At the end of July eleven individuals received jail sentences in Havana of between 15 to 30 years for attempting to traffic narcotics into Cuba from Jamaica. The convictions followed a number of co-ordinated operations to stop go-fast boats arriving with large quantities of marijuana. The intention had been to sell the ganja in the Cuban capital.
Criminal intent apart, the long sentences reflect Cuba’s concern about the moral, public health, and societal impact that the use or sale of narcotics could have on Cuban society; an approach that has resulted in zero tolerance towards even the possession of small quantities of marijuana for personal use, and severe sentences for citizens and visitors alike.
It is a policy quite unlike that of Jamaica which in recognition of its
