Delays in passing new laws governing the possession and use of cannabis, caused by the Covid-19 lockdown, have placed on hold the development of a different kind of green economy mentioned by President Cyril Rampahosa in his February State of the Nation address. The delays in promulgating the Regulation of Cannabis Bill and additional changes to the Medicine and Related Substances Control Act mean the state will not meet the September 2020 deadline set by the Constitutional Court in the 2018 judgment declaring the prohibition on cannabis cultivation, possession and use unconstitutional. (See also: No legal sales in new cannabis Bill)

Foi admitido pela mesa da Assembleia da República o projeto-lei pelo qual o Bloco de Esquerda voltará à carga com a tentativa de legalizar o consumo recreativo de canábis. Os bloquistas defendem a "legalização da canábis para consumo pessoal não medicinal, passando a lei a regular os aspetos da produção e do cultivo, da comercialização, da aquisição, detenção e consumo da planta ou derivados". Pretendem ainda que "o consumo, o cultivo, a aquisição ou detenção, para consumo pessoal, de plantas, substâncias ou preparações de canábis" deixem de "constituir ilícito contraordenacional ou criminal".

De acuerdo con el predictamen sobre la legalización del uso de cannabis y sus derivados, se señala que su regulación es bajo el enfoque de salud pública, derechos humanos, desarrollo sostenible, combatir las consecuencias del uso problemático y reducir la incidencia delictiva vinculada con el narcotráfico. Corresponde al Estado el “control y la regulación de los actos inmersos” del uso de cannabis, así como de los reglamentos correspondientes, normas oficiales mexicanas y en las disposiciones que resulten aplicables. Queda permitida la venta de cannabis y sus derivados para el uso lúdico dentro del territorio nacional, la cual se delimitará a los establecimientos autorizados.

En Colombia comiencen a cursar otra vez en la nueva legislatura dos proyectos que buscan despenalizar el consumo recreativo de cannabis. Ambas iniciativas ya habían sido discutidas sin éxito en el pasado, pero sus autores vuelven a insistir. La primera es del senador de Decentes Gustavo Bolívar, y cuenta con el apoyo de 35 congresistas, mientras que la segunda es de la autoría de los representantes liberales Juan Fernando Reyes Kuri y Juan Carlos Losada, y va firmada por 17 legisladores. Aunque ambas apuntan a un mismo fin, la propuesta de los liberales fue presentada como acto legislativo para reformar el artículo 49 de la Constitución, mientras que la de Bolívar es un proyecto de ley que busca introducir algunas disposiciones para la legalización.

Algo muy grave está sucediendo con la regulación de la cannabis en México. Por mandato de la SCJN, el Poder Legislativo está obligado a publicar a más tardar el 30 de abril la regulación para la venta y consumo de mariguana. El dictamen de ley presentado por el senador por Hidalgo de Morena, Julio Menchaca, parece que fue preparado por las trasnacionales canadienses dedicadas a la industria cannábica. Al grado que en la primera versión había párrafos en inglés. Lisa Sánchez, de MUCD, ha señalado que no sólo perpetuaría el régimen punitivo, sino que impondría una carga adicional sobre un sistema de justicia que ya se encuentra rebasado. (Véase también: AMLO rechaza el consumo lúdico de la marihuana e insiste solo en su uso médico)

A partir de hoy, el consumo de productos comestibles elaborados con cannabis es legal en Canadá, un año después de que el Gobierno canadiense aprobase la legalización del consumo recreativo de la marihuana. Pero aunque el consumo de productos comestibles y bebidas que contengan cannabis es legal, los consumidores canadienses no podrán comprarlos al menos hasta dentro de dos meses, ya que el Ministerio de Sanidad de Canadá requiere 60 días para aprobar la venta de productos. Además de comestibles, a partir de hoy también son legales los extractos de cannabis, como los utilizados para vapear, y cremas derivadas de la droga. El Ministerio de Sanidad de Canadá ha establecido un límite de diez miligramos de THC por paquete de producto para comer o beber.

A determined political movement to end the war on drugs has taken shape across Europe and North America. Harm reduction advocates say lives can be saved and resources spared, if only the state would move away from punishing drug users. Perhaps, some predict, the state could even get into the business of regulating the production and sale of once-illegal substances. Yet proponents of decriminalizing, or even legalizing, drugs have focused mostly on the world’s biggest drug importers and often overlooked the countries responsible for producing and trafficking the drugs to satisfy rich countries’ demand. States such as Mexico.

Uruguay's House of Representatives has passed a bill to legalize marijuana by 50 of the 96 MPs following 13 hours of tough debates. Now the bill is to be approved by the Senate to make Uruguay the first country to regulate the production, distribution and sale of marijuana. President Jose Mujica believes that the measure will remove profits from drug dealers and divert users from harder drugs. Martin Jelsma, the Coordinator of Drugs & Democracy program at Transnational Institute in Amsterdam, shared his thoughts on the new legislation with the Voice of Russia.

The federal plan to legalize recreational marijuana does not include the general amnesty for past pot convictions some would like to see, says Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale. Newly tabled legislation would allow people 18 and older to publicly possess up to 30 grams of dried cannabis, or its equivalent in non-dried form. But the Trudeau government is not considering a blanket pardon for people with criminal records for possessing small amounts of the drug, Goodale said in an interview. The government has also made it clear that the move to legalization by mid-2018 doesn’t mean lax law enforcement during the transition period. (See also: Marijuana legalization: What was Justin Trudeau smoking?)

