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Experts warn that keeping tourists out of Amsterdam coffee shops won’t be easy
Halsema plans to finalise her plans later this year, and has pledged to work out ways of tackling street dealers. The city council itself is divided on the issue
Dutch News (Netherlands)
Wednesday, May 26, 2021
Suggestions that foreign tourists be banned from Amsterdam’s cannabis cafes, or coffee shops, have been greeted with alarm by experts. ‘The plan is doomed to fail’ criminologist Ton Nabben told a meeting of city councillors. ‘It will be disastrous for feelings of public safety, particular in alleys and dark corners.’ In January, Amsterdam’s mayor Femke Halsema published a plan to reduce nuisance and crime caused by the soft drugs industry, by enforcing a national law which means only residents can buy from the coffee shops. But opponents say it will lead to more crime and nuisance, as street dealers return and tourists go underground to use drugs. (See also: Support deprived areas or risk social cohesion collapse, mayors tell next cabinet) -
Cannabis cultivation in Greece was legal until 1936
Ancient Greeks cultivated hemp and used it as a raw material for the manufacture of canvas, rope and fabrics of all kinds, and also for healing purposes to induce a feeling of euphoria
Greek Reporter (Greece)
Monday, May 24, 2021
The cultivation of cannabis in Greece for pharmaceutical purposes is now legal, as it was legal until 1936, the year it was prohibited. Even though the cannabis plant is used for the manufacturing of canvas, fabrics, rope and so on, the plant has long been associated with its use as a recreational drug. The cultivation and processing of cannabis for medicinal purposes became legal again in March of 2018, when a Parliamentary majority voted in favor of the new bill. Eighty-two years after the prohibition of hemp cultivation in Greece, the plant can grow once again on Greek soil, offering new opportunities for growth in Greek agriculture. (See also: Medical cannabis to be sold at pharmacies in Greece) -
Rendez-vous en juillet pour le cannabis récréatif
Dans deux mois, la ministre de la Santé présentera le fruit des travaux des groupes interministériels sur la légalisation de la vente et de la consommation de cannabis au Luxembourg
Luxemburger Wort (Luxembourg)
Vendredi, 21 mai 2021
Le dossier du cannabis récréatif avait été quelque peu mis de côté ces derniers mois, mais le sujet a refait surface à la Chambre. La ministre de la Santé a promis que le débat allait maintenant avancer de façon plus significative. En juillet prochain, un point sera ainsi fait sur ce dossier et notamment les conclusions des sept groupes de travail interministériels traitant actuellement des nombreuses interrogations en suspens. Sachant qu'aussi bien pour ne pas se fâcher avec ses voisins, moins ouverts à l'idée d'une dépénalisation, ou assurer la réussite de sa démarche, le gouvernement avancera plutôt prudemment. Certainement via un «projet-pilote temporaire de légalisation», comme évoqué par la ministre de la Justice. -
Legalisation of cannabis: Government parties in favour, CSV remains sceptical
The legalisation of recreational cannabis, one of the big projects in the current government's coalition agreement, was debated in the Chamber of Deputies
RTL (Luxembourg)
Friday, May 21, 2021
The majority parties in Luxembourg as well as the Left Party (Déi Lénk) and the Pirate Party all agreed that the strategy of criminalisation over the past decades has failed and that it is time for a new approach. On the other hand, the Christian Social People's Party (CSV) views the project with great scepticism. Minister of Health Paulette Lenert announced that the government will release an official update on the progress of legalisation in June. While a number of questions still remain, there is no reason to question the project as a whole, the Minister stated. A motion was passed encouraging the government to move forward with the legalisation of cannabis. (See also: Cannabis accounted for 70% of drug consumption in Luxembourg in 2019) -
Cannabis reform consultation ends with 350 submissions
Sources close to the consultation process said the feedback was “encouraging” and reflected the public sentiment
Malta Today (Malta)
Tuesday, May 18, 2021
The cannabis reform White Paper attracted more than 350 submissions from organisations and individuals. Government is proposing full decriminalisation for adults in possession of 7g or less of cannabis for personal use and proceedings before the Commissioner for Justice, rather than the criminal court, for those with more than 7g but less than 28g. “Many agreed with decriminalisation but were against legalisation but there were responses criticising the White Paper for not going far enough in providing a legal framework that would completely cut out the black market and also create safe spaces outside the home for cannabis users,” sources said. (See also: Cannabis: a very costly prohibition) -
