-
Germany will likely legalize adult-use cannabis in 2024
The so-called Traffic Light coalition, made of the Social Democratic Party, the Free Democratic Party, and The Greens, has finally reached an agreement on establishing the rules for the regulation of cannabis in Germany
Forbes (US)
Tuesday, November 28, 2023
The coalition government in Germany is finalizing details for long-awaited cannabis legalization, including dates for cannabis cultivation and the establishment of cannabis clubs. The legalization of cannabis possession and cultivation will take effect on April 1, 2024, while the establishment of cannabis social clubs is expected to become possible from July 1. The coalition has adjusted the rules concerning the possession and consumption of cannabis, aiming to make them less stringent than initially intended. The quantity of dried cannabis allowed for home cultivation is set to be doubled, increasing from 25 to 50 grams. -
German government to loosen up cannabis legalisation law
Germany's coalition government has agreed the final draft of the law to legalise cannabis - and plans to relax the rules even more than previously planned
The Local (Germany)
Monday, November 27, 2023
Recreational use of cannabis is set to become legal in Germany. The government has agreed the final draft of the legislation that will be discussed and voted on in the Bundestag next year. According to the latest draft, the bill is set to be less strict than previously planned. Possession of up to 50 grams will be allowed - instead of 25g. Criminal liability will only apply from people being in possession of 60g in private areas, and from 30g in public areas. The possession and consumption of cannabis will remain prohibited for young people under the age of 18. In a second later phase, the government plans to set up so-called "model cities" that will pilot the sale of weed in licensed shops. (See also: Entkriminalisierung zum 1. April 2024) -
Cannabis : pourquoi la France bloque quand nos voisins européens assouplissent la législation
« Aujourd'hui la lutte contre la consommation de cannabis coûte très cher à l'État français »
Le Républicain Lorrain (France)
Dimanche, 19 novembre 2023
« Clubs de cannabis, culture à domicile, Weed care… » : l'Allemagne, le Luxembourg, les Pays-Bas, la Belgique et la Suisse - ces pays frontaliers de la Lorraine et de la Franche-Comté - assouplissent leurs législations et le regard de la société sur l’usage du cannabis. La France maintient, quoi qu'il en coûte, une politique de prohibition stricte et refuse aujourd'hui d'ouvrir un débat de société sur ce fait de société. Qui sont ces fumeurs de joints, combien coûte la prohibition stricte à la française, où en sont les français avec le cannabis ? État des lieux en France et à quelques encablures de nos régions. -
‘Prohibition is failing’
Ex-AFP boss says criminalising cannabis use does more harm than good
The Age (Australia)
Wednesday, November 15, 2023
Former Australian Federal Police boss Mick Palmer has said the prohibition of cannabis use “is not just failing, it is causing real harm” as he described his journey from a hard-nosed policeman to a vocal advocate for cannabis law reform. He said the widespread use of cannabis indicated fear of arrest was not working as a deterrent. In 2019, 37 per cent of Australians said they had used cannabis at least once. However, for those unfortunate enough to be arrested for use and possession of cannabis, Palmer said, the outcome could be a “severe, whole-of-life” punishment, with convictions having the ability to wreck people’s careers. (See also: A new leaf? Push for Victoria to lead the way on cannabis legalisation) -
Spain’s confusing cannabis policies spark similar problems faced by US states
Legal confusion over the drug’s status in regions like Catalonia and open European borders are allowing the illicit market to flourish
Politico (US)
Sunday, November 12, 2023
“For some years, there was the possibility to regulate [cannabis in Spain] and keep it in the hands of those who aren’t crime-related,” said Óscar Parés, deputy director of the Barcelona-based ICEERS, speaking of past efforts to regulate cannabis clubs in regions of Spain like Catalonia. “We missed the train somehow.” Catalonia is home to some of the world’s oldest cannabis consumption spaces, with the first club opening in Barcelona in 2001. As of 2023, Catalonian law enforcement estimates there are 450 cannabis clubs in the region. Catalonia’s clubs have become a model for other European countries looking to legalize cannabis consumption without running afoul of EU and international law. -
High times in Basel: Swiss city experiments with recreational cannabis
Switzerland has launched legal cannabis experiments in various cities this year to assess the benefits of regulating the supply of the recreational drug
