Jamaica plants its first legal marijuana plant

Jamaica, land of Rastafarians and ganja, legalized cannabis consumption under certain conditions on March 20, 2015. Visit Dangerous Drugs Act of 2015, ratified by the various Jamaican authorities, authorizes the possession of 57 grams of marijuana per person, and the cultivation of up to 5 plants per person. But it's also a tremendous opportunity for the development of the medical marijuana.

To mark this historic step forward, Jamaica has planted its first legal marijuana plant on the campus of the University of West Indies Mona. The plant will be cultivated by the University's scientists, who will conduct medical studies.

Jamaicans will have to wait a little longer before they can legally benefit from medical marijuana. Once all the legal and health formalities have been completed, Jamaicans will soon be able to access medical marijuana prescriptions. «We are moving forward in this direction, with the aim of moving quickly to regulated marketing,» confirms Science Minister Philipp Paulwell.

And Mark Golding, the Minister of Justice, added: «Now that we can growing marijuana for medical and scientific purposes, We can expect the results of all our efforts to be positive. In terms of the economic opportunities that [legalization] will bring, we see this as, and I hope, a thriving industry for Jamaica.».