Marijuana

Donald Trump has signalled support for a potentially historic federal policy shift to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, putting his position in line with that of his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris. The commonality reflects a major shift toward broad public support for legalisation in recent years and marks the first time that both major-party presidential candidates support broad cannabis reform, according to the US Cannabis Council. The Republican presidential nominee posted on his social media platform late Sunday that he would continue to focus on research to unlock the medical uses of marijuana to a Schedule 3 drug", and also said he would be voting yes on a proposal to allow the sale of marijuana to adults for any reason in Florida. Coming shortly before the two will meet for a pivotal debate, Trump's post sets up the possibility that he could criticise Harris for her past cannabis prosecutions when she was district attorney in San Francisco. Because drug ...

A decision on whether to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug in the US won't come until after the November presidential election, a timeline that raises the chances it could be a potent political issue in the closely contested race. The US Drug Enforcement Administration last week set a hearing date to take comment on the proposed historic change in federal drug policy for December 2. The hearing date means a final decision could well come in the next administration. While it's possible it could precede the end of President Joe Biden's term, issuing it before Inauguration Day would be pretty expedited, said cannabis lawyer Brian Vicente. That could put a new spotlight on the presidential candidates' positions on marijuana. Vice President Kamala Harris has backed decriminalising the drug and said it's absurd to have it in the DEA's Schedule I category alongside heroin and LSD. The Democratic nominee's position has shifted over the years; she once oversaw the enforcement of

Brazil's Supreme Court on Tuesday voted to decriminalize possession of marijuana for personal use, making the nation one of Latin America's last to do so, in a move that could reduce its massive prison population. With final votes cast on Tuesday, a majority of the justices on the 11-person court have voted in favor of decriminalization since deliberations began in 2015. The justices must still determine the maximum quantity of marijuana that would be characterized as being for personal use and when the ruling will enter into effect. That is expected to finish as early as Wednesday. All the justices who have voted in favor said decriminalization should be restricted to possession of marijuana in amounts suitable for personal use. Selling drugs will remain illegal. In 2006, Brazil's Congress approved a law that sought to punish individuals caught carrying small amounts of drugs, including marijuana, with alternative penalties such as community service. Experts say the law was too va

The US 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 recognise 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 legalise 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, ...

The parliament's chair, Ruslan Stefanchuk, said, "The list of conditions and ways of using cannabis medicines will be determined by the Ministry of Health"

In which we munch over the week's platter of news and views

A representative for Gigi Hadid said the 28-year-old was traveling with marijuana purchased legally in New York City with a medical license

Rajagopal and Nageshwara Rao were acquitted by the court as the police could not submit the amount of marijuana mentioned in the charge sheet

E-cigarettes and marijuana may have harmful effects on the heart similar to those caused by tobacco cigarettes, opening the door to abnormal heart rhythms, according to a study conducted in mice. E-cigarettes and heated tobacco products have become popular because the public perceives them as being less harmful than smoking, the researchers said. Similarly, legal recreational marijuana has become more common in recent years, and is also frequently viewed by the public as being safer than smoking tobacco, they said. "We found that cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and marijuana greatly interfere with the electrical activity, structure, and neural regulation of the heart," said study lead author Huiliang Qiu, a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) in the US. "Often, any single change can lead to arrhythmia disease. Unfortunately, these adverse effects on the heart are quite comprehensive," Qiu said. The study, published in the journal Heart Rhythm, expo

Voters in five states are deciding on Election Day whether to approve recreational marijuana, a move that could signal a major shift toward legalisation in even the most conservative parts of the country. The proposals are on the ballot in Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota and South Dakota and follow moves by President Joe Biden toward decriminalising marijuana. Biden last month announced he was pardoning thousands of Americans convicted of simple possession of marijuana under federal law. Advocates of the marijuana initiatives have said Biden's announcement may give a boost to their efforts. Recreational marijuana is legal in 19 states, and polls have shown opposition to legalization softening. All of the states with recreational marijuana on the ballot, except for Maryland, voted for Trump in the 2020 presidential election. The five states also currently have legal medical marijuana programs. That includes Arkansas, which in 2016 became the first Bible Belt state to appr

Biden said the prospect of defeat could make Putin desperate enough to use nuclear weapons, the biggest risk since US

Taking executive action to change United States policy on marijuana, US President Joe Biden has announced a sweeping pardon for thousands of people convicted of drug possession under federal laws

The armed forces of Venezuela announced on Monday what they characerised as the largest marijuana bust of the last 10 years in the South American country. Members of the armed forces on Saturday intercepted a vessel carrying more than 3.1 US tons (2.8 metric tons) of marijuana, almost 18 pounds (8 kg) of cocaine and extra outboard boat motors off Venezuela's Caribbean coast, said Gen. Domingo Hernndez, general commander of the Operational Strategic Command of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces. He added that the vessel had departed Colombia and was en route to the island of Martinique. Twelve men travelling on the boat were arrested. Hernndez said all are Venezuelans and were working for the Colombia-based Cartel of the Guajira. Nearly 6,293 pounds (2,857 kilos) of marijuana were seized from the boat, which lacked identification and had seven extra motors as well as 33 large storage containers with fuel and a satellite phone. The arrests and seizure were part of special operatio

Crime branch arrested a person and recovered Rs 17 lakh worth of marijuana from his possession in Thane's Bhiwandi, informed Police officials.Crime Branch acted on a tip-off from a source that a huge quantity of marijuana is stored in a house in Fatma Nagar area of Bhiwandi.Police officials raided the house and arrested Hasan Raja alias Guddu and recovered 75 kg of marijuana from him on Saturday.Court has sent him to police custody till December 22.

The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) on Monday demanded strict action against e-commerce giant Amazon for the alleged sale of marijuana on its platform

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CAIT will hold protests on November 17 in around 1000 cities across the nation over the drug peddling gang using e-commerce sites to supply marijuana

The company takes strict action as may be required under the law in case sellers list such products, a spokesperson said

E-commerce major Amazon India on Monday said it is currently investigating an issue, wherein its platform was allegedly used to source marijuana. On Saturday, an online marijuana sale racket was busted by Bhind police in Madhya Pradesh, leading to the arrest of two persons and seizure of 20 kilograms of the contraband, according to an official. The accused were operating the racket through a leading e-commerce firm, which received two-thirds of the profits generated, as per the official. Evidence is being collected to see if it could be prosecuted for providing a platform for such drug transactions, the official added. The issue was notified to us, and we are currently investigating it. We assure full co-operation and support required to Investigating Authorities and Law Enforcement agencies with ongoing investigations to resolve the issue at the earliest, an Amazon spokesperson said. Bhind Superintendent of Police Manoj Kumar Singh said on a tip-off, Kallu Pawaiya (30) and Dhaba

The Allahabad High Court has granted bail to an Ayodhya man arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau after allegedly being found in the possession of nearly 350 kg of ganja. A Lucknow bench of the high court granted bail to Ayodhya resident Kaleem, booked under the stringent provisions of the NDPS Act in January 2019, ruling that he has a fit case for bail according to the larger mandate of Article 21 of the Constitution of India dealing with the Fundamental Right to life and personal liberty. While granting bail to the accused on October 21, a bench of Justice Siddharth also held the case worth enlarging the accused on the bail in the view of the nature of accusations and the nature of evidence in support thereof. The accused had been in jail since January 18, 2019. The NCB had arrested the accused with heavy contraband in possession and hence booked him under the NDPS Act. The FIR in the case was lodged at the NCB police station in the Ayodhya district. In his bail plea, the ac