Jamaica’s marijuana shortage branded a ‘cultural embarrassment’

Jamaica, which has long been associated with pot, reggae, and Rastafarians, authorised a regulated medical marijuana industry and decriminalised the possession of small amounts of weed in 2015.

People caught with two ounces (56 grams) or less of cannabis are supposed to pay a small fine and face no arrest or criminal record.

The island also allows individuals to cultivate up to five plants, and Rastafarians are legally allowed to smoke marijuana for sacramental purposes.

But enforcement is patchy, as many tourists and locals continue to buy marijuana on the street, where it has grown more scarce – and more expensive.

Paul Burke, chief executive of Jamaica’s Ganja Growers and Producers Association, said people are no longer afraid of being locked up now that the government allows possession of small amounts.

He said the stigmatisation of cannabis has diminished and more people are appreciating its claimed therapeutic and medicinal value during the pandemic.

But the government’s Cannabis Licensing Authority – which has authorised 29 cultivators and issued 73 licenses for transportation, retail, processing and other activities – said there is no shortage of marijuana in the regulated industry.

Farmers and activists say weed sold via legal dispensaries, known as herb houses, is out of reach for many given that it still costs five to 10 times more than pot on the street.