Pienet &Suuret uutiset 2024

[Hobgob]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/arti ... crime.html

Thailand is set to REVERSE weed legalization after spike in cannabis-related mental health issues and crime - with government calling pot 'a big problem'

[Hobgob]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... ussia.html

Violent crime surges by double digits in states that legalize cannabis: pot-growing gangs from Mexico, China, Armenia, and Russia turn areas into a 'Wild West of weed,' agents say
California, Alaska, Colorado, and Oregon, saw violent crime spike after legal pot
Officials from Maine to Oklahoma bemoan illegal cannabis gangs from China

*VAROITUS*
Dailymailiä ei kannata avata hitaalla koneella tai kännykällä...

[Chiller]

Tuo kieli on taas erittäin sekavaa. Ymmärsinkö oikein että laillisille alueille tulee laitonta kasvatusta?
Syy on silloin kova verotus. Se houkuttelee veron kiertoa ja mahdollistaa suuria pimeitä tuloja.

Tämä hamppu foorumi ja Suomi näyttää taas pyhimykseltä. Kun vaan pysytään sen ideassa. Opetetaan kaikki kasvattamaan omat "koriste kukkansa". Tämä myös polkee myytävän kannabiksen hintaa, ja rikollisten tuloja.

Suomessa kuitenkin kartellit on syöpyneet syvälle. Aina kun kuulee että jollakin on paljon kukkaa, niin kuulee saman hintapolitiikan.
Onko se hyvä vai huono asia?

[Hobgob]

https://www.euronews.com/health/2024/02 ... g-cannabis

"German MPs approve new cannabis law allowing limited possession and cultivation of marijuana

Germany may soon have some of the most lenient marijuana laws in the European Union as lawmakers in the Bundestag debate legislation on cannabis.

German lawmakers have approved legislation that would make cannabis partially legal for personal use in the country.

The new law allows for the possession of 50g of cannabis for private consumption and growing up to three plants. In public, adults would be allowed to have up to 25g of cannabis.

The vote on Friday paved the way for the legislation to enter into force in April, although it could be delayed by the Bundesrat or Federal Council and must be signed into law by the president.

Some 407 MPs voted in favour of the draft law, with 226 MPs voting against and 4 abstentions.

The legislation greenlights the non-commercial cultivation and the controlled distribution of the drug by cannabis clubs.

It means Germany will soon have some of the most lenient marijuana laws in Europe, where the drug is still illegal in most countries.

Adults in Malta may carry up to 7g of cannabis and grow up to four plants at home based on legislation passed in 2021, but smoking marijuana in public is still prohibited.

In Luxembourg, private consumption is tolerated as well as the cultivation of four cannabis plants as of this year with possession of cannabis in public decriminalised.


German law aims to educate, reduce black market
The German law aims to "reduce the black market, prevent children and young people from consuming cannabis," and prevent the consumption of dangerous amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, a spokesperson for the health ministry told Euronews.

"Health protection is therefore at the forefront of this law. The Minister has repeatedly emphasised that the previous drug policy has failed and that we need to find alternative approaches".

Privately grown cannabis, while allowed under the new legislation, would need to be protected from children, while strict restrictions would apply to cannabis clubs, which would have a limit of 500 members.

There will be a ban on advertising for these clubs whose members would receive a maximum of 25g of marijuana per day and 50g per month. The limit would be 30g for adults under the age of 21.

The government also plans to launch an education campaign on the effects and risks of cannabis.

Alexander Dobrindt, deputy chair of the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) parliamentary group, called the law "irresponsible" this week, adding that police and medical experts were against the measure.

"When the time comes, we will cancel this law," he said, according to a post from the party's X account.

Dr Klaus Reinhardt, President of the German Medical Association, said in a statement in August that the legislation would "trivialise a drug that is proven to be addictive and can lead to serious developmental damage - especially in adolescents and young adults".

Juan Martinez, head of medical cannabis company Curaleaf International, said in a statement that "the potential domino effect this may have on other European markets in the near future is not to be underestimated".

"Many EU countries have problems with illicit cannabis use and have previously stated they are looking to follow in Germany’s footsteps with an option that is safe and legal. But whether they do, and how quickly this might happen, is up for debate," Martinez added.

The new law could enter into force as early as April 1, with community cannabis clubs being allowed from July.

The law does not have to be approved by the Bundesrat, which represents the German federal states, but they could debate it if more than two-thirds object to the legislation.

This would mean that the legislation takes longer to implement, the Social Democratic Party told Euronews.

The German cabinet approved the legislation in August, paving the way for recreational use of the drug."

