Some people think the Lib Dems are potty after they unveiled one of the most radical policies of the general election campaign so far.

The party, led by Tim Farron , said it would legalise cannabis and allow it to be sold openly if it wins.

The plan is to “break the grip of criminal gangs” through the creation of a “legal, regulated market” while raising up to £1billion in tax.

So is it more than just a pipe dream?

Top state lawmakers are trying to work out a system allowing Iowa residents to start buying medical marijuana oils and pills in Minnesota, a novel arrangement that could raise issues with the federal government.

Iowa could join more than two dozen states with medical marijuana programs under a bill awaiting Gov. Terry Branstad's signature. That legislation would expand a limited 2014 law, allowing more patients to buy the low-dose medication from in-state dispensaries by December 2018.

But in the meantime, Iowa residents could look to Minnesota. A provision of the bill specifically references that state as a potential source of medication and directs Iowa regulators to contract with Minnesota's two manufacturers of medical marijuana.

11Alive News Chief Investigator Brendan Keefe discovered some drivers are getting arrested for driving stoned -- even when their drug tests came back clean.

"Cobb county police also say that any officer trained this special drug recognition expert training is better, and more reliable than a scientific blood or urine test".

The Colorado Senate last night voted 37 to 1 in favor of a bill that will raise the marijuana tax in the nations first legal adult-use marijuana state.

Kristen Wyatt of AP news in Colorado was there when the nearly unanimous vote took place, posting the results to her @APKristenWyatt Twitter handle, “A Senate sergeant made me stop recording but the Senate voted 34-1. Pot club bill is dead; porch smoking remains OK.”

Decades ago, Canada signed three international treaties, still in force,  in which we agreed to ban marijuana. The federal Liberals have said that they want to legalize recreational pot by July 1, 2018.

Clearly one of those things has to go — and given how thoroughly committed the government is to legalization, it’s pretty clear which one it’s going to have to be.

Health Canada’s crackdown on banned pesticides in the medical marijuana industry is drawing praise from within the sector as the government introduces mandatory safety testing on all products to protect consumers.

Aphria Inc., which has called on the government to introduce stricter safety standards in recent months, said on Thursday that Health Canada’s decision was a welcome move. The company’s chief executive officer, Vic Neufeld, called it “a positive step forward” for the industry.

Health Canada announced last week it will subject companies to mandatory safety testing to ensure their products do not contain dangerous pesticides that can be harmful if inhaled or ingested.

The New Hampshire Senate approved a measure Thursday that would remove criminal penalties for cannabis possession. While there are still a few hurdles to clear, the decriminalization bill is widely expected to become law.

Sununu tweeted on Thursday: “I look forward to signing House Bill 640 into law.”

Another bitter dispute about medical marijuana erupted in parliament late on Thursday, with Labor and the Greens pitted against the government and One Nation over a plan to reduce barriers to importing cannabis into Australia.

It's an issue that divides society - to smoke or not to smoke.

Throughout the world, a number of countries are slowing changing their laws around medicinal and recreational cannabis use. New Zealand's laws have stayed relatively the same for some time, with the exception of cannabis based products now being approved for use, but still tightly controlled.

So, which countries are leading the way in this area, and where can you use it either for fun, or for well-being?

Here in New Zealand, cannabis remains illegal to possess, and illegal to grow.

Medicinal use is tightly controlled but can be granted by the Ministry of Health.

Across the ditch it's a similar story.

The Liberal Democrats will include the complete legalization of cannabis in their general election manifesto. 

Tim Farron’s party confirmed to BuzzFeed that if elected to government they would allow cannabis to be legally sold in licensed British high street shops and spend the tax raised from sales on funding on improving public health.

The party first agreed to adopt a policy of legalizing cannabis at its March conference in York.