STATES Members have voted against decriminalising the personal possession and recreational use of cannabis in Jersey, although ministers have been required to bring forward proposals about “potential approaches” to tackling cannabis use in the future.
After a debate lasting almost four hours across two days, Members voted by 23-22, with one abstention, to reject the first part of a proposition by Deputy Tom Coles calling for decriminalisation.
Two further parts of the proposition were adopted, by 26 votes to 19 with one abstention, requiring that the Council of Ministers bring forward proposals covering “potential approaches” for the decriminalisation, legalisation and regulation of cannabis by November 2025.
The mandate to ministers includes consideration of matters such as social supply, restrictions on sale to minors, total acceptable allowance and roadside capacity tests.
The vote in favour also covered the decriminalisation of the personal possession and recreational use of cannabinol and cannabinol derivatives, and the reclassification of these products from class A to class B.
