• Justice minister warns of crisis in ‘terrible’ overcrowded penitentiaries
• Congress expected to approve reduction in age of criminal responsibility to 16

Brazil’s justice minister has described his country’s violent and overcrowded prison system as “terrible” and warned that it will only get worse if congress votes this week to lower the age of criminal responsibility.

José Eduardo Cardozo ordered the early publication of a justice ministry report on prison overcrowding ahead of a vote on Tuesday over legislation which would reduce the age of criminal responsibility from 18 to 16 for serious offences involving violence.

The rule legalizing cannabis in Uruguay starts running. While details are being finalized for the state to produce their own marijuana for sale in pharmacies, in recent weeks, the government authorized the legal operation of the first cannabis club in the country.

CNN had access exclusively to the first club to see how it works.

For Martin and Diego growing their own marijuana to smoke in their own club is a dream come true.

"It's a great relief. See it is working and everything is going well not for clubs and growers," says Martin Gaibisso, president of the Club Cannabico El Piso.

His club was the first approved by the Uruguayan authorities, after a year of negotiations and preparations.

The regulation of the production and sale of cannabis in 2013 did not increase the use of this drug in Uruguay, according to a study by the National Drug Board (JND), under the Presidency.

The sixth national survey on drug use in households suggests that 9.3% of the population used marijuana in the last 12 months, compared to 8.3% in 2011, posted the smallest increase in 14 years.

Meanwhile, 6.3% of Uruguayans regular users of cannabis were reported.

According to the conclusions of the JND, "growth in consumption responds to the trend that began in 2001 indicating that the discussion on the regulation did not affect historical consumption patterns."

Español“I think we need to go ahead and get rid of this damn drug-trafficking business that has done so much damage already,” Colombian Senator Roy Barreras said on Wednesday, June 10.

The senator added that we he would soon propose an amendment to the current medical marijuana bill being debated in Congress to expand decriminalization to include recreational purposes.

In Ecuador important advances have been made in the area of drug policy, with civil society playing an active part in them. The country's National Assembly is currently debating a bill: "Organic Law for the Comprehensive Prevention of Drugs and the Use of Catalogued Substances Subject to Regulation.”

In 1998 the country revised its “Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Act” (Act 108), under which consumption was decriminalised. However, there existed legal contradictions and flaws that ended up penalising users and consumers for holding, possession and transport, without any criterion of proportionality, all entailing sentences of 12-16 years.

Recently, Latin America has surprised us with the giant steps taken towards the legalization of cannabis. Jose Mujica opened Pandora's Box and in a time when that regulation was in no man's land, Uruguayan citizens were quick to react and show support for their former president. Thus, and as if it were a domino effect, the voice spread like wildfire. As a result, today, the vast majority of countries in Latin America, are in favor of a real decriminalization of marijuana regulation. This article will discuss the recent news coming from Puerto Rico, Brazil, Uruguay and Ecuador.

Medicinal users rebel against the Government of Puerto Rico

An international drug control summit in Colombia has again placed the contradictions in rapidly changing thinking on drug policy at center stage, as calls for drug users and producers not to be criminalized clashed with plans to increase efforts to tackle drug cultivation. 

Add Ecuador to a growing list of countries pushing back against the U.S. “war on drugs.”

A ruling party lawmaker recently introduced legislation that would make Ecuador the second country in the world — and the first in the Americas— to decriminalize the personal use of all drugs, from marijuana to cocaine to heroin.

The bill, presented by a lawmaker allied with President Rafael Correa, would regulate the consumption of over 100 substances and create a state agency to control the importation, exportation, production and cultivation of illegal drugs. Anyone interested in using or obtaining drugs would have to register with the agency.

CBD oil legal medicine in Brazil and government subsidised thanks to this family's fight

With the world being so exceptionally large, contingent on so many moving parts, one would think that we have little opportunity to make a major impact… but one mother down in Brazil, is proof that that this is simply not the case. If you have the will, the drive, and a fiercely beating heart, you can make a difference. In Katiele Fischer’s case, her will to make an impact not only altered the perception of her surrounding culture and country, but served as the catalyst for a ripple effect that will reach far beyond Brazil’s borders. It all started with a question, ‘What is CBD?’