Jamaica
North America
#15 of 196 worldwide
#7 of 23 in North America
Since 2015 up to 2 oz is a petty offence with no record, five plants per household are allowed, and Rastafari sacramental use is legal. Licensed herb houses serve patients and visitors.
Score breakdown ▏world average
Select a segment to show or hide the exact rules and sources.
Possession · 25%3/10adds 7.5 of 25 points
Not actually legal: possessing up to 2 oz (56 g) is a ticketable infraction with a fixed J$500 penalty — no arrest, no court, no criminal record. Above 2 oz it is still a criminal offence. Rastafari adherents and holders of a medical permit may possess lawfully.
Personal cultivation · 25%4/10adds 10.0 of 25 points
Each household may legally grow up to five ganja plants on its premises; where several households share a property, each gets five. More than that is an offence unless licensed.
Punishment & enforcement · 20%4/10adds 8.0 of 20 points
Small-scale possession and public smoking mean a ticket. Possession over 2 oz, unlicensed cultivation beyond five plants, dealing and export remain criminal with fines and prison. Under-18s found with ganja are referred to counselling.
Sharing & gifting · 10%2/10adds 2.0 of 10 points
There is no provision for gifting. Supplying ganja to another person outside the licensed medical system or sacramental use remains dealing.
Consumption · 10%3/10adds 3.0 of 10 points
Smoking in public places is prohibited on the same terms as tobacco, with a J$500 ticket. It is lawful at a private residence that is not a workplace, in licensed premises, and at places registered for Rastafari worship or exempt events.
Legal access · 10%4/10adds 4.0 of 10 points
Licensed 'herb houses' sell to people with a medical recommendation — obtainable from a local practitioner. Visitors with a prescription from home can buy a permit to purchase up to 2 oz at a time. Formally a medical market, in practice accessible; the informal market remains far larger.
More context not part of the score
The Cannabis Licensing Authority issues cultivator, processor, transporter, retail and research licences in tiers by size. Fees, security rules and banking problems kept many traditional small growers outside the legal industry; in 2026 the authority widened fee-free routes in for them, with two-year transition periods and collective cultivation of up to ten acres for community groups.
Licensed retailers offer flower, oils, edibles and other preparations for medical or therapeutic purposes. Hemp is licensed separately.
Any registered medical practitioner can recommend ganja for medical or therapeutic purposes, with no fixed list of conditions. Patients buy from licensed herb houses.
Tickets leave no criminal record, and earlier convictions for small quantities can be expunged. Unpaid tickets can lead to a court order for community service.
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