SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The Cayman Islands will hold a referendum on whether to make possession of small amounts of marijuana a misdemeanor.
Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan said there was broad support among MPs for the public vote announced Wednesday. “This is about changing lives rather than changing laws, so the government is committed to listening to the will of the people,” he said at a press conference.
If voters approve the measure, Bryan said, possession of small amounts of marijuana would be treated as a misdemeanor, “the same as getting a traffic ticket,” without a criminal record. The proposed amount has not yet been determined.
The Cayman Islands legalized medical cannabis in May 2017, but recreational use remains illegal. Under local law, first-time offenders who possess 12 grams or less of marijuana face up to one year in prison.
The referendum is scheduled to be held at the same time as the general election next year.
If the bill is approved, the Cayman Islands will join several socially conservative Caribbean countries that have relaxed cannabis laws.
Antigua has decriminalized cannabis use for the general public. Jamaica has also decriminalized small amounts of marijuana, and the U.S. Virgin Islands recently approved the use of marijuana for recreational and sacred purposes.
