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More news this week on the proposal in Jamaica to decriminalize the possession and use of small quantities of marijuana. NORML reports a resolution endorsed earlier this week by the Joint Select Committee on the Report of the National Commission on Ganja recommends, "That the relevant laws be amended so that the private, personal use of ganja be no longer an offense."

It appears the Parliament may be moving on this resolution quickly.

The Report of the National Commission on Ganja had previously recommended in 2001 that Parliament decriminalize marijuana for adults for personal and religious purposes. Members of Parliamentary committee evaluating the report have expressed interest in enacting the Commission's recommendations by March 2004.

You can read the entire report here.

The Jamaicans must stand up to the US inspired, zero tolerance based, UN Single Convention on Drugs and risk their good trade relations with this country, under the current administration, if they go forward with this sensible policy. One hopes they will find the courage in the growing number of drug policy reform measures being enacted from Canada to South America and all across Europe from the Netherlands to the UK, in defiance of the unrealistic and in fact impossible goal under the UN Convention of a drug free world by 2008.