Jamaican authorities have supported the initiative to decriminalize the use of marijuana for religious, scientific and medical purposes.
The government’s decision was a big victory for the followers of the Rastafarian religious movement who profess smoking cannabis as a practice of spiritual purification. If the law comes into force, possession of less than 57 grams of marijuana will no longer be a criminal offense and is punishable by imprisonment not, as a fine, Justice Minister Mark Golding.
“I want to emphasize that the proposed changes in the legislation is not intended to promote the use of ganja for fun and do not justify those who do” – quoted Golding Business Week .
According to Golding, changes in legislation to ensure more civilized penalties for violations related to the storage and use of marijuana. Note on the island almost every week about 300 people get a conviction for possession of marijuana writesNanaimo Daily News .
With regard to scientific and medical purposes, the government expects that legalization will promote the development of industry and will bring economic benefits to the island, burdened public debt, the amount of which is more than 1.5 times the GDP of Jamaica. According to Golding, save a law that prohibits the use of marijuana for medical purposes, “wrong and reckless.”
“It is time to provide the opportunity to transform Jamaica growing marijuana in a profitable business,” – said the mayor of Kingston Angela Brown Burke writeszakon.kz .
Thus, Jamaica followed the example of the U.S., where medical marijuana market is estimated at 40 billion and expected revenues from sales in 2014 will amount to more than $ 2.3 billion. In the first state where legalized marijuana – Colorado, in 2014, its sales have to bring in a budget of about $ 70 million.
