KINGSTON, Jamaica—A judge ordered that the police should return a massive quantity of 295 pounds of ganja to the owners/representatives of a Rastafarian organisation, Zion Yard, marking a major victory for Rastafarians who are defending their constitutional rights to freedom of religion and the use of of ganja for sacramental purposes.

The ruling stemmed from the dismissal of charges against Andy Blake who was charged by narcotics police on July 3, 2025 for possession, dealing, using premises to store and cultivation of 295 pounds of ganja.

Marcus Goffe, a member of the Rastafari community who is also the attorney-at-law representing Andy Blake, hailed the dismissal of the charges as a “major victory”.

“Her Honour Mrs Dionne Lawrence-Pivotte ordered that the ganja which was seized by the police on July 3, 2025 was to be released forthwith and returned to the owners/representatives of Zion Yard (Rastafari organisation) who identified themselves in court as the lawful owners of the seized ganja,” Goffe said.

For years, Rastafarians have complained about the constant harassment of Rastafarians who plant ganja for sacramental purposes, pointing to the amendment of the Dangerous Drugs Act in 2015 which gave the group the right to use ganja as sacrament.

The accused Andy Blake first went to court on Monday, August 11 and on the second court date, August 14, the judge dismissed the charges after the prosecution offered no evidence on all charges and Blake was discharged.

However, there is a twist to the tale as 124 pounds of the ganja cannot be found by the police.

Goffe explained that the narcotics police has been unable to account for 124 pounds of ganja which is still missing/not returned, out of the original confiscated haul of pounds which was seized. He is mulling legal action against the narcotics police if the cops fail to return the sacramental ganja within the next seven days.

“I intend to send a letter to narcotics to request an immediate investigation into the protocols and procedures in place to properly store accused person’s ganja during pending court cases and to ensure that accused persons are informed of the location and circumstances of storage of their ganja; and demand the return of the remaining 124 pounds of ganja to Zion Yard representatives, within seven (7) days failing which, we have instructions to file a lawsuit against the narcotics police for the return of the herb and breach of constitutional rights to freedom of religion,” Goffe said.

Goffe said that the police failed to return the ganja on the same day, August 14, 2025, despite waiting patiently and making enquiries in person with the police at Black River and Junction Police stations in St Elizabeth, and the police at Mandeville Police Station and at the narcotics office in Mandeville, and with narcotics headquarters in Kingston.

“We were unable to ascertain from the police the whereabouts of the seized ganja and unable to collect on the same day pursuant to the Order of the Parish Court Judge,” Goffe said.

Eventually, five days later (August 19), Blake and the other representatives of Zion Yard attended at the offices of the narcotics headquarters at 230 Spanish Town Road in Kingston but the police only retrieved 123 pounds of ganja at first.

It was not until sometime later that day, after they left narcotics headquarters, that they were called by narcotics police to return to Narcotics in Kingston to retrieve the additional ganja which was seized.

However, when they returned to collect the remaining ganja, the police only returned an additional 48 pounds of ganja to the Zion Yard Rastafari representatives.

“The Rastafarian Community is fed up with the continual targeting and unfair prosecution of members of the community for ganja, despite the 2015 amendments to the Dangerous Drugs Act intended to recognise and protect the community’s rights. It is clear that the narcotics police are not fully aware of the extent of Rastafari’s ganja rights or how they are to approach, investigate, determine and resolve the rights of Rastafari in relation to ganja,” Goffe said.

Goffe asserted that in July of this year, the Rastafari and Grassroots Ganja Association (RAGGA) requested a meeting with the commissioner of police “to discuss and put an end to police harassment of InI”.

“But we have not received a response despite the passage of seven weeks,” he noted.

Goffe also revealed that the minister of justice in 2023 had sent a letter to the then commissioner of police informing him of Rastafari ganja rights and requesting that the police ensure accommodation for Rastafari to exercise their sacramental rights.

“RAGGA will also be requesting a meeting with the narcotics police to try to resolve these continuing problems of police harassment and abuse of power,” Goffe concluded.

—Claude Mills