparations for medical, scientific, or any other purpose," he said.

Justice minister Mark Golding

Stating that the terms of the proposed licence are to be determined, Golding said, "We need to now flesh out the specifics of the licence and framework to go hand-in-hand once the amendments have been approved and implemented."

A licensing authority is to be established to govern the licensing processes for participation in the medicinal ganja industry. more