• Colorado marijuana regulations signed into law

    The Denver Post (US)
    Tuesday, May 28, 2013

    A set of laws to govern how recreational marijuana should be grown, sold and taxed was signed into law Tuesday in Colorado, where Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper called the measures the state's best attempt to navigate the uncharted territory of legalized recreational pot. The laws cover how the drug should be raised and packaged, with purchasing limits for out-of-state visitors and a new marijuana driving limit as an analogy to blood alcohol levels. (See also: Highlights of Colorado's new marijuana laws)

  • More than 280 'legal highs' now on European drug experts' radar

    EU drug agency report says falling use of cannabis and cocaine in Europe is being offset by relentless supply of new substances
    The Guardian (UK)
    Tuesday, May 28, 2013

    "Legal highs" and other new psychoactive synthetic drugs represent a fundamental shift in the market in illicit drug, according to the 2013 annual survey in drug trends by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA). The EU's drug agency says 73 have become available across Europe, and adds that there is now a firmly established thriving legal highs business with low risks and high profits operating through more than 690 online sites and specialised head shops.

  • High in the Rif, Morocco’s kif culture thrives

    After a massive bust in Spain, the attention of European drug agencies is likely to focus again on the continent’s main source of hashish
    Morocco World News (Morocco)
    Tuesday, May 28, 2013

    "If you try to grow other crops here they will fail," says Ahmed, surrounded by lush green fields of cannabis, the illegal plant he and thousands of other poor farmers in Morocco’s Rif Mountains depend on. The country’s most notorious export has been cultivated in the rebellious northern region for centuries, where the climate for growing cannabis, or "kif", is considered ideal above an altitude of 1,200 metres. "Kif is the only crop that can support my family, even though it’s not enough, because at the end of the year we need credit."

  • OAS chief calls for “long-awaited” debate on drug policy

    A one-size-fits-all response won’t work for complex problems that affect different countries in various ways
    IPS
    Saturday, May 25, 2013

    john-walsh-espectador-smallFollowing the release of a major draft report on drug policy in the Americas, the secretary-general of the Organisation of American States (OAS) called for the beginning of debate aimed at reforming those policies throughout the region. Many of the region’s leaders have expressed frustration with the limits and exorbitant costs of current policies and their desire for a more creative debate. But according to John Walsh, who participated in writing the OAS report, there is a lot of scepticism over whether the OAS will be up to the task, especially given U.S. domination of the issue.

  • Drug-law reform: Inching forward

    Restless politicians are changing the debate about narcotics liberalisation
    The Economist (UK)
    Saturday, May 25, 2013

    Seven of the world’s eight most violent countries lie on the bloody trafficking route from the cocaine fields of the Andes to the nostrils of North America. So it is unsurprising that Latin American leaders are fed up with the way drugs are policed. The international rules on prohibition were laid down by the United Nations more than 50 years ago, making drug policy difficult for individual countries to reform. But diplomats and do-gooders are finding ever more chinks in prohibition’s legal armour.

  • Know your limit: Germany seeks uniform law on marijuana

    To ease any confusion, German states are now trying to hash out possession regulations that would apply across the country
    Der Spiegel (Germany)
    Friday, May 24, 2013

    The laws regarding cannabis possession in Germany are nothing if not confusing. It is illegal to possess or consume marijuana. Except that carrying a small amount for personal use has no criminal repercussions. But how much is okay? That depends on where you are. Each state has a different rule. In Berlin, you can carry 15 grams of marijuana. In Munich? Just six.

  • Report calls for decriminalizing both ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ drugs

    Coalition of drug policy experts denounces Ottawa’s aggressive war on drugs
    Vancouver Sun
    Thursday, May 23, 2013

    The personal use of illegal drugs, including heroin and crack cocaine, should be decriminalized as part of a federal-provincial strategy to tackle drug abuse, the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition argues. Their report, Getting To Tomorrow, denounces the Harper government’s aggressive war on drugs, which puts the emphasis on law enforcement while steering money away from harm-reduction initiatives like Vancouver’s supervised injection site. (See also: Call to legalize 'hard' drugs meets opposition)

  • Two-thirds of Dutch cannabis cafes still admit tourists

    Street dealing has increased since the ban came into effect
    Dutch News (Netherlands)
    Thursday, May 23, 2013

    Two-thirds of the country's 650 cannabis cafes continue to sell marijuana to tourists, despite the ban implemented at the beginning of this year. In total 111 cafes in 33 cities - including Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht and The Hague - took part in the survey, set up by Epicurus, a foundation launched by coffee shop owners. The survey shows there is a sharp north-south divide. (See also: Deal struck in Maastricht that could let tourists back into cannabis cafes)

  • ‘Club drug’ ketamine lifts depression in hours

    Time Magazine (US)
    Wednesday, May 22, 2013

    The largest study to date confirms that ketamine — a “club drug” that is also legally used as an anesthetic — could be a quick and effective way to relieve depression. The results were presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association and represent growing excitement about ketamine’s potential. The study included 72 patients who had previously failed to respond to at least two other medications. Ketamine— and similar drugs currently being tested by pharmaceutical companies could help relieve suffering faster and potentially reduce the suicide risk associated with the mood disorder.

  • OAS recommends decriminalization of drugs

    CBDD Brazilian Commission on Drugs and Democracy (Brazil)
    Monday, May 20, 2013

    insulzaThe decriminalization of drug use and the regulation of marijuana consumption are the principle recommendations made in The Drug Problem in the Americas report presented by the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, as an alternative to the war on drugs. The document stems from the request made to the OAS by 34 chiefs of state and governments, including the United States, so that alternative drug policies can be discussed.

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