Grenada decriminalizes cannabis, allows limited home cultivation

GRENADA--Grenada has moved to decriminalize cannabis, approving a new law that allows adults 21 and older to possess limited amounts and grow a small number of plants at home, while keeping public smoking and recreational use illegal.

Under the Drug Abuse (Prevention and Control) (Amendment) Bill 2026, adults may possess up to 56 grams of cannabis and 15 grams of hashish. Households may cultivate up to four plants for personal use, but only after registration. Public consumption remains prohibited and can still be punished. Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell said he initially supported setting the age at 18, but accepted 21 after debate and input from medical experts who pointed to brain development in young adults.

The law also sets the stage for a regulated medical and therapeutic cannabis industry. Minister Lennox Andrews described the legislation as a major milestone aimed at protecting young people while opening up therapeutic and economic possibilities. Health Minister Phillip Telesford stressed that the change does not legalize recreational use, saying medical use will remain controlled and that public health and safety come first.

The bill includes amnesty and automatic clearing of criminal records for minor cannabis offenses, and it also calls for ongoing cases involving small amounts to be discontinued. Attorney General Claudette Joseph said Grenada is among the last in the region to take this step, and the government plans to develop a national policy framework within three to six months covering cultivation, processing, research, and medicinal use. The Rastafari community is also expected to receive legal recognition for sacramental use in registered places of worship.

Grenada joins a growing list of Caribbean jurisdictions that have eased penalties for small-scale possession or have reduced enforcement. Antigua and Barbuda moved in recent years to recognize sacramental use for Rastafarians, while places such as Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago have also pursued decriminalization models.

In Aruba, Curaçao, and St. Maarten, cannabis remains illegal, although St. Maarten has a structure and partner in place for a cannabis market development. Medical cannabis is regulated in several other territories, including Barbados, Bermuda, Puerto Rico, and the Cayman Islands.

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