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Latin American leaders fault U.S. drug users
The Washington Post (US)
Monday, December 19, 2011Latin American leaders have joined together to condemn the U.S. government for soaring drug violence in their countries, blaming the United States for the transnational cartels that have grown rich and powerful smuggling dope north and guns south. Alongside official declarations, Latin American governments have expressed growing disgust for U.S. drug consumers — both the addict and the weekend recreational user heedless to the misery and destruction paid for their pleasures.
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President Obama's puzzling silence on marijuana policy
Neal Peirce / Syndicated columnistThe Seattle Times (US)
Saturday, December 17, 2011
The youth vote helped propel Barack Obama to the presidency, but that enthusiasm has declined sharply. One issue might reignite youthful enthusiasm: marijuana — partly its medical use, but especially the right to recreational use free of potential arrest. Police arrest youth for marijuana possession by the hundreds of thousands, threatening life prospects for a young man or woman saddled with a permanent "drug arrest" record that's easily located by employers, landlords, schools, credit agencies and banks. Small wonder that 62 percent of young Americans (ages 18 to 29) now favor legalizing marijuana, as a Gallup poll reported. -
Evo does not convince the INCB on coca chewing
"We convinced some of its members, but there are also some technicians who do not yet understand"
Transnational Institute (TNI) with Reuters & Associated Press
Friday, December 16, 2011
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The president of Bolivia, Evo Morales, yesterday asked inspectors of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) of the United Nations to support his petition to decriminalize coca leaf chewing or "akulliku" but acknowledged that he failed to convince everyone. The Board pointed out this year that Bolivia “addresses the coca-chewing issue in a manner that is not in line with that country’s obligations under the international drug control treaties.” -
Conservative senator opposes omnibus crime bill
The Canadian Press
Friday, December 16, 2011
Conservative Senator Pierre Claude Nolin says he can't support the massive Bill C-10 mainly because of a section that deals with growing marijuana plants. Nolin has been a longtime advocate for ending the prohibition on pot. He was the chairman of a landmark Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs in 2002 that called for the substance to be legalized. -
Dutch cannabis cafes to start tourist ban in May
Agence France Presse (AFP)
Thursday, December 15, 2011
New legislation to ban non-Dutch residents from cannabis-selling coffee shops in southern Netherlands should be enforced no later than May 1 next year. "The law will be amended on January 1, but there will be a kind of grace period until May 1," Justice ministry spokeswoman Charlotte Menten told AFP. The centre-right government of Prime Minister Mark Rutte has since September 2010 been weighing a "cannabis card", reserved for residents only and obligatory when visiting one of the country's 670 licensed coffee shops. -
Dutch government delays plans to ban tourists from buying weed
The Associated Press
Thursday, December 15, 2011
The conservative Dutch government said it is delaying plans to ban tourists from buying marijuana until at least May 2012, though it still intends to curtail the country’s famed tolerance policy. The Cabinet wants to introduce a “weed pass” system that will allow only legal residents of the Netherlands to buy marijuana. Justice Minister Ivo Opstelten said a test rollout in southern cities planned for January will now be delayed until May because of practical difficulties. -
Basque government regulates cannabis sale and use
ANSA
Monday, December 12, 2011The Basque Parliament will approve a law bill in the first few months of 2012 on drug addiction, which will regulate "the growing, sale and consumption of cannabis". For the new ruling, for which "technical and legal studies have been undertaken", the regional government wants to "open a debate" with associations in favour of consumption and to "shape their rights".
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Medical marijuana debate rages among researchers, doctors
There are clearly two points of view regarding the medical value of smoking marijuana
The Vancouver Sun (Canada)
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Research into medicinal marijuana is undergoing a surge of interest, with more evidence emerging not only of its ability to ease human suffering, but also of its apparent safety. Some say cannabis may be less toxic to humans than over-the-counter pain relievers. Scientifically controlled experiments have concluded that smoked cannabis can provide moderate relief from chronic, severe non-cancer pain — including HIV-related nerve pain and post-traumatic neuropathy, a condition that can follow an injury or medical procedure. Both are notoriously resistant to conventional treatments. (See also: Ten Years of Medical Marijuana in Canada) -
Equal access to medical marijuana eludes Canadians
Although all Canadians theoretically have access to medical marijuana, usage varies enormously throughout the country
The Vancouver Sun (Canada)
Friday, December 9, 2011
Data obtained by the Ottawa Citizen through the Access to Information Act put a face to the typical medical marijuana patient for the first time, 10 years after the federal government — under pressure from a series of legal rulings — was forced to start allowing seriously ill Canadians to apply to use the drug. As Health Canada moves to overhaul the rules governing medical marijuana, its own numbers show sharp disparities in the accessibility and use of the drug across the country as patients scramble to find doctors willing to prescribe. (See also: Ten Years of Medical Marijuana in Canada) -
Legal changes cause questions for medical marijuana users
No longer will judges have the discretion to waive a sentence for pot providers who offer the product to help the sick
The Ottawa Citizen (Canada)
Friday, December 9, 2011
The Tories omnibus crime legislation casts a shadow on the future of the medical marijuana program. The toughening of drug trafficking laws means that anyone caught sharing or selling marijuana will face mandatory jail sentences. No longer will judges have the discretion to waive a sentence for pot providers who offer the product to help the sick. If charged and convicted of trafficking, they will do jail time - at least six months. (See also: Ten Years of Medical Marijuana in Canada)
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