Proponents of marijuana prohibition have long alleged that experimentation with pot acts as a “gateway” to the use and eventual abuse of other illicit substances. But the results of a just released national poll finds that most Americans no longer believe this claim to be true. According to survey data compiled by YouGov.com, fewer than one in three US citizens agree with the statement, “the use of marijuana leads to the use of hard drugs.” Among those respondents under the age of 65, fewer than one in four agree.

There is “no statistically significant increase” in psychosis-related diagnoses in states that have legalized marijuana compared to those that continue to criminalize cannabis, a new study published by the American Medical Association concluded. Researchers carried out an analysis of more than 63 million health insurance beneficiaries from 2003-2017 to address the idea that cannabis reform could be linked to higher rates of psychosis, which certain prohibitionists have cited to argue against legalization. The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Psychiatry, determined that, “compared with no legalization policy, states with legalization policies experienced no statistically significant increase in rates of psychosis-related diagnoses.”

Compared to other recreational drugs -- including alcohol -- marijuana may be even safer than previously thought. And researchers may be systematically underestimating risks associated with alcohol use. Those are the topline findings of recent research published in the journal Scientific Reports. Researchers found that at the level of individual use, alcohol was the deadliest substance, followed by heroin and cocaine.

New research finds that the two main ingredients in marijuana have opposing effects on it. The study examined 15 normal men who had previously smoked cannabis only a few times. Researchers exposed the men to each of the two most psychoactive ingredients in marijuana — delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) and compared their effects with those of a placebo while the participants performed a mental task.

The New York Police Department, which has been arresting tens of thousands of people a year for low-level marijuana possession, is to stop making such arrests and to issue tickets instead. People found with small amounts of marijuana would be issued court summonses and be allowed to continue on their way without being handcuffed and taken to station houses for fingerprinting. The change would remake the way the police in New York City handle the most common drug offenses to address the effects of the department’s excessive stop-and-frisk practices. (See also: Concerns in criminal justice system as New York City eases marijuana policy)

A plan backed by Silicon Valley billionaire Sean Parker to legalize recreational use of marijuana in California is on the path to the November ballot, potentially bringing more than $1bn a year in tax revenue. The proposal, which would allow for the retail sale of marijuana to adults aged 21 and older, is one of the most highly anticipated initiatives, in no small part because California is the country’s largest economy and the eighth largest in the world. But some industry insiders are unhappy with the proposal and are withholding support. "This skews towards big marijuana," said Hezekiah Allen of the California Growers Association.

The Biden administration’s recommendation last week for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to reschedule cannabis marked one of its most significant steps related to the president’s ambitious campaign promise to decriminalize cannabis use. But advocates and policy experts say rescheduling marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) does not address the plethora of racial justice issues caused by current cannabis laws. Moving cannabis to Schedule III means that the federal government acknowledges it has medical uses; it doesn’t change its status as a prohibited substance. Many worry that rescheduling could amount to the Biden administration saying, “OK, we did something and now we’re done.”

Marijuana may not be the "gateway drug" some believe it to be, a new study contends. Instead, teens smoke pot for very specific reasons, and it is those reasons that appear to prompt their decision to try other drugs, researchers report. For example, kids who use marijuana because they are bored are more likely to also use cocaine, while kids using pot to achieve insight or understanding are more likely to try magic mushrooms, according to findings published recently in the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse.

Two years after the sale of marijuana was legalized in Canada, and researchers have yet to see the feared increase in use, says Michael Boudreau, a criminology professor at St. Thomas University. About six per cent of Canadians report they consume cannabis on a daily basis, a number that's remained unchanged from before legalization. "So there, we're not seeing a skyrocket use of cannabis," said Boudreau. In fact, use of cannabis in the age bracket of 15 to 17 has been cut in half, down to 10 per cent from the 20 per cent it was before legalization. But cannabis consumption for those between the ages of 18 and 24 is 33 per cent, which Boudreau said is relatively unchanged. (See: ‘The kids are alright’: reflections on two years of legal cannabis in Canada)

Rates of adolescent marijuana use and abuse have declined across the US, according to a study that casts doubts on one of the central arguments against legalizing weed. Researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis surveyed 216,852 teenagers from all 50 states and found that the number of adolescents with marijuana-related disorders dropped by 24% from 2002 to 2013. Overall teen pot use also decreased by 10%, despite the fact that more than a dozen states legalized medical marijuana and decriminalized the drug during that time. (See also: No, legal weed is not ‘dumbing down’ the nation’s teens)

American adults are smoking more pot, but increased cannabis use does not appear to be due to wider availability of legal marijuana, a new study shows. Pot consumption among women almost doubled between 1984 and 2015, from 5.5 percent of adults to 10.6 percent; meanwhile, 14.7 percent more men are toking up since 2000, according to the report from the Public Health Institute. But researchers cautioned against assuming that relaxed laws governing recreational and medicinal pot are driving the trend.

