On Aug. 13, 2016, thousands Germans marched through the streets of Berlin to express support for the legalization of cannabis.
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Health Canada Granting Patients Right to Grow Medical Cannabis at Home
On Aug. 11, 2016, Health Canada announced that it had replaced the Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations with the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations, as prompted by the Federal Court of Canada’s decision in Allard v. Canada.
Cannabis in Colombia: Weeds of Peace
COLOMBIANS called it the bonanza marimbera (marijuana bonanza). In the 1970s and 1980s smokers in the United States were especially partial to Santa Marta Gold, a variety of cannabis grown on the slopes of Colombia’s Sierra Nevada.
Pharmacies in Croatia Now Stocking Medical Marijuana
National pharmacies in Croatia are now dispensing medical marijuana. According to Malay Mail Online, medical marijuana products hit the shelves in July and prospective patients are beginning to show interest in it.
Montel Williams Detained in Germany Over Medical Marijuana
On July 29, 2016, television star and medical marijuana activist Montel Williams was detained in Germany while on vacation with his family. According to TMZ, Williams was briefly detained at Frankfurt Airport after authorities in customs discovered a small bag of marijuana kief in his luggage.
Céad Míle Fáilte: Medical Cannabis Bill Introduced in Ireland
On July 21, 2016, Deputies Gino Kenny and Bríd Smith introduced a medical cannabis bill to the Dáil Éireann, the Irish legislature’s lower house and principle chamber.
Italian Lawmakers Debating Recreational Cannabis Legalization
On July 25, 2016, Italy’s Chamber of Deputies began debating a bill that would legalize recreational cannabis in the country.
Greece Examining Possibility of Medical Cannabis Legalization
On July 18, 2016, Greece’s Ministry of Health announced that Health Minister Andreas Xanthos had approved the establishment of a working group to study and examine the viability of medical cannabis legalization.
Climate Change, Cannabis and Trudeau
If the commitment to combat climate change is credible and sincere it should also impact the government’s regulations with regards to cannabis cultivation.
Uruguay Marijuana Growers Compete in Cannabis Cup
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) — Uruguay is home to the world’s first government-regulated national marketplace for pot, so it’s not surprising that growers have a competition for best marijuana.
New Zealand Could Make $150 Million Annually From Taxing Cannabis
Decriminalising cannabis would generate money for the Government and ease pressure on New Zealand’s courts according to an informal Treasury report.
Jamaica’s Cannabis Licensing Authority Receives More Than 200 Applications
Jamaica’s Cannabis Licensing Authority has received more than 200 medical cannabis licensing applications, as reported by Jamaica Information Service on June 29, 2016.
High in Persia: Marijuana Use on the Rise in Iran
Marijuana use is on the rise in what some make consider one of the most unlikely places on Earth. According to The New York Times, the Islamic Republic of Iran is seeing an uptick in marijuana use even though it has some of the harshest drug laws in the world.
Availability of Medical Cannabis in Israel to Reach an All-time High
The government has approved a plan that will remove many of the restrictions on growing medical marijuana and make it more readily available to over 23,000 patients in Israel.
Toronto Police Say 23 People Arrested in Marijuana Dispensary Raids
Toronto police say 23 people are facing drug-related charges after four marijuana dispensaries were raided in the city on Thursday, but one pot advocate says that won’t stop them.
Canadian Government Plans to Announce Marijuana Task Force
In the coming days, the Canadian government is expected to announce the formation of a marijuana task force.
Tilray Now Exporting Canadian Medical Cannabis Extracts to Croatia
Tilray, a licensed cannabis producer in Canada and owned by Seattle-based Privateer Holdings, became the first Canadian company licensed by the Canada’s Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations to legally export medical cannabis cultivated and processed in Canada.
Justin Trudeau May Have Made the Best Case for Legal Pot Ever
Speaking Wednesday at an economic conference, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made one of the more buttoned-down, straight-edged arguments for marijuana legalization I’ve heard in recent years.
Canadian Insurers No Longer Counting Marijuana Users as Smokers
According to the Yahoo Finance, Sun Life and BMO Insurance, two of Canada’s largest life insurers, announced that they would no longer count marijuana users as “smokers.”
Canada’s Trudeau to Legalize Marijuana, But Not Smoke It
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has admitted to smoking marijuana in the past, said on Thursday he has no plans to light up even after his government makes it legal to do so.
Police Raid Toronto Pot Dispensaries for Non-medical Marijuana Traffickers
Toronto police raided several marijuana dispensaries across the city on Thursday, charging people for trafficking non-medical marijuana.
Colombia Releases Application for Cannabis Production Licenses
On May 18, 2016, the Colombia Ministry of Health and Social Protection announced that it had released the application form for cannabis production and manufacturing licenses.
How Austria Became Europe’s Cannabis Clone Superstore
For those who want to legally grow huge amounts of cannabis in Austria, business is booming — but not yet blooming. The Austrian Narcotics Act prohibits the cultivation of cannabis only for the purpose of obtaining narcotics, and THC can be obtained only from cannabis flower. But if you promise your intent isn’t for consumption…
Macedonia Legalizes Medical Marijuana
On May 14, 2016, Nikola Todorov, Macedonia’s Health Minister, announced that medical marijuana will be available in Macedonian pharmacies beginning at the end of May, according to Xinhuanet.
Canada: America’s Next Marijuana Capital
In a number of states, the legal use of marijuana for recreational purposes is well on its way, but it remains illegal on a federal level.
