The President of Guatemala, Otto Pérez Molina has made several public statements in recent months regarding the regulation of narcotics in the region. In February 2012, just weeks after his inauguration, he unexpectedly announced his intention to pursue a course of legalization for all drugs, not just cannabis. In a joint declaration with the premieres [...]

Until now, the question of whether a dispensary can claim to be a non-profit organization has been a contentious issue within California’s medical cannabis industry. In the past, prosecutors have attempted to convict dispensary owners if patients had been supplied with cannabis, without having had a physical role in its cultivation. Essentially, this implies that even [...]

Since the introduction of the controversial Weed Pass (“Wietpas”) to the southern provinces of the Netherlands in June this year, authorities have reported significant upswings in cannabis-related petty crime. The protests of municipalities not yet subject to the law are becoming ever more strident…

“There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz and swing, result from marijuana usage. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and any others.”- Harry Anslinger, first Drug Czar. As we approach the 75th anniversary of marijuana prohibition [...]

By Paul Armentano AlterNet The government and mainstream media frequently publicise studies touting the purported dangers of cannabis, while consistently ignoring scientific evidence that demonstrates the opposite. While studies touting the purported dangers of cannabis are frequently pushed by the federal government and, therefore, all but assured mainstream media coverage, scientific conclusions rebutting pot propaganda [...]

Five Scientific Conclusions about Cannabis the Mainstream Media Doesn’t Want You to Know By Paul Armentano 1. Cannabis use is associated with lower mortality risk in patients with psychotic disorders In the years immediately prior to the passage of the federal Marihuana Tax Act of 1937, exploitation journalists routinely, yet baselessly, claimed that cannabis use [...]

Five Scientific Conclusions about Cannabis the Mainstream Media Doesn’t Want You to Know By Paul Armentano 2. The enactment of state-wide medical marijuana laws is associated with fewer incidences of suicides Can cannabis use quell thoughts of suicide? Not a chance, claim the mainstream media and the Drug Czar . But a little-noticed discussion paper [...]

Portuguese party BE (Bloco de Esquerda or Left Wing Bloc) has drafted a bill which aims to legalise and regulate cannabis. Bloco de Esquerda MP João Semedo explained the proposal and stated that BE supports the creation of cannabis social clubs in order to make the plant available to qualified adults. Another significant aspect of [...]

By Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director May 29, 2012 The use of cannabis is associated with lower mortality risk in patients with schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders, according to a forthcoming study to be published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research. An international team of investigators from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and [...]

Saying No to Costly Drug Laws By ALEKSANDER KWAŚNIEWSKI May 10, 2012 WARSAW — In the year 2000, as the president of Poland, I signed one of Europe’s most conservative laws on drug possession. Any amount of illicit substances a person possessed meant they were eligible for up to three years in prison. Our hope [...]