• Egypt MP pushes for cannabis decriminalisation, faces backlash

    The proposal has come up against harsh opposition from other legislators
    Al Araby (UK)
    Tuesday, October 16, 2018

    An Egyptian MP has proposed a draft law that would see users of drugs such as cannabis and tramadol receive therapeutic treatment rather than face prison sentences, a surprisingly liberal push in the socially conservative and authoritarian country. Deputy governor of Cairo John Talaat announced the proposal this week, receiving mixed reaction from fellow lawmakers, officials and experts. Salah Fawzi, a lawyer and constitutional specialist said the proposition raised some interesting issues that should be looked into further, adding that such a change in legislation around drugs would not violate any part of the Egyptian constitution. (See also: Egypt MP proposes law to decriminalise all drug use)

  • Support grows for marijuana decriminalisation across region

    Jamaica Observer (Jamaica)
    Tuesday, October 16, 2018

    The chairperson of the Caricom Regional Commission on Marijuana Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine says there's much support across the region for the decriminalisation of marijuana. Speaking at a National Cannabis Rally, Belle Antoine said that “the vast majority of the people…whom we have spoken to….want law reform”. “They want the law to change. There's overwhelming support. What is clear is to move away from the prohibition and certainly to move way from criminalisation.” Earlier this year, the Caricom Regional Commission on Marijuana recommended that marijuana be legalised and regulated, much like alcohol.

  • Cannabis in Canada: Who wins and who loses under new law

    Provinces set the rules over where a person can consume cannabis, which has created a patchwork of regulations across the country
    BBC News (UK)
    Monday, October 15, 2018

    canada cannabis ottawaCanada is about to become the second nation to fully legalise recreational cannabis. When prohibition comes to an end on 17 October, Canadian adults will be able to purchase and consume the drug from federally licensed producers. The country has one of the highest rates of cannabis use in the world, particularly among young people. Canadians spent an estimated C$5.7bn ($4.6bn; £3.5bn) in 2017 alone on combined medical and recreational use - about $1,200 per user. The bulk of that spending was on black market marijuana. The bulk of that spending was on black market marijuana. Here's a look at some of the consequences of this sweeping transition in Canada - and the potential winners and losers. (See also: Canadian cannabis will be legal on Wednesday. Read this first)

  • How the biggest pot stocks plan to win in what is about to become a 'brutal' industry

    Canada has more than 135 publicly traded pot companies, but it's only a matter of time before that gets whittled down to a handful of survivors
    Financial Post (Canada)
    Monday, October 15, 2018

    The cannabis hype is about to come face-to-face with reality. After Canada legalizes recreational marijuana on Oct. 17, it will only take a quarter or two for clear winners and losers to emerge, according to investors and analysts who follow the sector. There may only be half a dozen major players left three years after legalization. The rest “are going to be bankrupt or out of business because their business models don’t work,” Eric Paul, from Ontario-based CannTrust, said. “This industry is far more brutal than most people understand.” So what will distinguish winners from losers? A meaningful presence in Canada’s recreational market combined with exposure to the international medical market is one key factor.

  • Racial bias in police stop and search getting worse, report reveals

    Despite reforms, black people are nine times more likely than white people to be checked for drugs
    The Observer (UK)
    Saturday, October 13, 2018

    Black Britons are increasingly likely to be stopped and searched by police compared with white people, according to shocking new figures that challenge Theresa May’s attempt to reform the controversial power. The most authoritative analysis of the data since the Stephen Lawrence inquiry nearly 20 years ago found that black Britons are now nine times more likely to be stopped and searched for drugs than white people, despite using illegal substances at a lower rate. In 2014, when home secretary, May announced measures to make stop and search less biased, describing it as “unfair, especially to young black men”. But instead, the study The Colour of Injustice: ‘Race’, drugs and law enforcement in England and Wales found that its use has become more discriminatory.

