Marijuana is illegal

Marijuana is prohibited in Jamaica, despite its well-deserved image as a marijuana sanctuary. Small amounts (up to two ounces or 56.6 grams) of marijuana were downgraded to a minor crime in 2015. During the British administration of both countries, indentured laborers recruited from India introduced cannabis to Jamaica in the 1850s–1860s; many of the names used in Jamaican cannabis culture are based on Indian ones, notably the term ganja.

Marijuana, often known as ganja, has long been associated with Jamaican culture, owing to Rastafarianism and reggae music. Medical marijuana, the cultivation of up to five plants, and the use of cannabis in religious rites by Rastafarians are all permitted owing to the 2015 law. From roadside "brownie" stands to a continual stream of (sometimes aggressive) hawkers on the beach, tourists will have little problem obtaining marijuana. A simple "no, thank you" should suffice if you're not interested.

The Jamaica Cannabis Licensing Authority has 29 growers and 73 transporters, processors, merchants, and others licensed as of 2021. Legal stores (dubbed "herb houses") sell marijuana for around five to ten times the price of cannabis sold illegally on the street.