Desmond McKenzie pepper-sprayed after West Kingston police shooting; cannabis sector warned of fraud

Government Minister and Member of Parliament Desmond McKenzie says a police officer pepper-sprayed him while he tried to calm residents after a police shooting in his West Kingston constituency early Tuesday morning. Footage of bystanders rinsing his eyes with milk and water has circulated widely on social media.

Separately, traditional cannabis growers and would-be investors are being cautioned against fraud, misleading claims and empty pledges as Jamaica’s licensed medicinal cannabis market grows. State Minister in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce Delano Seiveright says expansion in the sector is opening doors for swindlers targeting industry players.

Residents are also being advised to brace for drier weather. El Niño is forecast to intensify over the coming months, raising the chance of heatwaves, drought and other severe conditions.

Worry over the United States–Iran conflict, especially shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, has led several Caribbean governments to roll out energy subsidies aimed at softening higher fuel prices for households.

In athletics, 2025 World Championship silver medallist Tina Clayton finished second in the women’s 100 metres at the Gyulai István Memorial Grand Prix in Budapest, Hungary, on Tuesday, behind St Lucia’s Julien Alfred.

At midday currency trading, one US dollar was quoted at J$159.84, the British pound at J$217.61 and the Canadian dollar at J$115.16.

Wednesday’s outlook calls for partly cloudy skies over eastern parishes in the morning and fair conditions elsewhere. By afternoon, isolated showers and thunderstorms are expected over western parishes, with windy, hazy weather across much of the island.