Drug Courts in Jamaica Means to an End or End in Itself?

Harriot, Anthony; Jones, Marlyn J.

doi:10.5040/9781350218901.ch-003

Cited by 2 publications

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“…Nevertheless, the outcome of the eradication process was not successful. Throughout the 1990s and the early 2000s, arrests for possession of ganja in Jamaica escalated (Harriott & Jones, 2004) and the cultivation of the herb continued, translated in the high amounts of the plant seized at Kingston Wharves (Jones, 2002). At the same time, the lobby for legalization of ganja grew in Jamaica, and Prime Minister P. J. Patterson (PNP) "appointed a commission in September 2000 to consider and recommend whether government should decriminalize ganja for personal use in private" (Chevannes, 2001, p. 34).…”

Section: Ganja Rastas and The Law In Jamaicamentioning

confidence: 99%

Ganja and the Laws of Men: Cannabis Decriminalization and Social (In)Justice in Jamaica

Araújo

2023

Contemporary Drug Problems

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This article describes the harms caused by the criminalization of cannabis in Jamaica and the outcomes of the decriminalization and legalization processes that started in 2015. It argues that the current framework does not promote social justice for actors historically engaged in the cannabis trade and suggests that it should be revised and aligned with policies geared towards reparations. It focuses on the historical entanglements between Rastafarians, law enforcement, and criminal justice once the prohibition has been weaponized against these actors. I discuss the involvement of the US in the attempt to eradicate cannabis in Jamaica, the massive investment in militarization, and the state violence embodied in the war against cannabis to then unpack the issues with the process of decriminalization and legalization. It concludes by suggesting that the Cannabis Licensing Authority and the Jamaican government must develop deeper engagement with traditional farmers to design and implement policies that will allow them to enjoy the benefits of the current legal cannabis market.

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Section: Ganja Rastas and The Law In Jamaicamentioning

confidence: 99%