Jesse Ventura has been making a spectacle of himself his entire life. A Navy vet who fought in Vietnam, Ventura returned from the war and plunged into a world of professional physicality, working as bodyguard for the Rolling Stones before ascending to pro-wrestling superstardom as the loud-mouthed, trash-talking bully character “The Body.” Then things got really interesting. In 1990, Ventura swapped the physical for the political and got himself elected mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. Eight years later he found himself the duly elected governor of Minnesota.

For a few years now Americans’ have disputed on the legalization of cannabis, also known as marijuana. Recreational cannabis is legal in four states: Oregon, Colorado, Alaska, and Washington state. This November, five states will vote to legalize recreational cannabis: California, Massachusetts, Maine, Arizona, and Nevada. We’ve heard all the research and the majority of adults will admit to having tried cannabis at least once in their life. In a world where substances like alcohol and tobacco remain legal, it’s just illogical that cannabis stays illegal. Both the Republican and Democrat parties have recognized the value of cannabis, at least medically, however there is bigger picture.

This story starts with a stay-at-home-mom from the Denver suburbs.

Her name is Abby McLean. She's 30 and lives in Northglenn, Colo. She was driving home from a late dinner with a friend two years ago when she came upon a DUI roadside checkpoint.

"I hadn't drank or smoked anything, so I was like, 'Let's go through the checkpoint,' " she recalls.

McLean is a regular marijuana user but she insists she never drives while high.

Still, the cop at the checkpoint tells her he smells marijuana and that her eyes are bloodshot. Eventually he whips out handcuffs and McClean freaks.

"Like, massive panic attack. And, 'Oh, my God, I have babies at home. I need to get home. I can't go to jail!' "

Several states will be voting on cannabis legalization measures this fall, but the big ticket draw this November is going to be Clinton v. Trump v. Johnson v. Stein. This post is the first in a four-part series examining the cannabis views and promises of these four candidates. We start with Hillary Clinton.

Will Hillary Clinton Reschedule Marijuana? 

As you all will know, the United States Drug Enforcement Agency failed to re-schedule Cannabis at the Federal Level last month. 

For many years, Cannabis has been Schedule 1, alongside cocaine and heroin. Despite being used as medicine all over the United States, and the world over, Cannabis is deemed at the federal level to have no medicinal value. 

Not only does this make the plant difficult to access for many of the people who depend upon it as medicine, especially in states where it is not publicly sold, it also makes Cannabis very difficult to research. 

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has finally spoken out on cannabis, endorsing the decriminalisation of the drug for “medicinal uses”. At a Labour debate with Owen Smith in Glasgow last week he expressed a more liberal stance than many in parliament, but added: “I would not be in favour of legalisation of, particularly, hard drugs.”

Meanwhile Leadership challenger Owen Smith said he would not support drug legalisation or decriminalisation at all. He said: “I think for my children and for future generations I don’t think it’s the right step for Britain to take to decriminalise recreational drugs.”

The central, obvious debate over marijuana policy that Massachusetts voters will decide in November is whether or not to legalize and allow companies to sell it. The factions on either side — Yes on 4, the pro-legalization campaign, and the opposition Campaign for a Safe and Healthy Massachusetts, which is backed by some of the state’s highest-profile politicians — have begun to present more nuanced arguments. But at its heart, the conflict boils down to the legality of toking up and the sale and taxation of pot.

Marijuana advocates petitioning Gov. Chris Christie to sign a bill that would add post-traumatic stress disorder to the list of illnesses that would qualify a person for the state's medical marijuana program have enlisted the help of nearly 18,000 people.

The Joint Blog, which bills itself as a "cannabis news and information website," created an online petition last month to push Christie to sign the legislation advocates say will help New Jersey's veterans.

Inhabitants of Copenhagen neighbourhood tear down market stalls selling hash after suspected dealer shoots two police officers.

Residents of the self-proclaimed autonomous Christiania neighbourhood in Copenhagen have torn down market stalls selling hash after a man shot two police officers and a bystander.

One of the officers is in a critical condition and the other officer and the bystander are stable after the incident on Wednesday, police said. The 25-year-old gunman, a suspected drug dealer, fled the scene and was later injured in a shootout with police south of the city. He died at Copenhagen university hospital.

Australia is making a major move to legalize the use of medicinal cannabis across the entire country. Over the week, the Therapeutics Goods Administration reached a formal decision to legalize medicinal marijuana, although it will remain strictly controlled. This recent decision comes on the heels of the Federal Parliament’s resolve to support changing the Narcotic Drugs Act to allow cannabis to be legally grown and produced in Australia for medicinal purposes.