Jamaica Setting Stage for Medical Marijuana
On May 12, 2016, during the opening of Jamaica’s 2016/17 Budget Debate in Parliament, Finance Minister Audley Shaw announced that Jamaica will move forward in creating a medical marijuana industry that can boost the country’s economy.
Costa Rica to Welcome Latin American Medical Cannabis Conference
On April 28, 2016, PROMED, the Council for the International Promotion of Costa Rica Medicine, announced that it is hosting the Latin America Medical Cannabis Conference July 27-29 in Costa Rica as a part of the ExpoMed series.
Canada’s Largest Drugstore: Let Pharmacies Dispense Medical Marijuana
On May 5, 2016, Galen Weston, president of Loblaw (OTC:LBLCF), Canada’s largest drugstore and grocery chain, announced at the company’s annual general meeting that Loblaw believes pharmacies should be able to dispense medical marijuana.
Germany Plans to Legalize Medical Marijuana Next Year
Germany plans to legalize medical cannabis by 2017, according to Hermann Gröhe, Health Minister of Germany.
Cannabis Activists in Saint Lucia Call for Decriminalization
On April 22, 2016, activists in St. Lucia hosted the Cannabis March in the town of Soufriere, calling for the country to decriminalize cannabis.
Rabbi Declares Marijuana Kosher During Passover
In Israel, a leading haredi rabbi has declared that the use of marijuana during the Passover holiday is kosher.
High in London: Group Hotboxes Ferris Wheel Pod
On April 20, 2016, Trollstation, a web-comedy group, released “420 London High Hotbox,” a video that documents the group boarding a pod on the Coca-Cola London Eye, the largest cantilevered observation wheel in the world, and hotboxing it to film a music video during the wheel’s 30-minute rotation.
Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto Wants to Ease Law on Marijuana Possession
MEXICO CITY—Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto on Thursday said he would ask the country’s congress to decriminalize personal possession of up to an ounce of marijuana, legalize its medical use and shift public policy from prohibition to prevention of the drug’s consumption.
Medical Cannabis in Israel: Patients and Investments on the Rise
In 1992, Israel legalized medical cannabis, and the country continues to be an international leader in cannabis research.
Chile Harvesting Largest Medical Cannabis Farm in Latin America
According to the Daya Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes alternative therapies, the largest medical cannabis farm in Latin America began harvesting its first crop on March 22, 2016.
Majority of Canadians Agree Pot Should Be Legal: Poll
A strong majority of Canadians agree with the Liberal government’s plan to legalize marijuana, and half of them feel users should be able to grow their own pot at home, a new Globe and Mail/Nanos Research poll has found.
Federal Court of Canada: Patients Can Grow Medical Marijuana
On Feb. 24, 2016, the Federal Court of Canada ruled in Allard v. Canada that medical marijuana patients have the right to cultivate their own medicine, striking down a previous ban on at-home cultivation.
Australia Legalizes Medical Marijuana
On Feb. 24, 2016, the Parliament of Australia passed amendments to the Narcotic Drugs Act of 1967, legalizing medical marijuana in the country.
Canadian Pharmacy in Negotiations to Sell Medical Marijuana
One of Canada’s largest pharmacy chains is reportedly pushing to become a provider of medical marijuana.
Health Canada Grants THC BioMed Marijuana Cultivation License
On Feb. 22, 2016, THC BioMed Intl. Ltd. (CSE:THC)(OTC PINK:THCBF)(FRANKFURT:TFHC) announced that its subsidiary THC BioMed Ltd. was granted a cultivation license by Health Canada under the country’s Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations.
Tweed Partners with Snoop Dogg in Canada
On Feb. 12, 2016, Tweed Inc., a subsidiary of Canopy Growth Corporation (TSXV: CGC), announced a partnership with Snoop Dogg to customize brand strategy and curated content exclusively for its Canadian market.
Australia Moves on Medical Marijuana
The Australian government has introduced legislation that would amend the Narcotics Drugs Act of 1967 to allow for the legal cultivation and distribution of medical marijuana.
On the Front Lines of Puerto Rico’s Movement to Legalize Marijuana
A joint between his lips, toes in the sand, Mike Martin looked like just another dude chilling on the beach in Puerto Rico.
The Farms of Northern India Are Laced with Cannabis
The lush valleys of India’s northern state Himachal Pradesh are filled with verdant farms. Apple trees cascade mountainsides, massive cauliflower blooms soak up the sun on terraced hillsides, and clusters of cannabis plants weave through the landscape.
Global Perception of Marijuana Slowly Shifting
Marijuana is a global issue, and it seems that despite international treaties and sanctions that vilify the drug, many countries are moving forward in attempt to embrace it.
Progress in Chile Moving Mountains for Medical Marijuana
Latin America is being transformed from the bloody fields of the drug war to a place where the growth of medical and recreational marijuana is potentially becoming a major development crop.
Medical and Recreational Marijuana Movement in Mexico
According to Reuters, Sen. Cristina Diaz Salazar believes Mexico’s Congress should approve a medical marijuana bill by May.
Could Spanish-Style Cannabis Clubs Drive Tourism Dollars?
Cannabis tourism without cannabis clubs might strike some as the quintessential definition of a lost business opportunity.
Latin America’s Largest Medical Cannabis Farm Launched in Chile
According to the Daya Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes alternative therapies, the largest medical marijuana farm in Latin America was officially launched on Jan. 18, 2016.
Is Legalization A Basic Human Right?
In early November 2015, Mexico’s Supreme Court decided that marijuana use was a basic human right, critical to self-determination.
