• Greece on crossroads of international heroin trade

    One small silver lining is the gradual decline of the use of shisha
    E Kathimerini (Greece)
    Tuesday, June 24, 2014

    Greece is a central hub on the route connecting the main country where heroin is produced, Afghanistan, and its biggest markets in Western Europe, annual reports by Europol and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNDOC) have shown. It is estimated that around 60-65 tons of the drug make their way through Southeast Europe every year, while figures show that in 2011-12, 67 percent of the overall heroin seizures made in the Balkans were in Bulgaria and Greece.

  • Qat ban: UK police officers told to use their discretion in enforcement

    Policing the ban on the mild herbal stimulant, used by Somali, Yemeni and Ethiopian people in the UK, poses challenges
    The Guardian (UK)
    Monday, June 23, 2014

    Police have been officially advised to use their discretion in deciding how to enforce the ban on qat, a mild herbal stimulant, that has been widely used in Britain's Somali, Yemeni and Ethiopian communities. Official guidelines from the Association of Chief Police Officers tells constables that in applying a "three strikes" enforcement policy they should take into account that qat has "historically not been a controlled drug and was part of the culture of certain communities linked to the Horn of Africa." (See also: Stimulant khat banned as illegal class C drug in UK)

  • The war on drugs killed my daughter

    Martha Fernback, 15, died from taking 91% pure ecstasy. Anne-Marie Cockburn is campaigning for drug legalisation to spare others her ordeal
    The Observer (UK)
    Sunday, June 22, 2014

    Martha Fernback, 15, died from taking 91% pure ecstasy. The response of her mother, Anne-Marie Cockburn was unusual. She refused to blame her daughter, her friends, or the dealer or the manufacturer. Cockburn, a single mother, focused on a greater target: the government. "It quickly became obvious that prohibition had had its chance but failed," she said. "Martha is a sacrificial lamb under prohibition. The question is: how many more Marthas have to die before we change our approach? It's not acceptable to allow the risks to remain."

  • Dope to your door

    Why pot is the new pizza. The economics of home-delivered marijuana
    The Economist (UK)
    Saturday, June 21, 2014

    Evan Cox used to deliver pizza. But 18 months ago, as he was running out of money at college in Seattle, he had a new business idea. The state of Washington was in the process of legalising the sale of marijuana, but he guessed it would take time for pot shops to open. So he set up Winterlife, a marijuana-delivery service. Dope-delivery services are also popular in states with stricter laws. More than a dozen illegal delivery services now serve tokers in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

  • Genève devrait tester le marché régulé et taxé du cannabis

    Le groupe de travail sur la régulation du cannabis s'inspire des modèles espagnols et portugais pour sortir du cercle vicieux répressif
    Tribune de Genève (Suisse)
    Vendredi, 20 juin 2014

    Le groupe interpartis, qui planche sur la régularisation du marché du cannabis à Genève, vient de publier son deuxième rapport. Il dit avoir bien entendu les critiques émises en décembre 2013 et les préoccupations des opposants, mais il tient à son idée, celle d'implanter à Genève le modèle de consommation espagnol. Il s'agirait d'autoriser pour les adultes exclusivement, sur une période d'essai de trois ans, la distribution, la vente et la consommation de cannabis dans le cadre d’associations contrôlées par l’Etat.

  • Albania cracks down on marijuana production in key southern village

    Reuters (UK)
    Thursday, June 19, 2014

    With the fruits of its labor turning up in Italy, Greece and, last year, Germany, Albania has come under increasing pressure from the European Union to crack down on cannabis production in Lazaret long considered untouchable, out of reach of the law thanks to a web of corrupt connections to the police and politicians. Albania hopes to get approval later this month from each of the EU’s 28 member states to become an official candidate for inclusion in the group. Crime and corruption are sure to be top of the list of issues that must be resolved before it can join.

  • Councils can ban tourists from coffee shops, Council of State rules

    Dutch News (Netherlands)
    Wednesday, June 18, 2014

    Local councils in the Netherlands do have the power to ban people who do not live in their area from visiting cannabis cafes, the Council of State ruled. Preventing drugs tourism and combating organised crime are legitimate aims to allow selection on the basis of nationality, the country's highest legal body said. 'The residence criterion is a proportionate measure for combating drugs tourism and this legitimate objective cannot be achieved by other, less radical means,’ the council said in a statement. The ruling marks the latest in a long legal battle between the Dutch government and cannabis cafe owners in Maastricht and Limburg. There the local councils have closed cafes, known as coffee shops, for selling marijuana to tourists. (See also: Most Dutch councils ignore ban on marijuana sales to tourists)

  • Légalisation du kif : Des associations rifaines mènent la fronde contre les projets du PAM et l’Istiqlal

    Yabiladi (Maroc)
    Mercredi, 18 juin 2014

    morocco-parliament-cannabisIl n’y a pas que les islamistes du PJD qui s’opposent aux propositions de loi du PAM et de l’Istiqlal visant la légalisation de la culture du kif. Le tissu associatif rifain adopte la même position, mais pour d’autres raisons. Deux ONG du Rif accusent les deux partis de servir les intérêts des multinationales et non des petits agriculteurs.

  • The difference between legalisation and decriminalisation

    The Economist (UK)
    Wednesday, June 18, 2014

    The war on cannabis seems to be slowly burning out. On June 12th Jamaica announced that it plans to decriminalise possession of small amounts of the drug. Several countries, including Mexico and Portugal, have already taken this step, and many others are considering it. A handful of other jurisdictions—so far only Uruguay and the states of Colorado and Washington—have taken a different approach, not decriminalising but instead legalising cannabis. Many people mistakenly use the terms “legalisation” and “decriminalisation” interchangeably. What is the difference?

  • Jamaica anticipates a marijuana rush as decriminalisation looms – but is it too late?

    The prospect of growing ganja for medical purposes has triggered a wave of heady economic optimism, but it faces stiff competition
    The Guardian (UK)
    Monday, June 16, 2014

    cannabis-cultivation-jamaica2Possession of a mere handful of marijuana has for decades clogged Jamaican courts with petty cases and distracted an undermanned police force from tackling the crime cartels pushing drugs and guns. The recently proposed decriminalisation of marijuana has been long anticipated and much unfulfilled. Fearing those big-stick-wielding neighbours, the United States, would crack Jamaica's backside, politicians have avoided pressing the reset button on a law that has proved unwieldy, expensive and downright stupid. (See also: No fall-out expected from decision on ganja)

Page 335 of 471