Netherlands Based on rising demand, Bedrocan, the sole remaining producer of medicinal cannabis in Europe, tripled its production with the opening of a new production facility in 2015. Nevertheless, the company cannot supply Europe’s cannabis patients single-handedly.

Want to have an awkward conversation with your parents this Mother’s Day? A new ad campaign suggests opening up about your pot use.

Backers of a marijuana legalization initiative in Arizona launched an ad campaign this week that hopes to open dialog about cannabis use on Mother’s Day, ABC reports.

The billboards were paid for by Arizona’s Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol (CRMLA), and can be seen throughout the cities of Phoenix and Tuscon. The ad depicts a mother and a daughter posing next to the tagline, “Have you talked to your parents about marijuana?”

New polling data shows that just over half of Ontario voters now prefer a pharmacy or dispensary distribution system for recreational marijuana over the LCBO. This shows a decline in support for both dispensaries and the LCBO. Opposition to the LCBO at 54% opposed is higher than both dispensaries (34%) and pharmacies (40%).

Support for legalized marijuana remains high in Ontario, a new poll released by Forum Research finds.

The poll, which surveyed 1157 Ontario voters, found that nearly 60 per cent are in favour of legalizing pot in the country, a number which has remained steady over the past few months, Forum says.

Only 36 per cent of respondents said they do not approve of legalization and seven per cent claim to have no opinion on the subject.

“These findings confirm not only the steadfastness of support for legal weed, but also validate our polling, in that findings have not statistically varied in the four months between these two waves of tracking," said Lorne Bozinoff , president of Forum Research.

From giant inflatable joints to passed out revellers and even a stoned world chess championship: Inside Mardi Grass - the bizarre festival where Australia protests against cannabis laws

• Thousands attended the annual Mardi Grass festival in Nimbin, northern New South Wales on Saturday
• The popular festival attended by people from across Australia is a cannabis law reform protest and gathering
• The festival included the Global Marijuana March and a banner advertised the 'Stoned World Chess Championship'

Thousands of people have descended upon a small town for an event known as Mardi Grass, and they have a higher purpose than simply attending the three-day event.

Nicola Sturgeon has said she would back decriminalising cannabis for medicinal use.

The First Minister said there was a “specific case” for relaxing the laws to treat people with conditions such as multiple sclerosis but reaction to her announcement split an audience of around 150 activists in Dundee’s Queen’s Hotel.

A wide range of topics were covered in the hour long question and answer session, with the SNP leader making a firm commitment to building a trauma centre in Dundee and saying she would “love” to implement Frank’s Law, although she stopped short of committing herself to a fairer care system.

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley says his administration has not discussed decriminalising marijuana even as his Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi is quoted as saying that it is reviewing existing legislation as well as planning wide consultation before adopting any position.

Rowley, speaking to reporters before his departure for the United States, said that he would be very surprised if the attorney general spoke to the decriminalisation of small amounts of marijuana when the matter was not discussed by Cabinet.

He said his Government has been in office for just over seven months and has spent no time at all examining the decriminalisation of marijuana.

Much rationale — economic, scientific and societal — has already been given by many reasoned Vermont voices in support of the legalization and regulation of cannabis.

Over the past year, Vermonters have organized to form various coalitions, both organic and funding-enhanced. Public hearings have been held in every corner of the state, and have been attended by legislators. And those same legislators have dedicated time and effort to cannabis hearings at the Statehouse, presumably to build consensus and avoid the confused and combative scenario we face tomorrow.

A few months ago, we wrote about why cannabis legalization doesn’t lead to higher teen use rates. A recent Washington study from the American Academy of Pediatrics bolsters that claim with new evidence showing that minors do not feel cannabis has been any easier to obtain since the state legalized recreational use in 2012. This data comes from the Washington State Healthy Youth Survey which polls tens of thousands of students each year across hundreds of schools.

New Zealanders need to have an informed debate about cannabis, distinguishing recreational use from the drug's potential medical application, psychiatrists say.

In the latest issue of the New Zealand Medical Journal, which includes studies on self-reported medicinal use of cannabis and the effect of law changes on synthetic cannabinoid use, an editorial argues for clear public debate.