• Review ganja laws

    Decriminalization would ease the court system, clogged with cases of young people facing charges for marijuana possession and use
    Barbados Today (Barbados)
    Thursday, September 22, 2016

    The Government of Barbados will have to face the fact that more and more Barbadians, particularly young people, are open to the decriminalization of cannabis, Research Assistant at the Caribbean Development Research Services (CADRES) Devaron Bruce said. Quoting previously released statistics which showed that the number of people against decriminalization had dropped steeply from 80 per cent in 2008 to 36 per cent by 2014, Bruce said it was time for a change in legislation to allow for use of marijuana in small quantities. (See also: Marijuana offences clogging Barbados court system | Ganja gold)

  • Stop and search still targets black people, police watchdog says

    Over half of worst offending police forces are still not obeying new rules to stop abuse of their powers
    The Guardian (UK)
    Wednesday, September 21, 2016

    Police stops of black people are still at an “eye-watering” level compared with white people, the official police watchdog said and promised a fresh inquiry into every force’s use of the controversial powers. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, which oversees the police in England and Wales, said that stop and search was still of concern as it published a report into 13 police forces found previously to have been the worst offenders in breaking rules designed to prevent abuse of their powers. (See also: Mass stop and search by police doesn't reduce crime, says study)

  • Duterte’s fiercest critic booted from committee investigating killings

    De Lima’s now-former justice committee had been leading the inquiry on the thousands of drug-related deaths
    Asian Correspondent
    Tuesday, September 20, 2016

    Accused of bias after she allowed a self-confessed hitman to link Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to over a thousand murders, Senator Leila De Lima was unceremoniously removed from the Senate committee investigating the killings. De Lima was not the only casualty when Senator Manny Pacquiao moved a motion against her and her team. All eight members in the justice committee headed by De Lima were also kicked out after the majority in the chamber voted aye. (See also: Behind Jokowi and Duterte’s "war on drugs")

  • Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte to extend drug war as 'cannot kill them all'

    Philippine leader says there are too many people involved in the narcotics trade and he needs more time to deal with them
    The Guardian (UK)
    Monday, September 19, 2016

    philippines-human-rightsRodrigo Duterte has asked for a six-month extension for his war on drugs, saying there are too many people involved in the narcotics trade and he "cannot kill them all". Some 3,000 people have been killed since Duterte won May elections in a landslide on a vow to kill tens of thousands of criminals to rid the country of illegal drugs in six months. The crackdown has drawn severe criticism from the United States, the European Union parliament and the United Nations over what they say are extrajudicial killings. (See also: Duterte ordered critic, rival supporters killed, mosque bombed, Senate told)

  • Colombia's clandestine cannabis growers keen to come out of the shadows

    Farmers in northern Cauca province, the centre of the country’s marijuana cultivation, have formed a co-op to capitalise on legalisation of the pot trade
    The Guardian (UK)
    Friday, September 16, 2016

    colombia-marihuana-cultivoHalf of Colombia’s cannabis production is concentrated in the northern part of Cauca province, and 50% of that is grown in Corinto alone. Police estimate 100 hectares of land in the municipality are dedicated to growing weed; local farmers reckon the real number could be twice that. So when Colombia recently legalised marijuana for medical and scientific purposes, farmers in Corinto figured they had a corner on the cultivation market. A group of farmers came togetherto create Caucannabis, a cooperative that aims to be a prime supplier to companies hoping to cash in on Colombia’s new legal marijuana business.

  • Overseas backers push ganja co-op for Jamaica

    InCuBis International says it provides professional consulting, business and legal advice to the emerging medical cannabis market in the United States
    The Gleaner (Jamaica)
    Friday, September 16, 2016

    A group of international investors is looking to partner with local interests, particularly small farmers to corner the local and export market for ganja. InCuBis International is working through the Ganja Growers & Producers Association (GGPASS) to have local farmers join a co-operative to control the marijuana industry 'from seed to sale', according to business consultant Tony Melcher. Declaring that "the best weed comes from Jamaica", Melcher carefully laid out InCuBis' objectives as the "first incubation partnership in the world" at a Kingston forum.

  • Mexico president following California marijuana vote - state lawmaker

    If California votes to create a legal cannabis market, it would place great pressure on Mexico
    Reuters (UK)
    Thursday, September 15, 2016

    Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, who has proposed liberalizing his country's drug laws, privately asked California lawmakers visiting Mexico about a state measure to legalize recreational marijuana. A delegation of California Democratic lawmakers visiting Mexico talked for an hour with Pena Nieto. During the meeting, Pena Nieto brought up the November ballot measure without getting into details, California state Senator Ben Allen said in an interview. "But they're clearly paying close attention," he added. Pena Nieto has said the United States and Mexico should not pursue diverging policies on marijuana legislation.

  • The DEA wants to ban another plant

    Researchers say the plan is 'insane'
    The Washington Post (US)
    Thursday, September 15, 2016

    The Drug Enforcement Administration has received a torrent of backlash from patients with chronic pain and former opiate users after announcing plans to ban kratom, a plant gaining popularity across the United States for its opiate-like effects. A DEA spokesman said that the agency has received a surprising number of comments about the ban and could ease the restrictions after further research. Kratom has been used in the Southeast Asia for recreational and medical purposes for centuries, according to a 2011 report from the Transnational Institute.

  • Tilburg to allow medical marijuana users to grow drug at home

    Strict conditions will be set on the cannabis growing
    NL Times (Netherlands)
    Thursday, September 15, 2016

    medical-useTilburg Mayor Peter Noordanus decided to allow patients using medical marijuana to grow it themselves at their homes in the city, he wrote in a letter to the patients group for medicinal marijuana users PGMCG. Conditions include that patients are not allowed to cultivate more than five plants. They also need a prescription from their doctor, have to be a legal adult and make sure that their cultivation does not cause a fire hazard. They are also not allowed to sell the cannabis they grow. While growing marijuana is illegal, the court frequently decides to impose no penalty for it.

  • Alaska Legislature considers marijuana social clubs

    The regulations are making the law instead of the Legislature making the law
    Alaska Dispatch News (US)
    Wednesday, September 14, 2016

    alaska-cscThe Senate and House Judiciary Committees met to discuss the status of the fledgling commercial marijuana industry. One of the largest topics of discussion was the existence of marijuana social clubs, which have been operating in Alaska for the past year and a half. Social clubs opened in the wake of Alaska's initiative legalizing recreational marijuana. For a membership fee, the clubs provide a venue where people can consume cannabis. Sometimes free samples are provided by growers. While state Attorney General Jahna Lindemuth issued an opinion last month that the clubs violate public consumption law, Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux, questioned the attorney's interpretation.

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