Swissinfo (Switzerland)
Wednesday, November 1, 2023
370 adults taking part in Basel’s “Weed Care” scheme – a 2.5-year recreational pot smoking study. Its aim is to examine the impact of regulated cannabis supply on the health and consumption behaviour of users with a view to possible changes to the Swiss law. Basel was the first of seven Swiss cities to launch scientific studies this year. The results - especially on health risks, smoking habits and problematic consumption - will be closely scrutinised in the coming years. The pilot projects have public support yet remain contentious. Could Switzerland’s cautious step-by-step scientific approach offer a new way forward for countries considering whether to allow recreational cannabis? (See also: Switzerland’s pioneering legal cannabis experiment: Basel’s story)
-
B.C. toxic drug deaths ‘largely preventable,’ coroner says, amid push for expanded safer supply access
While as many as 225,000 British Columbians are estimated to use unregulated substances, fewer than 5,000 per month receive safer supply prescriptions
Vancouver City News (Canada)
Wednesday, November 1, 2023
The BC Coroners Service is urging the province to “immediately pursue” expanded access to safer supply as a new report on toxic drug deaths finds many of them have been “largely preventable.” The Coroners Service says in a statement that it is pushing the government to increase access for those who are at risk of “significant injury or death” to receive the safer supply without a prescription. “The experts on the panel were thoughtful, committed, and practical in identifying an approach that we feel can guide future efforts to expand access to viable alternatives to an illicit supply of substances that is only increasing in volatility and toxicity.” (See also: B.C. Coroner’s death panel recommends issuing drugs without prescription to stop overdoses | B.C. rejects coroner panel’s call to expand access to safer-supply program) -
Nurses condemn the arrests of safe supply providers
Now is not the time to strong-arm an end to community-led models of safe supply
The Tyee (Canada)
Tuesday, October 31, 2023
With drug poisoning (overdose) now the leading cause of death in British Columbia, there remains an urgent need to invest in and scale up safe supply programs in addition to supporting existing models, broadening the range of safe supply medications and removing barriers to access. We also need to address the root cause of this crisis: a toxic, unregulated drug supply. What we do not need are more police crackdowns directed at people who are stepping up to save lives and who are forced to do so illegally because of government inaction. As harm reduction nurses, we condemn the recent Vancouver Police Department arrests of Drug User Liberation Front organizers. (See also: Study shows selling tested drugs saves lives) -
New report aims to protect small cannabis from corporate takeover
The report urges a gradual legalization approach
Forbes (US)
Thursday, October 26, 2023
When cannabis is legalized, a lot is at stake for the existing, state-level industry. The entrepreneurs who make up weed’s $33.8 billion market are predominantly small business owners. A new report says they’re worth protecting. The report, How to Federally Legalize Cannabis Without Violating the Constitution or Undermining Equity and Justice,” was ideated by the Parabola Center for Law and Policy. It offers a clear blueprint for Congress to protect the cannabis industry, ensure justice, and not obliterate the hard work that the states have done in the last decade. America’s weed industry is made up of over 10,000 small businesses providing an estimated 400,000 jobs across the country. The report was written to address “concerns that federal marijuana legalization would wipe out current state markets and replace them with a national monopoly.” -
DULF organizers arrested for operating safe drug compassion club
Vancouver police action follows criticism of the organization from BC United
The Tyee (Canada)
Thursday, October 26, 2023
Vancouver police have arrested drug policy activists Eris Nyx and Jeremy Kalicum after executing search warrants on the Drug User Liberation Front office and their homes. Since 2020, Nyx and Kalicum have held protest events and operated a compassion club to supply tested heroin, cocaine and meth to drug users, despite the risk of arrest for breaking Canada’s controlled substances laws. Nyx and Kalicum said they were driven to break drug laws through firsthand experience of the overdose crisis. Vancouver police say Nyx and Kalicum were arrested so police could question them as part of an ongoing investigation. DULF has operated a compassion club for months and has frequently spoken to media about the specifics of the model. (See also: Study shows selling tested drugs saves lives)
Page 1 of 469