This year was a big one for marijuana in the U.S. From a first-ever congressional vote on federally legalizing cannabis to another large state ending its own prohibition law, 2019 saw the marijuana movement make advances on several fronts. In November, the House Judiciary Committee made history by becoming the first congressional panel to approve a bill to end federal marijuana prohibition. The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, if enacted into law, would remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act and fund programs to begin repairing the harms of the war on drugs, which has been waged disproportionately against communities of color.

Alors qu’une trentaine de pays à travers le monde dépénalisent et financent l’usage thérapeutique du cannabis, le producteur numéro un mondial nage toujours à contresens. Au Maroc, la production, la possession et la consommation de cannabis et de produits qui en dérivent sont interdites. Un cadre légal ayant causé une succession d’échecs selon Reda Mhasni, psychologue clinicien et psychothérapeute. Il y a des initiatives émanant de différents partis, notamment le Parti de l’authenticité et de la modernité (PAM) ainsi que le parti de l’Istiqlal. Des sujets souvent abordés à l’approche des élections. Mais les projets sont ensuite enterrés et on n'en reparle plus après.

Au début de l’été, le conseil de Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceïma a voté en faveur de la commande d’une étude sur les opportunités de cultiver du cannabis dans la région. Le rapport serait confié à l’Institut scientifique de l’Université Mohammed V à Rabat, pour un coût avoisinant le million de dirhams (plus de 90 000 euros), mais le ministère de l’Intérieur doit encore donner son feu vert. Abdellatif Adebibe, président d’une association de la région et fervent partisan de la légalisation de la production, met en garde. Une légalisation de la culture ne signifierait pas une amélioration rapide des conditions de vie des paysans. Il plaide pour une culture « restreinte à la région productrice historique, le Rif, où elle s’accorde avec un mode de vie ».

A la vielle de la promulgation de la loi sur les usages légaux, la Coordination des zones d'origine du cannabis, qui se compose d'agriculteurs et de descendants de cultivateurs de cannabis dans les régions historiques des provinces d'Al Hoceima et de Chefchaouen est mobilisée. Elle a, en effet, rencontré tous les partis politiques représentés à la Chambre des représentants pour leur présenter son mémorandum. La coordination défend aussi l’usage récréatif du cannabis. «Cela se fera à l'image des pays ayant légalisé le cannabis», explique ce membre qui ajoute qu’il s’agit d’un «marché noir que l’Etat doit exploiter, sinon il tombera entres les mains de barons, de gangs et de cartels». (Lire aussi: Abdelouafi Laftit sur la légalisation du cannabis : “Nous n'avons plus de temps à perdre”)

Les cultivateurs du cannabis ont récemment reçu la visite d’une délégation de la Commission spéciale du modèle de développement, conduite par le président Chakib Benmoussa, rapporte Al Massae. Ces derniers leur ont affirmé qu’ils ne vivent que de la culture et de la vente à l’état brut du kif. Leurs porte-paroles ont fait une proposition aux membres de la Commission. Ils souhaitent que le nouveau modèle propose clairement la légalisation de la culture de cannabis dans la région nord du Maroc, ou il l’interdit une bonne fois pour toutes, à condition qu’il leur propose une alternative qui doit être une source de revenu sûre et durable à même d’améliorer les conditions de vie précaires des habitants de la région. (Lire aussi: Le Maroc prépare sa position par rapport aux recommandations de l'OMS)

Le Parlement marocain est en train d'examiner un projet de loi sur la légalisation de la culture du cannabis proposé par la Coalition marocaine pour l'utilisation du cannabis à des fins médicinales et industrielles. Le débat avait été lancé en 2008 par le collectif marocain. Le militant rifain Chakib El Khayari, membre de la coalition, a confié au site d'information Bladi.net que cette légalisation sauverait des milliers de producteurs des griffes des barons de la drogue. Les derniers chiffres de l’Organe international de contrôle des stupéfiants indiquent que 72% de la quantité de résine de cannabis saisie dans le monde provient du Maroc.

El Gobierno de Marruecos aprobó un decreto que autoriza el cultivo del cannabis con fines “legítimos” (como sus usos terapéuticos y cosméticos) en las provincias norteñas de Alhucemas, Chauen y Taunat pero bajo un estricto control de las autoridades, informó en un comunicado el Ejecutivo. El decreto, presentado por el Ministerio del Interior, establece también la posibilidad de añadir otras provincias dependiendo del interés que muestren los inversores nacionales e internacionales en las actividades relacionadas con el cultivo, producción, y explotación de cannabis. La ley marroquí sigue castigando sus usos “recreativos”.