Persons (all people) found with two ounces or less of marijuana will no longer be subject to arrest or detention by the police, but instead could be issued a ticket for JA$500 payable within a 30-day period at any revenue centre. This will not appear on your criminal record.
Under the new amendments, a person who is ticketed for smoking ganja in public or for possession of two ounces or less of marijuana and fails to pay the ticket will be required to attend a Petty Sessions Court, and may be ordered to do community service or pay a fine of JA$2,000.
The Ministry of Justice has made it clear that a conviction for failing to pay a ticket will be recorded on the offender's criminal record.
With the implementation of the so-called ganja law, the smoking of ganja will be legally permitted in places that are licensed for the smoking of ganja for medical or therapeutic purposes. If a tourist has a medical-marijuana prescription, you'll be able to buy from a government-sanctioned facility at some point in the future, but those details have yet to be worked out.
The new law will also permit adherents of the Rastafarian faith to smoke ganja for sacramental purposes in locations registered as places of Rastafarian worship.
The justice ministry has made it clear that the possession of more than two ounces of ganja remains a criminal offence and offenders can be arrested, charged, tried in court and, if found guilty, sentenced to a fine, or to imprisonment, or both. The conviction will also be recorded on that person's criminal record.
