15TH ANNUAL TORONTO GLOBAL MARIJUANA MARCH
It was this past Saturday, May 11th, 2013. Good times, good people, good vibes. Thank you Toronto!
A four year pilot program for medical marijuana on the bill in Illinois
A swing in public attitudes about marijuana could lead to passage this year of an Illinois law allowing medical use of the drug, according to proponents.
A vote in the Illinois House is expected this week on House Bill 1, a bill that would create a four-year pilot program through which patients suffering certain ailments could use marijuana. If approved, it then would go to the Senate, which approved such a measure once before.
Canadian Kids Smoke The Most Marijuana In The Western World
A new study conducted by UNICEF on child well-being found that Canadian kids smoke more marijuana than kids from any other developed country.
UNICEF's "Report Card 11" found that Canada ranked first out of 29 countries for the percentage of of youths who smoke pot. According to the findings, 28 percent of 11, 13, and 15-year-old Canadians surveyed said they had smoked marijuana at some point in the last year.
Alabama Cannabis and Hemp Reform Act of 2013 introduced
Many traditionally write off the Southern United States as an area dead to cannabis law reform, but one Representative is behind a new effort that can change all of that.
This week, Rep. Patricia Todd (D-Birmingham) has introduced House Bill 550, the Alabama Cannabis and Hemp Reform Act of 2013.
Colorado marijuana task force recommends allowing pot tourism
Members of a task force proposing regulations for recreational marijuana in Colorado approved recommendations Tuesday that would allow for marijuana tourism but block out-of-state pot shop owners.
The Amendment 64 Implementation Task Force voted to allow people from outside of Colorado to shop in forthcoming retail marijuana stores, though the amount they could purchase at any one store would be limited.
VIDEO: Three drivers get incredibly high on marijuana and test drive cars
CNN may have just posted their best piece of investigative journalism in years. In the following video, three drivers of varying ages got incredibly high on marijuana and test-drove cars around a course. A driving-ed instructor accompanied them to avert any chance of an accident, and police watched from the sidelines to spot any visible 'signs' of inebriation in their movements.
The volunteers -- a young daily smoker, adult weekend smoker and elder infrequent smoker -- proceeded to test escalating levels of stupor against the new baseline 'legal limits' in Colorado and Washington state. They had to reach excesses of 5 times the legal limit before their ability to drive became impaired. In most cases, the danger they presented was driving too slowly or with frequent hesitations.
Ireland plans to legalize medicinal marijana in 2013
The Irish Independent has learned that the Department of Health is bringing in legislation to legalise medicinal cannabis.
The move follows applications from drugs companies to sell cannabis-based medicines in Ireland.
However, a spokesperson for the department stressed that the change would not apply to recreational use of the drug.
Many countries allow medicinal cannabis for the treatment of illnesses such as multiple sclerosis.
Irish law rules out even medicinal cannabis, except for research, but the Government has taken a different approach from the previous administration, when former health minister Mary Harney was reluctant to loosen controls.
Recently resigned junior health minister Roisin Shortall said last year she was examining proposals to make cannabis-based medicines available.
Colorado: Boulder weeds out its medical marijuana industry
Boulder officials have rejected more than one-third of the applications from people seeking to run medical marijuana dispensaries or growing operations in the city, slowing the pace of what once was seen as a Wild West-style rush for riches.
Ten months after the initial 119 business-license applications were turned in by Boulder's November deadline -- set when the City Council last year approved sweeping new regulations for the budding industry -- 40 medical marijuana companies have licenses to operate.
So far, 41 of those 119 applications, from existing businesses that had opened prior to adoption of the new rules, have been rejected for reasons that include zoning problems, incomplete paperwork and -- in about half of the cases -- the sometimes extensive criminal records of owners, operators and investors.
City officials say the vast majority of the 38 applications that remain in their queue have passed their initial background checks and are well on their way to being awarded business licenses.
Israeli government approves guidelines for medical marijuana
A statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's media adviser said "the Health Ministry will – in coordination with the Israel Police and the Israel Anti-Drug Authority – oversee the foregoing and will also be responsible for supplies from imports and local cultivation."
Of approximately 6,000 Israelis currently being treated with medical cannabis (aka medical marijuana), most suffer from chronic pain and terminal illnesses. The therapeutic potential of cannabis has been known for many years and is recognized by the Health Ministry.
Two billion year old meteorite from Mars contained marijuana
A meteorite from the planet Mars is giving scientists their first glimpse of extraterrestrial life–and it is shocking everyone. The meteorite sports a fossilized marijuana leaf, as well as some dried plant material. The estimated age of the fossil is almost 2-billion years old.
The strange, greenish meteorite was discovered in Antarctica, about 20 years ago. The martian rock has the scientific name of RUustoned-420-iEyEam, and is about the size of a football. Bored NASA astronomers decided just recently to split the meteorite in half. and take a look inside.
Canada: Ontario closer than ever to legalization of marijuana
Ontario is one step closer to the legalization of marijuana after the Ontario Superior Court struck down two key parts of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act that prohibit the possession and production of pot.
The court declared the rules that govern medical marijuana access and the prohibitions laid out in sections 4 and 7 of the Act “constitutionally invalid and of no force and effect” on Monday, effectively paving the way for legalization.
If the government does not respond within 90 days with a successful delay or re-regulation of marijuana, the drug will be legal to possess and produce in Ontario, where the decision is binding.
The ruling stemmed from the constitutional challenge of Matthew Mernagh, a man who relies on medical marijuana to ease pain brought on by fibromyalgia, scoliosis, seizures and depression.
