Canada Lawmakers Introduce Marijuana Regulation Measures

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NORML | April 19, 2017

OTTAWA, ON — Liberal Party members introduced legislation late last week to legalize and regulate the possession, use, and sale of cannabis by those age 18 and older.

The legislation follows through on a 2015 campaign pledge by the Party, which has promised to regulate the marijuana market by mid-2018.

The proposed measures establish a legal framework for the commercial production and retail sale of herbal cannabis, germinating seeds, immature plants, and cannabis-infused…

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South Africa Court Ruling Upholds Private Use Of Marijuana

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Port Elizabeth, South Africa (Wikimedia/Kay-Africa)

NORML | April 13, 2017

JOHANNESBURG Federal provisions criminalizing the possession and use of cannabis in private have been determined to be unconstitutional in South Africa.

The High Court decision determined that outlawing the private use of cannabis by adults is an unjustifiable infringement upon citizens’ right to privacy and dignity.

The public use of cannabis, as well as any commercial activities related to the plant’s purchase or sale,…

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Uruguay Retail Cannabis Sales to Begin This July

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NORML | April 13, 2017

MONTEVIDEO — Pharmacies will begin selling cannabis in July to those age 18 or older, according to public statements made last week by government officials.

Sixteen pharmacies are already registered to participate in the forthcoming program, which will dispense cannabis provided by state-licensed producers.

Retailers will sell cannabis to customers in five-gram increments. The initial price per gram will be fixed at $1.30 per gram.

Customers must be enrolled in a government…

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Canada: Trudeau Administration Looks to Legalize Marijuana By July 2018

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Erik Altieri | March 28, 2017

OTTAWA, ON — Legislation is anticipated from the Trudeau administration in early April to regulate the use, production, and sale of marijuana.

In 2015, the Liberal Party pledged to “legalize and regulate” marijuana if Justin Trudeau became Prime Minister.

The forthcoming legislation will likely be modeled after recommendations issued in 2016 by a federal task force. Members of the task force called on Parliament to permit those over 18 to possess and grow…

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Israeli Cabinet Endorses Marijuana Decriminalization Plan

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NORML | March 9, 2017

JERUSALEM — Israeli lawmakers have signed off on legislation decriminalizing offenses involving the possession of personal use quantities of marijuana.

Under the new policy, first and second time possession offenders will face a fine, but no criminal penalties.

“The Cabinet approval is an important step on the way to implementing the new policy that will put emphasis on explaining and treating rather than on criminal enforcement,” explained Israeli Public Security…

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Israeli Cabinet Approves Proposal to Decriminalize Marijuana

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Drug Policy Alliance | March 7, 2017

On Sunday, Israel took a big step toward decriminalizing adult marijuana use. The Israeli Cabinet approved a proposal that would replace criminal penalties with fines for people who are caught using marijuana in public. The proposal from the Ministries of Justice and Public Security has received support from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but still requires approval of the Israeli Parliament before becoming law.

Some Israeli marijuana reform advocates worry that the plan…

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Germany’s Medical Marijuana Access Program to Begin in March

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NORML | March 2, 2017

BERLIN — Qualifying patients in Germany will likely be able to obtain medical cannabis as early as next month, as a result of legislation recently approved by the German government.

Under the new program, regulators will license cannabis cultivation for the purpose of providing it to select patients.

Individual patients will not be permitted under the law to grow their own supplies of medicinal marijuana.

Health insurance providers will cover patients’ marijuana-related…

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Guam Health Officials to Begin Licensing Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

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Paul Armentano | February 16, 2017

MANGILAO, GUAM —  Health Department officials in Guam are accepting applications from those seeking to become licensed medical cannabis cultivators or providers.

Voters in the US territory decided in the 2014 general election to establish regulations governing the licensed production and distribution of medicinal cannabis to qualified patients.

Lawmakers codified those regulations last December.

Under the law, known as the Joaquin “KC” Concepcion II…

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Israel Could Soon Decriminalize Personal Marijuana Use

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HWN | January 26, 2017

TEL AVIV, ISRAEL — Israel could soon decriminalize personal use and possession of marijuana, a leading government official said Thursday.

Speaking at a news conference in Tel Aviv, Internal Security Minister Gilad Erdan said if the government approves his policy suggestion, those caught possessing or smoking small amounts of marijuana would face fines instead of arrested and prosecuted, similar to approaches taken in many US states.

“This would mean moving to administrative fines, and…

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Canada: Federal Task Force Advocates Legalizing Retail Marijuana Sales

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NORML | December 15, 2016

OTTAWA, ON — Marijuana should be legal for those Canadians age 18 and older, according to the recommendations of a federally commissioned task force. The expert panel was tasked by the Trudeau administration to create a legal framework for cannabis that is consistent with the government’s commitment to “legalize, regulate, and restrict access.”

The report proposes that lawmakers amend federal law to allow for those over the age of 18 to legally possess and grow personal use…

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Mexico Senate Votes 98-7 to Approve Medical Marijuana Bill

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TJ Baker | December 14, 2016

MEXICO CITY — Lawmakers in the Mexico Senate overwhelmingly voted Thursday to approve a bill allowing for the use of medical marijuana.  The proposal was approved by a vote of 98-7, with one abstention, and now heads to the Chamber of Deputies, the lower chamber of the legislature, for consideration.

Under the proposal, marijuana would be allowed to be grown in Mexico for medical or scientific purposes.  Industrial hemp — cannabis containing less than 1 percent THC — would…

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Canada Marijuana Legalization Task Force Releases Recommendations

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Erik Altieri | December 13, 2016

This morning in Ottawa, a government task force assigned to study legalizing and regulating the adult use of marijuana in Canada released their recommendations. The Task Force on Cannabis Legalization and Regulation recommended that sales should be restricted to those over the age of 18 with a personal possession limit of 30 grams.

Their recommended model of legalization would put heavy restrictions on most types of cannabis advertising and tax the product based on…

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Trump Praises Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte On His Deadly War On Drugs

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President Rodrigo Duterte (WikiMedia Commons)

Drug Policy Alliance | December 6, 2016

On Saturday, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump held a telephone call with the President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte. According to Duterte, Trump praised Duterte’s deadly war on drugs and invited him to visit the White House. Upon assuming the presidency in June, Duterte made a public call for police and citizens alike to execute people who use or sell drugs, which has resulted in the murder of over 5,000 people…

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Trump Gets Behind Philippines Drug War Mass Murderer

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Rodrigo Duterte (WikiMedia Commons)

Phillip Smith | December 3, 2016

Donald Trump’s seat-of-the-pants pre-inaugural telephone diplomacy is causing shock waves in diplomatic circles and world capitals around the globe, whether it’s getting all buddy-buddy with despots like Kazakhstan’s perpetual leader Nursultan Nazarbayev, throwing US China policy into turmoil by taking a call from the president of Taiwan, or insulting close allies like Great Britain by failing to reach out in a timely fashion.

But the…

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