On Wednesday, Missouri legislative committees approved four separate cannabis law reform bills. We already wrote to you about HB 978, which would free Jeff Mizanskey, who is serving life without parole for a non-violent cannabis offense, and was approved by the House Corrections Committee on Wednesday morning. As the day progressed, so did three other pro-reform bills.

Marijuana legal reform has made great strides over the past few years. Four states are now allowing their citizens to freely use recreational marijuana. Washington D.C. -- the seat of the federal government itself -- has joined Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Washington state in fully legalizing marijuana. Almost half the states (23 of them) have legalized medical use of marijuana, and an additional dozen have allowed for heavily-restricted medical use of some form of the plant or another. That adds up to over seventy percent of America. Yet the federal laws have not budged an inch, and remain Draconian in their condemnation of any use of marijuana.

It really is true; as the rest of the world sails along with progress in their sights, the UK remains anchored to the barnacles of prohibition. Don't fall for the false rhetoric of compassion that the UK drug policy has forged - we still maintain a stance of indiscriminate criminalisation. Like many, I have come to realise that the criminalisation of any person for their substance use is, frankly, a barbarous act - a sharpened shiv wielded for political intent.

Durban - The battle to legalise the use of dagga could reach the Constitutional Court if a Howick farmer has his way.

John Lawrence Strydom, 44, on Monday launched a Pietermaritzburg High Court application against the minister of justice and the office of the director of public prosecutions.

Strydom wants criminal proceedings against him for the possession and cultivation of dagga to be stayed.

This was in order for him to approach the Constitutional Court to have certain parts of the Illicit Drugs and Trafficking Act of 1992 and the Medicines and Related Substances Controlled Act of 1965, relating to the use, possession of and dealing in dagga, declared to be in violation of the Bill of Rights.

The legalization of marijuana, particularly for medical use, has made it onto the agenda of this election, with most parties addressing the issue, and several adopting a more liberal position than they have in the past.

“It seems that someone – I don’t know who – has invested a great deal of money over the past two years in a campaign to promote marijuana in Israel,” says strategic consultant Itay Ben Horin, who has led many political campaigns in the past. Still, he says, “You still don’t see candidates for prime minister presenting that as part of their agenda.”

Most political parties have some position regarding marijuana use — with the exception of Likud, whose officials chose not to comment or respond to Haaretz’s query on the issue.

Emergency drug laws are being rushed through in Ireland after possession of ecstasy was temporarily legalised as a result of a court striking down a ban on another substance.

Parliamentarians will sit into the night to pass legislation quickly after the Court of Appeal's ruling temporarily makes legal the possession of the party drug, along with benzodiazepines and some so-called head shop drugs.

Health minister Leo Varadkar said he is working to pass the emergency laws within 24 hours. 'We had no way of knowing what the court would decide today, but we prepared for this possibility,' he said.

Washington (AFP) - US senators on Tuesday introduced the most comprehensive legislation on medical marijuana ever brought before Congress, a bipartisan effort aimed at ending federal restrictions on the increasingly accepted treatment.

Twenty-three states already allow the use of cannabis to treat medical conditions like multiple sclerosis (MS) and epilepsy, but federal law still exposes users of the drug to potential investigation and arrest.

"Highly-trained officials in our country -- doctors and scientists, medical personnel -- are unable to prescribe and recommend drugs that could alleviate the pain and suffering of their patients," Senate Democrat Cory Booker told reporters.

A Trial to Decide the Future of the Spanish Cannabis Community

On 10 and 11 March the "Pannagh" association in Bilbao faces a hearing whose decision could be decisive for the whole process of legalising social cannabis clubsin Spain. Thus, the entire community of activists wishes to show its support to the group and its five indicted members, who face 22 years of prison and millions of euros in bail. 

A passionate pro-marijuana activist turned up at the United National Congress’ (UNC) Monday night forum in Barrackpore, with a message.
During the feature speech of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, the unnamed man moved to the front of the audience packed into the hall of the Khanhai Presbyterian Primary School.

And while the Persad-Bissessar knocked the Opposition Peoples National Movement and lauded her Peoples Partnership government, the man held high a poster addressed to her, reading “Ganja, Legalise Weed Tanty Kamala”. 

Each time Persad-Bissessar made a point, the man cheered and pointed to his sign. His message was not acknowledged, and the discrimination of marijuana, which was recently done in Jamaica, was not a topic addressed by Persad-Bissessar.