Ontario is working on regulations for the recreational marijuana market ahead of the federal government's plan to introduce a legalization bill in spring 2017. But one activist thinks the province's regulations could cost taxpayers a tremendous amount of money, while inadvertently keeping the black market for cannabis in business.

On June 18, the Toronto Star reported that Ontario's ministries of finance and health have struck a working group with the province's attorney general to draft a framework for regulations.

The Caribbean Collective for Justice (CCJ) said it has been informed by the head of the Caricom Marijuana Commission Professor Rose Marie Belle Antoine, that Trinidad and Tobago was to be the first country where the Commission would host its first national consultation, but Government said it was “not ready.” 

In response to an email query by the CCJ’s head, Nazma Muller about the date of the T&T consultation, Antoine replied: “I wanted to start here but apparently TnT government was not ‘ready’ so don’t know.” 

Bill Blair, the federal government’s lead on legalizing marijuana, has been quietly meeting with advocates for the illegal pot shops springing up across the country, hearing their arguments for how regulating the sector could help eliminate the black market.

Cannabis activists gathered in the Southern Italian town of Salerno, near Naples, earlier this month to form a new federation in favor of regulating cannabis in Italy. There are even hopeful signs the effort will find traction — Parliament is scheduled to have a debate on the subject on June 27.

The passing of a joint, besides still being illegal in Italy, can be especially dangerous in Naples. The local Mafia, the “system,” does not tolerate third parties selling or distributing cannabis outside its monopoly. It’s a fact often denounced by the powerful DIA, the District Anti-Mafia Direction, which last year proclaimed the utter failure of prohibition and urged the government to start regulating cannabis. 

A DEA official responded at length today to a widely-circulated report that the DEA plans to effectively legalize medical cannabis this August.

In an interview with aNewDomain today, DEA staff coordinator Russ Bear wouldn’t confirm the Santa Monica Observer report that the DEA will reschedule cannabis as a prescription-only Schedule II drug on Aug. 1, 2016. But he did comment at length about the agency’s thoughts around legalizing medical cannabis and how rescheduling cannabis from its current Schedule I status would have to work.

It would appear no amount of weed is too small for the federal government to prosecute as it works toward legalizing the drug for recreational use.

Brandon Richards was pulled over after leaving the parking lot of a Guelph strip club shortly after 1 a.m. in October 2014 for a sobriety check. He passed, but the officer said he detected the odour of marijuana.

The big discovery: 1.15 g of pot. A street value of about $10.

Richards was charged with simple possession, and the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, the federal agency that handles drug crimes, chose to take the matter to court, where Richards was found guilty and ordered to pay a $100 fine in April 2015.

The Liberals, with their promise of legalization, were elected to power a few months later.

Although Israel is one of the leaders in medical cannabis research, Israel is behind other countries in creating legal outlines for its use, both medical and recreational.

A number of farmers who would like to become legal cannabis growers petitioned the Jerusalem District Court on Sunday to force the state to make a decision on licensing requirements.

Currently, there are eight approved cannabis-growing companies in Israel. The plaintiffs, represented by attorney Hagit Weinstock, complain that the companies were chosen years ago without a tender, and that farmers who want to enter the market are finding themselves at a dead-end.

Last week's police raid on a major California cannabis company in Sonoma County came after a disgruntled former employee, who is attempting to form his own competing company, called the authorities on his old employer, an attorney said Friday.

Santa Rosa police and Drug Enforcement Administration agents wearing camouflage and kevlar descended on the production facilities and offices of CBD Guild, which manufactures popular cannabis products under the Care By Design and AbsoluteXtracts brand names. 

Starting Wednesday (June 22), simple possession of marijuana in New Orleans will carry far fewer consequences for repeat offenders. Police have been able since 2010 to issue a court summons to someone caught for the first time with weed. Now that option will extend to subsequent offenses.

The City Council approved an ordinance in March that gives New Orleans police greater latitude on pot possession. They are attempting to help police spend less time on minor crimes and keep low-level offenders out of the city's jail.

International Business Times sat down with former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, the Libertarian party's nominee for president, to hear about his stance on legalizing marijuana. Only four states and Washington, D.C. have legalized recreational marijuana. 

See the video and below for Johnson's thoughts.