Back in 2017, Los Angeles was among the first places in the United States to legalize weed with social equity in mind. Today, social equity dominates the conversation about who should be allowed to sell legal pot, with programs planned or up and running in Michigan, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Connecticut, Virginia, Arizona, and more. But behind the corporate rhetoric and the political promises are sobering numbers and widespread frustration with how social equity has harmed some of the exact people the programs are meant to help. In the five years since a plan was outlined in Los Angeles, 1,629 people became verified as social equity applicants, but only about 35 retailers have opened.

There are less opioid prescriptions on average in U.S. states where medical and recreational marijuana are legal, research has revealed. Access to recreational cannabis in the U.S. was tied with a 11.8 percent lower rate of opioids prescriptions each day, and 4.2 percent for medical marijuana. The authors of the paper published in the Journal of Health Economicssaid recreational weed laws could make it easier for patients to access the drug, and use it to treat pain and other conditions. Both types of law also appeared to cut down the total number of patients receiving opioids, as well as the total days opioids were supplied, and the likelihood of a healthcare provider prescribing the painkillers.

Legalizing medical marijuana causes no increase in crime, according to a new study. In fact, legalized medical pot may reduce some violent crime, including homicide, University of Texas at Dallas researchers wrote in a journal article published this week. The study appears to settle concerns, simmering since the first states approved medical marijuana nearly two decades ago, that legalization would lead to more crime.

Comme lors de la campagne électorale du scrutin du 4 septembre 2015, le PAM rejoue la carte de la culture du kif dans les régions concernées. Le Tracteur promet une grâce générale au profit de 40 000 personnes condamnées pour une telle activité, si la formation remportait le scrutin du 7 octobre. Faire miroiter la grâce générale ne constitue pas une nouveauté. Cela fait déjà quatre ans que le parti joue à fond cette carte. Le Tracteur multiplie en effet les actions réclamant la légalisation du cannabis et la levée des mandats d’arrêts contre les cultivateurs de kif en fuite.

Comme lors de la campagne électorale du scrutin du 4 septembre 2015, le PAM rejoue la carte de la culture du kif dans les régions concernées. Le Tracteur promet une grâce générale au profit de 40 000 personnes condamnées pour une telle activité, si la formation remportait le scrutin du 7 octobre. Faire miroiter la grâce générale ne constitue pas une nouveauté. Cela fait déjà quatre ans que le parti joue à fond cette carte. Le Tracteur multiplie en effet les actions réclamant la légalisation du cannabis et la levée des mandats d’arrêts contre les cultivateurs de kif en fuite.

Dr. Lester Grinspoon, a Harvard psychiatry professor who became a leading proponent of legalizing marijuana after his research found it was less toxic or addictive than alcohol or tobacco, died on June 25 at his home in Newton, Mass. He was 92. He concluded that marijuana was a relatively safe intoxicant that should be regulated like alcohol. The real danger, he said, was criminalizing its users. After previewing his findings in an article in Scientific American in 1969, Dr. Grinspoon wrote “Marihuana Reconsidered.” It was published in 1971. “The greatest potential for social harm lies in the scarring of so many young people and the reactive, institutional damages that are direct products of present marihuana laws,” Dr. Grinspoon wrote.

The number of drug offences continue to increase in Germany – a very real issue for the country. Drug Commissioner Daniela Ludwig is of course on the right track when she emphasises prevention programmes. Doing away with addiction as a social taboo is an important factor when it comes to combating drug abuse. But it would be even more helpful not to criminalise responsible citizens who use cannabis from time to time. Sixty per cent of offences are linked to plant-based drugs. The criminalisation of cannabis brings people – mostly young people – more quickly into an environment where harder drugs are consumed. Redefining what is illegal could help.

The Constitutional Court judgment on cannabis probably made a lot of people happy because, across all sectors of society, people smoke weed and have, until now, been doing so in dark corners, fearful of being arrested. The judgment was clear in how it expanded the view of private use to not being confined only to one’s private dwelling. It remains to be seen whether there will be consensus on what “private use” is. Parliament must provide the clarity that is not in the judgment. Parliament must also call on South Africans to help it imagine a future cannabis industry in the country, before the cannabis farming space is exploited by cartels and private corporates. (See also: Why the ConCourt decision to legalise dagga for private use is a good thing)

Los artículos de la ley establecen que aquellas personas que precisen del autocultivo del cannabis deberán indefectiblemente contar con un certificado médico visado por el MSP que avale que el paciente sufre alguna dolencia tratable con el aceite de cannabis. El proyecto fue aprobado por Senadores y pasa a Diputados para su tratamiento. Los artículos del proyecto establecen que aquellas personas que precisen del autocultivo del cannabis deberán indefectiblemente contar con un certificado médico que deberá estar visado por el Ministerio de Salud Pública, el cual certificará que el paciente padece alguna dolencia tratable con el aceite de cannabis. (Véase también: Cannabis medicinal: licencia para producción e industrialización ya está reglamentada)

A Dutch experiment involving the licenced production and sale of cannabis which is due to start this autumn is likely to be delayed, broadcaster NOS reported. Arnhem mayor Ahmed Marcouch has told the city council that there are still many uncertainties that need to be ironed out and although a justice ministry spokesman did not use the word ‘delay’ he did point to the tough conditions surrounding the experiment. In total 10 cities, but not the big four, are taking part in the experiment which aims to remove the grey area between licenced cannabis cafes, or coffee shops, and the illegal drugs trade. Independent research will assess the impact of having a closed chain from plantation to retail on crime and public order. (See also: Dutch legal cannabis cultivation trial stalled)