# Well raise my rent. Jamaica to decriminalize personal marijuana possession. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 13, 2014, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-raise-my-rent-jamaica-to-decriminalize-personal-marijuana-possession/690689 "2014-06-13T07:49:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2014, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-raise-my-rent-jamaica-to-decriminalize-personal-marijuana-possession/690689/1 "2014-06-13T07:49:50Z")
[Cool, Mon.](http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-usa-jamaica-marijuana-20140612,0,4531229.story) I’m guessing “small quantities of ganja for personal use” is anything under a kilo. ---
**Author:** ![Anaglyph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Anaglyph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaglyph)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2014, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-raise-my-rent-jamaica-to-decriminalize-personal-marijuana-possession/690689/2 "2014-06-13T09:36:02Z")
If you read the article you linked to: “The change means that a person cannot be arrested if he has in his possession up to 57 grams (2 ounces) of ganja in a public space.” ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2014, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-raise-my-rent-jamaica-to-decriminalize-personal-marijuana-possession/690689/3 "2014-06-13T15:57:06Z")
> [@Anaglyph](#): > > If you read the article you linked to: > “The change means that a person cannot be arrested if he has in his possession up to 57 grams (2 ounces) of ganja in a public space.” I thought it was a misprint. 2oz ? Too funny. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2014, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-raise-my-rent-jamaica-to-decriminalize-personal-marijuana-possession/690689/4 "2014-06-13T16:08:03Z")
Ayre, ayre mon. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2014, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-raise-my-rent-jamaica-to-decriminalize-personal-marijuana-possession/690689/5 "2014-06-13T16:31:41Z")
Did they ever really enforce it in the first place? Or was it only the tourist that got a free pass? ---
**Author:** ![Simmerdown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simmerdown/32/14859_2.png) [@Simmerdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simmerdown)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2014, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-raise-my-rent-jamaica-to-decriminalize-personal-marijuana-possession/690689/6 "2014-06-13T17:18:26Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > Ayre, ayre mon. Nitpick: [Irie](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irie) (if that’s what you mean). ---
**Author:** ![Tully\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7ab992/32.png) [@Tully\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tully_Mars)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2014, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-raise-my-rent-jamaica-to-decriminalize-personal-marijuana-possession/690689/7 "2014-06-13T17:34:16Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > Did they ever really enforce it in the first place? Or was it only the tourist that got a free pass? This is just IMHO, but they only enforced it when the local law enforcement wanted to shake down a tourist for beer money on Friday afternoon. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Woo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7c8e57/32.png) [@Dr.Woo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Woo)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2014, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-raise-my-rent-jamaica-to-decriminalize-personal-marijuana-possession/690689/8 "2014-06-13T22:54:23Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > Did they ever really enforce it in the first place? Or was it only the tourist that got a free pass? They’re actually pretty strict, if selective, in their enforcement. Most Caribbean countries are pretty conservative and are not pleased with their Rasta image. That said, the only place I’ve only ever seen joints as big as my forearm was in Jamaica. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2014, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-raise-my-rent-jamaica-to-decriminalize-personal-marijuana-possession/690689/9 "2014-06-14T01:29:46Z")
> [@Anaglyph](#): > > If you read the article you linked to: > “The change means that a person cannot be arrested if he has in his possession up to 57 grams (2 ounces) of ganja in a public space.” California it looks like you can possess 8 oz (1/2 pound!). The medical dispensary limit is also ridiculously high that no one person I know can smoke it. Rastafarians make up less than one percent (\<1%) of Jamaica’s population. It seems like a tourism grab, not that there’s anything wrong with that. Come for the weed, stay for the rampant homophobia. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2014, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-raise-my-rent-jamaica-to-decriminalize-personal-marijuana-possession/690689/10 "2014-06-14T04:08:23Z")
Years ago I used to know this guy who was heavy into drugs and would go to Jamaica every year to party. He said it was really easy to get pretty much everywhere as long as you weren’t stupid enough to buy it in front of the cops or try to carry it around. He said you bought it and smoked it that second, and moved on. Of course, he also told the story of arriving one year and at the airport, a woman from Britain was being arrested for bringing marijuana _ **into** _ Jamaica. Gee, if only there were an English saying that would convey the futility of this idea. Perhaps involving Newcastle… Well, polls last year were showing \> 60% support for complete legalization in Jamaica, so decriminalization of small amounts isn’t totally surprising. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2014, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-raise-my-rent-jamaica-to-decriminalize-personal-marijuana-possession/690689/11 "2014-06-14T11:25:29Z")
I must admit… I kind of thought it was already legal there- or at least not really enforced. The one and only time anyone has directly tried to sell me pot was actually in Jamaica, while I was climbing up the falls at Rio Ocho. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2014, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-raise-my-rent-jamaica-to-decriminalize-personal-marijuana-possession/690689/12 "2014-06-14T15:19:36Z")
> [@Dr.Woo](#): > > They’re actually pretty strict, if selective, in their enforcement. Most Caribbean countries are pretty conservative and are not pleased with their Rasta image. > > That said, the only place I’ve only ever seen joints as big as my forearm was in Jamaica. 🆒 Your forearm? In the early 70’s in sleepy Negril, I saw a Rasta smoking a tree. And yes, on the radio he was playing American Rock 'N Roll being broadcast from Guantánamo. I’d give my Left Nut to hop on a Way Back Machine… ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f08c70/32.png) [@Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Brother_Walker)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-raise-my-rent-jamaica-to-decriminalize-personal-marijuana-possession/690689/13 "2014-06-18T17:05:07Z")
I have a friend of mine who makes Jamaica an annual pilgramage. Now I guess I know why.🆒