July 23, 2025
Since the beginning of 2025, law enforcement in Jamaica has seized more than 40,000 pounds of ganja, valued at $121 million.
Travelers visiting Jamaica may want to think twice about engaging in recreational drugs after three men were arrested and charged when authorities uncovered over 3,000 pounds of the drug in mid-July 2025, Jamaica Observer reports.
The massive load of ganja was seized at Toms River at the border of St Mary and St Andrew when Heron Brown, a farmer, Wade Richards, a vendor and Delroy Wilson were apprehended as the Caribbean nation cracks down on the illicit trade of guns for drugs. All three men, ages ranging between 28 to 50, face charges including two counts of possession of marijuana, two counts of dealing the drug, two counts of taking preparatory steps to export ganja and two counts of trafficking and conspiracy to traffic.
The ordeal went down when members of the Firearms and Narcotics Investigation Division (FNID) Special Operations Team spotted two cars in Toms River – one with Wilson and two Haitian natives – and the other with Brown and Richards. After a thorough search, authorities uncovered over 350 parcels of marijuana – equaling an estimated street value of $9.3 million.
Since the beginning of 2025, law enforcement has seized more than 40,000 pounds of ganja, valued at $121 million. But that’s not the only drug being captured on Jamaica’s beautiful sands. Over 1,700 pounds of cocaine, valued at over $405 million has also been seized.
FNID Director and Acting Senior Superintendent of Police Patrae Rowe correlated the mass findings to the guns-for-drugs trade taking over the country. “These drugs act as currency to arm criminals with weapons. The value of the drugs seized so far this year is more than JM$500 million. If not intercepted, this could have potentially placed more than 400 rifles or over 800 handguns into the hands of hardened criminals in Jamaica,” Rowe said.
“That is why we have heightened vigilance and have enhanced our operations surrounding these drugs; they are traded for the weapons of choice in committing murders – firearms.”
In a turn of events, Jamaica seems to be cracking down on its reputation of being ganja friendly while the United States is looking to take its spot. While the drug is still labeled as illegal on a federal level, 24 states, starting with Colorado, have made marijuana use legal on the state level, according to US News & World Report.
In October 2022, former President Joe Biden asked for a review of how ganja is classified under federal law, resulting in the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reclassifying marijuana to a Schedule I drug, labeled as less dangerous. However, with President Donald Trump deep in his second term, his DEA pick, Terry Cole, said during his confirmation hearing that he wants to take a deep dive into the rescheduling process, despite the drug use being supported by some Republicans.
As for medical marijuana, things are a little more fluid in the U.S. The use of cannabis for medical purposes is approved in 48 states including Washington, D.C. Some states instituted medical marijuanna programs, permitting the use of the high-inducing THC component and others using CBD, which in some cases does not cause a high.
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