Free heroin could help Scotland shake off unwanted drugs death title
Researchers headed up by global addiction expert have labelled Scottish opioid deaths shocking
Daily Record (UK)
Sunday, May 16, 2021
The professor behind Dutch addicts getting taxpayer-funded heroin has called on the Scottish Government to do the same in its fight against drugs. Researchers headed up by world-renowned addiction expert Wim van den Brink analysed Scotland’s harrowing addiction death toll. Professor van den Brink, who led a pioneering scheme in the 90s that saw free heroin administered to users in the Netherlands, said he was shocked by Scotland’s drug problem. He compared it to the opioid crisis in the US, where it is estimated 500,000 people have died from misuse since 2000. The professor of psychiatry and addiction at Amsterdam University said: “When I started looking at the data in Scotland, I was left furious." -
Tough local drug law enforcement ‘making innocent people homeless’
‘It is a sign that the whole battle against drugs has gone mad’
Dutch News (Netherlands)
Friday, May 14, 2021
Tough anti-drug enforcement is making innocent citizens and children homeless, according to ombudsmen in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague. Each year ‘dozens’ of family members find themselves on the streets because a member of the household has been discovered in possession of drugs or linked with criminality. Local mayors have the power to immediately close down a building if drugs are found there, but according to ombudsmen this can mean completely innocent family members and children losing their rental contracts and being unfairly discredited. Although buildings are typically only closed for a few months, the incident can often mean that people lose their housing contracts for good. -
So, what's the deal with Mexico's cannabis legalization delay?
The cannabis situation in Mexico is extremely complicated thanks to political egos, the long-term impact of drug prohibition, and unprecedented decisions made by the Supreme Court
Merry Jane (US)
Thursday, May 13, 2021
A month ago, Mexican marijuana legalization seemed like a done deal. The bill was approved by the Senate last November, but greatly modified by the Chamber of Deputies, causing senators to have to give the proposed legislation a final approval before sending it to the president. The legalization bill moved through two Senate committees. But then, Monreal said they would ask the high court for more time, meaning the bill would be halted until the next legislative sessions in September. But, senators never officially asked for a deadline extension, or prórroga, which shows a pointed lack of concern for an issue in a country where cannabis users are extorted daily by law enforcement, despite the decriminalization of small-scale possession. -
Eyeing lucrative profits, Morocco is seeking to legalise cannabis. The main obstacle? Islamist opposition
Cannabis legalisation in Morocco could provide economic opportunity, dependant upon Europe, party politics, and upcoming elections
The New Arab (UK)
Thursday, May 13, 2021
The stakes for legalising cannabis in Morocco are rising. On 11 March, the Moroccan government approved Cannabis Legalization Framework, Bill 13-21, to regulate medical cannabis and industrial hemp. However, the bill still must be ratified by Parliament, and political debate on cannabis is intensifying amid the leadup to the September 2021 general elections. This is not the first attempt to legalise cannabis in Morocco. But unlike other efforts, this proposal has come directly from the sitting coalition government. "Although legalising the cultivation of medical cannabis and industrial is a first positive step, the proposal is limited because it doesn't include any regulatory framework on recreational cannabis," said Tom Blickman from the Transnational Institute. -
Cannabis goes corporate: Lobbyists, unions seek to shape marijuana industry
Lobbying on federal marijuana policy picked up in the first quarter of 2021, as banks and tobacco and alcohol companies begin to weigh in
The Wall Street Journal (US)
Saturday, May 8, 2021
The rally at the state capitol on April 20, the unofficial holiday for pot aficionados, brought out green-wigged supporters ringed in wisps of smoke. These days, they are far from the only people advocating for the legalization of marijuana. Black Lives Matter activists, who are seeking business opportunities for minority communities and say they have been hit hard by drug laws, joined the Hartford rally, as did labor organizers who want to see the industry unionized. More broadly, cannabis companies, banks and new marijuana trade organizations are deploying platoons of lobbyists to state capitals and Washington, D.C., to help shape the ground rules for the industry as more states legalize use, and as Congress weighs measures that could further legitimize the market.
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