Jamaica: Police seizes ganja worth 2 million

The Police authorities of Jamaica has seized 750 pounds of ganja worth $2 million on Wednesday. The investigation has been commenced by the officers into the matter already. 

The examination operation was led by the community’s Narcotics Division of Area 3 at around 4:50 pm on December 29, 2021, which turned out to be fruitful. 

During the operation, Narcotics officers found compressed ganja in the knitted bags. The authorities so far have detained one individual who was present at the property during the time of the seizure operation. 

The division has not revealed the man’s identity, although he remains in custody as the investigation starts. 

Drug trafficking is widespread in the Caribbean and Latin American countries, leading to a rise in criminal activities. In the past two months, the crime rate of Jamaica island soared high.  

Possession of Cannabis (Ganja) in Jamaica: 

Cannabis in Jamaica is illegal, but possession of small amounts was reduced to a petty offence in 2015. Cannabis is locally known as ganja, and internationally cannabis consumption plays a central role in the nation’s public image, being tied to cultural touchstones such as Rastafari and reggae music. 

In Jamaica, Cannabis was introduced between the years the 1850s–1860s by indentured servants imported from India during the British rule of both nations. Numerous of the terms used in cannabis culture in Jamaica is based on Indian terms, including the term ganja. 

Cannabis was banned in Jamaica under the 1913 Ganja Law, supported by the white elites and the Council of Evangelical Churches in Jamaica. The laws were gradually tightened over time, with academics noting that the harsh 1941 and 1961 restrictions occurred during periods where the authorities feared unrest in the lower classes.