Jamaica took one step closer to decriminalizing marijuana and it couldn’t have happened on a more fitting day — the birthday of Jamaican reggae superstar Bob Marley, whose public embrace of cannabis made him nearly synonymous with the culture of the plant.
On Friday, the Jamaican Senate passed a bill to decriminalize marijuana for medical, religious and scientific purposes. The bill, which would amend the country’s Dangerous Drugs Act, would reduce possession of two ounces or less of marijuana for personal use to a ticketable offense, rather than a criminal one. Cultivation of up to five plants would be permitted. Under current Jamaican law, marijuana possession charges can lead to as much as five years in prison and a fine.
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Bob Marley’s family is working to make marijuana more broadly accepted. In 2014, the family joined with a private equity firm to launch the first global consumer marijuana brand, “Marley Natural.”
