opiates

El Chapo guilty: prohibition-fueled narco-wars rage on

Posted on February 13th, 2019 by Bill Weinberg and tagged , , , , , , , .

ChapoNotorious narco-lord "Chapo" Guzmán was convicted by a federal jury in New York and faces life in prison. But violence in Mexico has only escalated since his capture. Few media accounts have noted how Chapo and his Sinaloa Cartel rose as militarized narcotics enforcement escalated in Mexico—a trajectory mirrored by the cartels' move from dealing in cannabis to deadly white powders.

World Health Organization calls for re-scheduling cannabis —but don't light up a celebratory joint yet

Posted on February 1st, 2019 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , , , , , , .

cannabisThe World Health Organization has released its long-anticipated recommendation on cannabis scheduling. But rather than removing it from Schedule I of the Single Convention, it only removes it from Schedule IV, where it is also listed. CBD, however, has indeed been de-scheduled entirely.

Cannabis in the Balkans: from criminals to capitalists?

Posted on January 25th, 2019 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

EuropeA contraband cannabis economy booms in the Balkan Peninsula, where the wars of the 1990s spurred an underground dope-for-guns network that still thrives today. But amid EU pressure to crack down, a legal industry is now starting to emerge.

Sticky buds but sticker shock as medical marijuana unfolds in UK

Posted on December 20th, 2018 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , , , , .

cannabisWhen the United Kingdom announced the historic step of rescheduling cannabis and allowing physicians to prescribe it two months ago, there was concern from patients and advocates as to whether actual herbaceous flower would be allowed, or only extracts. Now the first patient is approved to receive cannabis under the program, and it is indeed to be dried flower. The bad news: with the National Health Service barred by bureaucratic hurdles from providing it, patients are at the mercy of the market—and the price is prohibitive. 

New Zealand approves medical marijuana, confirms 2020 legalization vote

Posted on December 18th, 2018 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , , , , , .

OceaniaDays after legalizing medical marijuana, New Zealand's government has confirmed that a referendum on general cannabis legalization will be held in 2020. With the Green Party aggressively pushing the idea, prospects seem good for Aotearoa to follow Uruguay and Canada as the world's third country to legalize.

Growing acceptance of medical marijuana for veterans —but some still in 'exile'

Posted on November 11th, 2018 by Bill Weinberg and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , .

VA medical marijuana accessAs evidence mounts for the efficacy of cannabis in treating PTSD, medical marijuana is fast being normalized in the veterans' community. But many have been "exiled" from their home states that have no medical marijuana programs—and the federal Department of Veterans Affairs is only beginning to demonstrate any tolerance on the question.

UN 'shadow report' blasts drug war as 'failure'

earthAn international network of non-governmental organizations has submitted a "shadow report" to the United Nations, calling the war on drugs a "spectacular failure"—and calling on the world's governments to reconsider it. The report takes heart from the growing official tolerance of cannabis in several countries around the world, but warns of escalating and horrific repression in the name of drug enforcement in several others. Will the UN take heed when it revisits the question of drug policy in 2019?

Canada's Le Dain Commission: Vindicated at Last

Posted on October 19th, 2018 by Bill Weinberg and tagged , , , , , , .

Canada legalizationCanada's course to cannabis prohibition closely followed that in its southern neighbor. As in the United States, cannabis a century ago was widely available in tincture form as a medication before being banned in a campaign that blatantly harnessed racism and xenophobia. Yet now Canada is legalizing coast to coast, while the US federal government remains intransigent.

An early harbinger of Canada's enlightenment was the 1969 Le Dain Commission, which studied illegal drugs at the order of Ottawa, in response to then exploding use—especially of cannabis. The Le Dain Commission cut through the propaganda to recommend a common-sense policy—which Canada's government is actually now going beyond.

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