The Question of Drugs

The question of drugs in Jamaican foreign policy is the substance of Chap. 10 . The discussion starts with the policy context of the country’s treaty commitments in the Single Narcotics Convention, the Convention on Psychotropic Drugs and the United Nations Convention on the Illicit Traffic in Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs. Together, these instruments create a regime that identifies, regulates and controls narcotic and psychotropic drugs. The underlying goal has been to criminalize unauthorized activities in relation to heroin, cocaine, and other hard drugs. This chapter discusses the ways in which Jamaica has collaborated with the United States, United Kingdom and other regional and international partners. This is a crucial element of the country’s foreign policy given its centrality as a transshipment route, reputation as prominent actor in the drug trade and its relatively weak resources and capacity to unilaterally tackle the problem. One central strategy used by the United States, in particular, has been the threat of decertification or denial of assistance if Jamaica does not sufficiently cooperate in the fight against drug trafficking. Chapter 10 closes with a comprehensive critique of Jamaica’s local and foreign policy towards Ganja. At the heart of this discussion is the debate on the decriminalization of Ganja and the local and international ramifications of this process.