Cannabis News Network presents you with a follow-up on the dramatic case of Johan van Laarhoven. This former Dutch coffeeshop entrepreneur and his wife are still being imprisoned in Thailand under horrific conditions.

The reason for their imprisonment is an investigation initiated by the Dutch government, who is accusing Van Laarhoven of money laundering. Van Laarhoven having retired to Thailand, the public prosecutor triggered the Thai government to investigate Johan van Laarhoven too, which led to his and his wife’s imprisonment for over thirteen months.

Only recently we had published an article explaining how scientists at the National Institute of Health (NIH) have found cannabis to be a potential killer of cancer cells. You can read the article here. 

On that note, we're going to talk about a scientific explanation that supports the NIH claim: "cannabis and cannabinoids may have benefits in treating the symptoms of cancer or the side effects of cancer therapies."

Here's an alphabetical list of Countries and States that have legalized treating yourself with the natural plant, cannabis: 

The first up is Argentina where it's legal for personal use in small amounts (in private).

Australia: Illegal (decriminalized in some states) One or two plants may be privately grown for personal use in the Australian Capital Territory and South Australia. Personal grows of up to two plants are decriminalized in the Northern Territory.

Belize: Illegal, but mostly tolerated.

Bolivia: Illegal (but decriminalized).

Botswana: Illegal, but mostly unenforced.

"We are encouraging cultivation of tobacco that causes various types of cancer. At the other end, we are ignoring the medicinal properties of a plant that can help cancer patients."

Top oncologists of Bengaluru have decided to lobby with the Center to lift the ban on cannabis for medicinal purposes due to the health benefits of the drug.

Former Toyota Motor Corp. executive Julie Hamp was released from detention Wednesday after prosecutors decided not to indict her regarding the import of a narcotic painkiller.

Prosecutors released the 55-year-old American after deeming that her action had no ill-intent, given that she had her family send the drugs to relieve her knee pain, investigative sources said.

Hamp was arrested on June 18 on suspicion of importing a mail package containing 57 oxycodone pills, which are illegal without a prescription in Japan.

Customs officials at Narita airport on June 11 found some of the pills placed at the bottom of a box listed as containing a necklace, and the rest inside an accessory case.

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Should medical marijuana be legalized in the Philippines?

This was the question that several law students from two universities in the country tried to answer on Tuesday (June 9) during a Law and Policy Debate at the House of Representatives.

Ambassador Manuel Teehankee, a medical and law expert, recognized the need for public discussions on the legalization of marijuana.

He noted that debating on a topic is a healthy method of testing ideas and proposal, and "a good way by which the legislative process can be vetted with various ideas being exchanged."

Cambodia has a complicated relationship with cannabis. While it’s technically illegal, the authorities make exceptions for traditional and medicinal use. But now with a global trend away from prohibition, some suggest it’s high time the government here followed suit

As farmers across Cambodia take to their fields this month in anticipation of the rainy season, in a sleepy village in Battambang’s Moung Ruessei district, some are sowing a crop alongside their rice and cassava that’s just as traditional but much more controversial.

“Here, ganja is just like in Jamaica,” said Ratanak*, a 42-year-old farmer, after inhaling a lungful of thick, pungent cannabis smoke from a bamboo water pipe.

Global patterns of cannabis cultivation have followed a fascinating development, from highly concentrated production in certain developing countries to decentralized production in almost every country around the world (UNODC, 2014). Historically, the spread of cannabis cultivation across the globe reflected the industrial utility of hemp; the widespread use of cannabis as a recreational drug did not appear until much later (Abel, 1980, Booth, 2003). It is with the emergence of modern patterns of cannabis use in the developed world that we have seen major changes in patterns of cannabis production. As demand for cannabis increased globally, fuelled by the developments of the “counter-culture” of the 1960s and 1970s, so cultivation in the developing world began to take on new dimensions.

Being a seasoned traveler and photographer, a journey to the Kingdom of Bhutan placed high on my bucket list.

Several years ago I visited there in a trip which also included China, Tibet and Nepal. The breathtaking flight from Nepal to Bhutan gave us spectacular views of Mt. Everest and the snow-covered Himalayan mountain range.

I thought I must have died and gone to Heaven.

As it turned out, the King of this tiny mountain democratic monarchy in the Himalayas was getting married the same week as my visit. The towns were exquisitely decorated and people donned their best regalia. Excitement was at a near frenzy in this normally sleepy and pastoral country. Every television was tuned in to the festivities, all eyes glued to the screen.

With a wave of funding flowing into the cannabis business sector, amidst a growing wave of legalisation worldwide, are Asia-Pacific (APAC) economies and legislators missing out on the economic dividends, due to faulty assumptions on the part of legislators?

In 2014, US investors injected US$104.5 million in capital into the cannabis business (canna-business) space, acquiring stakes in cannabis and cannabis-related companies. According to the findings of New York-based research firm CB Insights,investment into the cannabis space peaked in Q4 2014,  growing at a rate of 941.5 percent when contrasted with the previous year.