Spanish customs officials busted a 64-year-old man pretending to be an imam, or Islamic preacher, this week who was carrying four pounds of hash under the flowing robe of his costume.
Customs officials say they stopped Azad Bishir Levi after he stepped off a boat from Morocco with a funny walk – apparently, the kind of limp you have when you’ve not done a good job of strapping hash to your body.
| Flickr.com/sarahakabmg |
As we reported here last week, lawmakers in the Caribbean nation of Jamaica, citing progressive new pot laws in states like Colorado and Washington here in the U.S., will begin to move forward with talks regarding the decriminalization of marijuana on the irie isle.
The potentially good news out of Jamaica came hot on the heels of an announcement out of Switzerland, where as of October 1st, adults over the age of 18 who have been accused of small-scale possession will face a misdemeanor and a fine of 110 Swiss Francs – or about $100 U.S. – rather than the standard court appearance and possible ding on their criminal record.
When most people think of Jamaica, the first two things that come to mind are usually relaxing reggae music and killer cannabis. Yet, even though weed is widely accepted in public on the irie isle and brings in big tourism dollars, smoking marijuana is still technically illegal in Jamaica.
In an attempt to capitalize on a rise in support for marijuana decriminalization, organizations like the Ganja Law Reform Coalition and the Rastafari Millennium Council are making a push to convince the Jamaican government to end 100 years of prohibition on the marijuana plant.