Global

Vice reporter smokes weed while interviewing Uruguayan president

By William Breathes on April 15, 2014 Culture, Global, Media

A still from Vice’s interview with José Mujica.

Marijuana use, cultivation and sales of limited amounts is now legal in Uruguay, though the country is still working out the kinks on just how it will be grown. Uruguayan President José Mujica, 78, has made it clear that he’s never tried marijuana and that he doesn’t intend to do so, but he thinks is insane to continue arresting people for the plant.
It’s a big story: a country legalizing a plant that is illegal pretty much everywhere else around the world. So Vice Magazine sent reporter Krishna Andavolu down there to investigate and interview Mujica — where he promptly lit up a doobie in the nation’s leader’s garden.

Uruguay okays medical marijuana for prisoners

By William Breathes on April 9, 2014 Global, Legalize It, Medical, News

While hundreds if not thousands of people are in jail over (increasingly bunk) medical cannabis charges up here in the states, Uruguay is legalizing medical cannabis use for prisoners who have a doctor’s recommendation.

Legal Canadian medical marijuana producer has shipment seized by mounties

By William Breathes on April 7, 2014 Global, News

Despite having approval from Health Canada, Tweed Marijuana says a shipment of herb grown by private B.C. growers previously licensed to grow cannabis was seized by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police over the weekend.
All of this after Tweed invited the mounties to examine the shipment. Only in Canada are people nice enough to invite the police over to check out their quasi-legal operations.

Nauru, world’s smallest island nation, legalizes marijuana, bans booze

By William Breathes on April 1, 2014 Global, Legalize It, Say what?

The world’s smallest island nation is banning alcohol and legalizing cannabis. Members of the Nauruan Parliament approved a measure legalizing the sales, cultivation, use and possession of marijuana for adults on the island with a fifteen to four vote.
Nauru now joins Uruguay as one of the two nations to outright legalize the plant. Government offiials say the hope to boost travel to the extremely remote island, which has been almost entirely decimated by 50 years of phosphate strip mining.

Uruguay proposes buying Canadian weed to kick-start legal pot program

By William Breathes on March 21, 2014 Global, News

Want to smoke Canadian weed? Head to Uruguay. Or, at least that will be the case if a proposed deal to re-up Uruguay’s soon-to-be-legal supply with B.C. buds goes through. But Uruguayans looking to get down on some God Bud probably shouldn’t hold their hits in too long, as the deal would likely violate a bucketful of international drug treaty violations.
Still, you can’t fault a nation for trying.

Canadian federal court to rule on new marijuana regulations that nix home growing

By William Breathes on March 19, 2014 Global, Medical, News

April 1, 2014 could mark the end of home cultivation for Canadian medical marijuana patients, as new regulations that force MMJ users into a state-run dispensary system are set to begin that day.
But patients upset over having to destroy their gardens have petitioned to have the rule blocked and potentially overturned, arguing that they have the right to freely cultivate their medicine instead of being priced out of a consumer market.

Uruguay considering pot farming on military land

By William Breathes on March 13, 2014 Global, Growing, Legalize It, News

The Uruguayan military has no doubt been involved in at least a few anti-marijuana operations in their history, which makes the choice to possibly grow marijuana on military land pretty awesome.

Puerto Rico set to debate decriminalizing pot, legalizing medical weed, and starting to grow commercial hemp – all at once.

By Jack Daniel on March 7, 2014 Follow that story, Global, Legislation

Although it has been a U.S. territory since we swiped it from the Spaniards in 1898, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is rarely taken into consideration when discussing American politics.
But with the issue of various levels of cannabis reform quickly becoming a dominant topic of debate here on the mainland, there is a rising wave of support for a 3-way blast of more progressive pot legislation for Puerto Ricans.

Jamaica to decriminalize ganja soon?

By William Breathes on March 7, 2014 Global, Legalize It, News

Yeah, mon. It looks like things might get a likkle bit mo’ irie in Jamaica in the coming year as Jamaican Science, Technology, Energy and Mining minister Philip Paulwell says decriminalization is coming soon.
“Ganja will be decriminalized in Jamaica this year and emphasized that Jamaica cannot be allowed to be left behind on the issue,” Paulwell told Jamaica’s Cannabis Commercial and Medical Research Taskforce leader Dealana Seiveright.

Israeli children granted access to legal medical cannabis

By William Breathes on March 6, 2014 Global, News

Children in Israel suffering from severe seizure disorders will now be able to use medical cannabis, the Israeli health ministry ruled yesterday.
The move came after 15 families appealed denials for their children and threatened to leave the country for Colorado if the ministry denied them. (Editor’s note: that seems to be the popular move lately).

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