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.