The border guard’s question surprised Jessica Goldstein: “Have you ever used drugs?”

It was 2013, and Goldstein, a 30-year-old Canadian from the Vancouver area, was on her way to a Dave Matthews concert in Washington State, passing through the Peace Arch border crossing between the United States and Canada. She’d done this countless times before and had never been asked about her narcotics history. The inquiry seemed especially odd considering the setting: With its picnic tables and grassy fields, the Peace Arch port of entry looks more like a park than a high-security border crossing.

The myopic Vermont governor actually blocked the United States first legalization law passed by a state legislature. In a stunning example of how disengaged he is with the citizens he represents, Phil Scott vetoed the historic bill.

“As you might imagine, I have received a great deal of advice on this issue, and have taken the time to fully understand what this legislation proposes to do,” Scott said in a press conference on Wednesday. “I carefully weighed the advantages and disadvantages of this proposal in order to arrive at my decision.”

The opioid epidemic in Europe and North America should be old news.

Even the U.S. government is starting to pay attention and act on the flood of overdose deaths brought on by over-prescription of the highly addictive painkillers – synthetic drugs similar to morphine such as OxyContin, Vicodin, Percocet and Suboxone – and more deadly black market substitutes.

It is not particularly reassuring, however, that the Trump administration supports new healthcare legislation that would remove the requirement that all insurers cover drug addiction treatments.

More Drugs

Two years ago, the Flandreau Santee Sioux had high hopes of capitalizing on the collapse of mariuana prohibition by opening a resort where cannabis could be purchased and consumed on their reservation in South Dakota. It all ended in fire and tears as the tribe decided to burn its first cannabis crop rather than risk the wrath of state and federal officials. But yesterday a jury in Flandreau delivered an implicit rebuke to South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley, the marijuana resort's leading opponent, by acquitting a consultant who worked on the project of state drug charges.

Legal Marijuana In 2020 Is The Prediction From Pro Cannabis Senators.

Over the past decade or so we have seen a vivid uptick in terms of support for legal cannabis. With 8 more states legalized marijuana in some form or another in November 2016, we know that a majority of Americans are on board with legal marijuana.

Of course, the current presidency has made it clear that they are not so keen on legalization, however knowing the cannabis industry, we will not go quietly into the night. Even under prohibition marijuana flourished, proving that you can’t keep a good weed down. And while the current administration might not be “friendly” with the idea of legal marijuana, there are other Congressmen that are singing to a different tune.

A recent Facebook post by the Bengaluru City Police which read, “If there was someone selling drugs, weed know. Caught these two with 6.68Kgs of Ganja” has been all the rage in social media circles. While the witty message was appreciated by many, the perpetual debate on legalisation of cannabis/marijuana in the country was sparked yet again. 

The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 was last amended in the year 2014. According to the law, cannabis (hemp) including charas (the crude or purified resin), ganja (flowering or fruiting tops) or any mixture resulting from the two is considered as illegal. Although, if one consumes only the seeds and leaves of the same plant then it is absolutely lawful (that’s why bhang is legal).  

There are far more concerning drugs than weed.

Homelessness is on the rise in Colorado Springs and anecdotally, we often hear that legal marijuana drives the trend. The implication is twofold. First, that poor people move here to access their drug of choice. Second, that getting high leads to people losing jobs and then houses.

Vermont is on the verge of becoming the ninth state to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, but, being Vermont, it is taking an earthier, grow-it-yourself approach — one that could become a model for others.

While just a few years ago, it was still taboo to talk about legalising cannabis in Morocco and Tunisia, nowadays, everyone is talking about it.

Thanks to a law that was reformed just recently, but which even now punishes almost any contact with hemp with a 1 to 25-year prison sentence, Tunisia’s jails are still full of cannabis users. These draconian punishments, which were introduced in 1992 under ex-dictator Ben Ali, were amended very slightly at the end of March by the new Tunisian government following massive public criticism. Judges are now allowed to grant a pardon for a first offence.

Do a quick internet search of the phrase, 'debunking the gateway drug theory', and you'll quickly see how many stories are churned out on this subject each year by reputable news sources and various associations.