Factors associated with awareness of decriminalization of marijuana in Jamaica

Background: In 2015, Jamaica amended the Dangerous Drugs Act (DDA, 2015), to decriminalize marijuana to allow marijuana possession and use for specific purposes.Objective: This study was carried out to assess the factors associated with awareness of decriminalization of marijuana.Methods: Secondary analysis of Jamaica Household Survey 2016 was done. Descriptive analysis was done. Multivariate logistic regression modeling was used to assess for factors associated with low awareness of decriminalization of marijuana.Results: In the bivariate analysis, age (p < .001), gender (P < .001), religious affiliation (p < .001), rural-urban residence (p < .001), and educational level (p < .001) were significantly associated awareness of decriminalization of marijuana. In multivariate analysis, respondents who were 18–25 years (AOR = 1.50, 95%CI = 1.18–1.79), rural dwellers (AOR = 1.29, 95%CI = 1.10–1.52) and who had primary/lower education (AOR = 5.04, 95%CI = 3.47–7.33) or secondary education (AOR = 2.10, 95%CI = 1.68–2.62) were significantly more likely to have low awareness of decriminalization of marijuana.Conclusion: Being younger than 26 years, rural residence and having lower than post-secondary education were associated with low awareness of decriminalization of marijuana. Favorable attitudes toward decriminalization of marijuana is a boost to the Government’s efforts to make the most of marijuana but low awareness of the policy reforms remains a challenge.