  • Un Marocain raconte comment sa famille contrôlait le trafic du haschich entre le royaume et la France

    Pour Vice France, un Marocain, aujourd’hui travailleur social, raconte comment sa famille contrôlait le trafic du shit entre le royaume et la France
    Tel Quel (Maroc)
    Samedi, 13 octobre 2018

    « C’est ma grand-mère maternelle qui a commencé à importer du shit en France  », raconte Salim*,  dont la famille, dit-il, contrôlait le trafic de shit entre le Maroc et la France. Ce rifain originaire de Ketama, aujourd’hui travailleur social, a vécu au quotidien le stress d’une famille toujours sur le « qui-vive », arrivée en France en 1966, à Sens dans l’Yonne, suite à quelques petits problèmes avec la concurrence. Pour Vice France, le quadragénaire revient sur la genèse du business familial dans l’Hexagone et explique pourquoi il a fait un autre choix de vie. Selon Salim, la corruption touchait tous les niveaux de la hiérarchie policière.

  • Amsterdam wants to participate in regulated cannabis experiment

    The Amsterdam mayor also criticized the limited diversity of cannabis and hashish included in the experiment
    NL Times (Netherlands)
    Friday, October 12, 2018

    Amsterdam has to participate in the . If the Dutch capital, with the largest coffeeshop market in the Netherlands, does not participate, the experiment will fail, mayor Femke Halsema said in a city council debate on the issue. Halsema previously wrote a letter to the government asking that the . The current conditions make it impossible for the capital to participate. The size of Amsterdam's cannabis market - with 166 coffeeshops - is a problem. The government determined that the experiment will cover all coffeeshops in participating municipalities. But with so many coffeeshops in Amsterdam, that is basically impossible.

  • Drug addiction: A different approach

    A recent study draws attention to the need to decriminalise addiction and shows how a high rate of conviction under the Narcotics, Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act has not led to any long-term solution
    Frontline (India)
    Friday, October 26, 2018

    The debate on the pitfalls of incarcerating drug addicts is an old one, and a study "From Addict to Convict: The Working of the NDPS Act (1985) in Punjab", done by the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy, has made a strong pitch for the decriminalisation of drug use. The findings of the study prove that despite the pre-election rhetoric and campaign promise of every political party in the State the problem is far from being solved. In 2013, Punjab had the highest crime rate for drug offences across India: 42.3 per cent, or 14,564 out of a total of 34,668 cases. Captain Amarinder Singh’s promise to eradicate the problem within a month of his becoming Chief Minister is nowhere near fulfilled. (See also: Punjab CM Amarinder Singh seeks continued support and assistance of UNODC)

  • Kanton Zürich stellt sich hinter Cannabis-Versuche

    In Pilotversuchen soll getestet werden, welche Folgen eine Cannabis-Legalisierung hätte
    Neue Zürcher Zeitung (Schweiz)
    Donnerstag, 11. Oktober 2018

    cannabis rollingWhat would happen if cannabis could be legally purchased in Switzerland? To find out, Zurich, Berne, Geneva and Basel have been planning pilot trials for some time in which cannabis is to be given to a large group of test persons for consumption purposes. However, a concrete project in Bern was stopped by the Federal Office of Public Health last November. Experimental pilot projects could not be approved with the current legal basis. After various attempts by the Federal Assembly, the Confederation decided to create the possibility for experiments. A new article in the Narcotics Law is intended to enable pilot trials for a maximum of five years and only for scientific purposes.

  • Britain’s war on dirty money lacks oomph

    It is strong on transparency but weak on enforcement
    The Economist (UK)
    Thursday, October 11, 2018

    No one knows how much dirty money is rinsed through London, but Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) reckons British banks and their subsidiaries (including those in overseas territories) launder “many hundreds of billions of pounds” each year. British companies and partnerships were prominent among the getaway vehicles used in some of the biggest money-laundering schemes of recent years. In one regard, Britain is a financial-crime-fighting trailblazer. In a bid to crack down on shell-company abuse, in 2016 it became the first G20 country to introduce a public register for company owners. However, submitted information is not systematically checked. (See also: London remains a safe haven for the world’s dirty cash)

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