Damian Marley pushes for cannabis legalisation across the Caribbean

Damian 'Junior Gong' Marley is advocating for more Caribbean countries to remove restrictions around the use of marijuana.

During his appearance on Night Two of the World Creole Music Festival in Dominica on October 26, the 46-year-old, who has been an advocate for the use of marijuana for both religious and personal use, said the plant known as cannabis has an array of medical benefits that can heal many of the illnesses faced by humans today.

The younger Marley has several songs dedicated to marijuana, including 'Medication', which he performed with his older brother Stephen Marley at the festival.

While singing the hit song, Marley performed a poem he dedicated to marijuana.

“We represent the herbs on the podium. The Indicas are short like Napoleon. Sativas don't like too much sodium. The seeds can replace your petroleum. The leaves have a smoky aroma scent. THC makes you feel like it's heaven-sent. CBD is for me like a medicine. Do some research, you’d be pleased by the evidence,” Marley sang.

Damian “Junior Gong” Marley performing at the World Creole Music Festival in Dominica on October 26, 2024.

He expressed gratitude to the Dominican government for amending drug possession laws in 2020, which decriminalised possession of up to 28 grams of marijuana and allowed the cultivation of three cannabis plants at home.

Possession of small amounts of marijuana has been decriminalised in over seven Caribbean countries, including Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and St Kitts and Nevis.

It is however illegal in The Bahamas, Guyana, Cuba, The Dominican Republic, the Dutch Caribbean, Grenada, Haiti, and Suriname.

The governments of Guyana and The Bahamas have indicated their plans to amend drug control laws to decriminalise marijuana use, specifically for religious ceremonies conducted by the Rastafarian community.