JCF calls for review of ganja law amid tensions with Rastas

THE Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) is calling for a comprehensive review of the Dangerous Drugs Act, saying gaps and ambiguities in the law governing sacramental ganja use by Rastafarians must be addressed to clarify the community’s religious protections and guide police enforcement. The force says uncertainty over how officers should verify religious authorisation, identify approved cultivation sites and recognise places of worship has contributed to tensions with Rastafari adherents, whose use of ganja is recognised under Jamaican law for sacramental purposes.

Head of Legal Affairs at the JCF, Senior Superintendent of Police Arielle Brown Blake, told the Joint Select Committee reviewing the Green Paper on the National Policy for Culture, Entertainment and the Creative Economy 2025–2035 on Wednesday that the force supports a review of the legislation and a move towards a framework that better protects the community’s rights. She said the force recognised that the current system had created difficulties for both police officers and members of the Rastafari community, adding that the law’s gaps and the lack of updated information on authorised spaces had contributed to disputes. Brown Blake said the JCF had already been discussing a review of the legislation with its parent ministry, the Ministry of National Security and Peace, and the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs. She added that the force supported reform that would improve Rastafari adherents’ ability to practise their religion, while allowing police to enforce the law with greater certainty. The JCF’s submission also focused on the practical challenges officers face when determining whether ganja-related activities fall within the law’s sacramental exemptions. It called for clear guidance covering…