[Nio]

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/thailand-ban-recreational-cannabis-use-by-year-end-says-health-minister-2024-02-29/

"BANGKOK, Feb 29 (Reuters) - Thailand will ban recreational use of marijuana by the end of this year but continue to allow its use for medical purposes, the health minister told Reuters in an interview.
After Thailand became the first country in Southeast Asia to free up medicinal use in 2018, and then recreational use in 2022, tens of thousands of cannabis shops have sprung up in an industry projected to be worth up to $1.2 billion by next year.
Critics say piecemeal rules were rushed out and adopted within a week of decriminalisation, and the government has drafted a new law to regulate cannabis use that is expected to take effect by year-end."

[Tapionpoika]

https://apnews.com/article/marijuana-bi ... d65832a3b8

US poised to ease restrictions on marijuana in historic shift, but it’ll remain controlled substance

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will move to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, The Associated Press has learned, a historic shift to generations of American drug policy that could have wide ripple effects across the country.

The proposal, which still must be reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget, would recognize the medical uses of cannabis and acknowledge it has less potential for abuse than some of the nation’s most dangerous drugs. However, it would not legalize marijuana outright for recreational use.

The agency’s move, confirmed to the AP on Tuesday by five people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive regulatory review, clears the last significant regulatory hurdle before the agency’s biggest policy change in more than 50 years can take effect.

Once OMB signs off, the DEA will take public comment on the plan to move marijuana from its current classification as a Schedule I drug, alongside heroin and LSD. It moves pot to Schedule III, alongside ketamine and some anabolic steroids, following a recommendation from the federal Health and Human Services Department. After the public comment period and a review by an administrative judge, the agency would eventually publish the final rule.

“Today, the Attorney General circulated a proposal to reclassify marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III,” Justice Department director of public affairs Xochitl Hinojosa said in a statement. The DEA is a component of the Department of Justice. “Once published by the Federal Register, it will initiate a formal rulemaking process as prescribed by Congress in the Controlled Substances Act.”

Attorney General Merrick Garland’s signature throws the full weight of the Justice Department behind the move and appears to signal its importance to the Biden administration.

It comes after President Joe Biden called for a review of federal marijuana law in October 2022 and moved to pardon thousands of Americans convicted federally of simple possession of the drug. He has also called on governors and local leaders to take similar steps to erase marijuana convictions.

“Criminal records for marijuana use and possession have imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities,” Biden said in December. “Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. It’s time that we right these wrongs.”

The election year announcement could help Biden, a Democrat, boost flagging support, particularly among younger voters.

Biden and a growing number of lawmakers from both major political parties have been pushing for the DEA decision as marijuana has become increasingly decriminalized and accepted, particularly by younger people. A Gallup poll last fall found 70% of adults support legalization, the highest level yet recorded by the polling firm and more than double the roughly 30% who backed it in 2000.

The DEA didn’t respond to repeated requests for comment.

Schedule III drugs are still controlled substances and subject to rules and regulations, and people who traffic in them without permission could still face federal criminal prosecution.

Some critics argue the DEA shouldn’t change course on marijuana, saying rescheduling isn’t necessary and could lead to harmful side effects.

Jack Riley, a former deputy administrator of the DEA, said he had concerns about the proposed change because he thinks marijuana remains a possible “gateway drug,” one that may lead to the use of other drugs.

“But in terms of us getting clear to use our resources to combat other major drugs, that’s a positive,” Riley said, noting that fentanyl alone accounts for more than 100,000 deaths in the U.S. a year.

On the other end of the spectrum, others argue marijuana should be treated the way alcohol is.

“While this rescheduling announcement is a historic step forward, I remain strongly committed to continuing to work on legislation like the SAFER Banking Act as well as the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, which federally deschedules cannabis by removing it from the Controlled Substances Act,” Senate Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York said in a statement. “Congress must do everything we can to end the federal prohibition on cannabis and address longstanding harms caused by the War on Drugs.”

Federal drug policy has lagged behind many states in recent years, with 38 having already legalized medical marijuana and 24 legalizing its recreational use.

That’s helped fuel fast growth in the marijuana industry, with an estimated worth of nearly $30 billion. Easing federal regulations could reduce the tax burden that can be 70% or more for businesses, according to industry groups. It could also make it easier to research marijuana, since it’s very difficult to conduct authorized clinical studies on Schedule I substances.

The immediate effect of rescheduling on the nation’s criminal justice system would likely be more muted, since federal prosecutions for simple possession have been fairly rare in recent years.

But loosening restrictions could carry a host of unintended consequences in the drug war and beyond.

Critics point out that as a Schedule III drug, marijuana would remain regulated by the DEA. That means the roughly 15,000 cannabis dispensaries in the U.S. would have to register with the DEA like regular pharmacies and fulfill strict reporting requirements, something that they are loath to do and that the DEA is ill equipped to handle.

Then there’s the United States’ international treaty obligations, chief among them the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, which requires the criminalization of cannabis. In 2016, during the Obama administration, the DEA cited the U.S.’ international obligations and the findings of a federal court of appeals in Washington in denying a similar request to reschedule marijuana.