Drug Strategy vs. Reality

Slovak media have reported on the proposed decriminalisation of illicit substances several times over the past two years. According to this news, the new law would end imprisonment for possession of small amounts of illicit drugs.  Possession of small amounts would instead become a simple misdemeanour. This would apply to all substances presently listed as illicit.

For decades, illegal marijuana has made its way down to the United States from Canada. “B.C. Bud” is a brand name that resonates with recreational marijuana users from Seattle to Sarasota. But could Canada’s first mover advantage in the business of marijuana translate into an industry that we could ultimately export to the United States?

On Friday, the pro-marijuana group ResponsibleOhio pitched their initial ballot language for an amendment that would allow the legalization of marijuana in the state of Ohio.

According to a new report, published by the HCLU’s Drugreporter on Monday, organisations backed by the Church of Scientology are infiltrating Hungarian schools, in order to increase the Church’s social influence.

The son of actor Jackie Chan was released from a Beijing jail Friday after completing a six-month sentence for allowing people to use marijuana in his apartment, amid a crackdown on illegal narcotics in the Chinese capital.

A statement issued by Jaycee Chan's entertainment company said the 32-year-old actor and singer left the city's Dongcheng jail a few minutes after midnight Thursday.

Photos showed chaotic scenes as reporters chased his car and surrounded it at a toll station.

The statement thanked fans and the media for their concern and said Chan would hold a news conference Saturday in order to "apologize and explain."

EDMONTON - Federal Health Minister Rona Ambrose says her hands are tied right now over the growing trend of home-based marijuana grow ops because the matter is before the courts.

Ambrose says if she had her way, there'd be no more grow ops for medical marijuana.

However, a federal court granted an injunction a year ago grandfathering those that were already in place.

Ambrose says she has heard about abuses and problems such as mould and fires in homes, as well as illegal trafficking.

She says political pressure is needed from the public to bring about change.

Newly released figures show the Conservative government spent more than $7 million on a 10-week, anti-drug advertising campaign that wrapped up at the end of last month.

On Sunday, Columbia University associate professor of psychology Carl Hart delivers  a major business conference keynote in San Francisco on spotting biased marijuana science. He’s also urging the crowd of largely white, affluent attendees at the International Cannabis Business Conference to diversify their new hires, and play a part in helping to correct centuries of racial inequality in America.

Even though Macedonia has decriminalised the possession of drugs for personal use, there remain many anomalies in the related regulations. Read our guest author's insights on what has to be done to make the country's laws serve the best interests of public health.

The People’s Partnership Government should be careful not to pursue the same course as Jamaica which recently legalised the use of marijuana for medical purposes, says political analyst Dr Bishnu Ragoonath. 

He believes such a move will not receive public support.

In an interview on Tuesday, Ragoonath said the Government would be treading on shaky ground if it pursued a policy to decriminalise marijuana.

“At this time, the Government has to be wary of societal needs and demands. The Government is preparing to go into a general election and should be careful as to what policies they will bring to the fore at this point in time,” he said.

He said that drug use had been linked to crime.