Will 2016 be the year for Ganja internationally, as we move towards the United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) 2016?

The issue of ganja played very prominently in our society in 2015 with some advocates trumpeting the dawn of a “new green golden kingdom”, while some opponents predicting the doom of our youths to the “green demon”. However, a sober analysis of the situation will reveal that even though there were indeed some victories in relation to how we treat with ganja in Jamaica, there is still a lot more to achieve and pitfalls to be mindful of in relation to our policy on establishing a fully legally regulated ganja industry.

Ganja strides in 2015:

Raymond Schwab with his family in undated photo. ‘People who don’t understand the medical value of cannabis are tearing my family apart,’ said the father of five.

Tensions running high between courts, family attorneys and child protective services, who are unsure where lines are drawn in a world of legalized cannabis

When Raymond Schwab talks about his case, his voice teeters between anger and sadness.

“People who don’t understand the medical value of cannabis are tearing my family apart,” says the Kansas father and US veteran, who has a prescription for marijuana in neighboring Colorado, where it is legal.

An effort to legalize recreational marijuana use in Maine took a step forward on Monday when activists said they had gathered sufficient signatures to earn their proposal a spot on the state’s ballot this November.

David Boyer, of the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, said the group’s proposal to allow adults 21 and older to legally possess marijuana had garnered the support of 103,115 Maine voters, more than 10 percent of the total and well over the 61,123 valid signatures needed to qualify.

“It makes a really strong statement,” Boyer said following a press conference in an affluent suburb outside Portland, Maine’s largest city. “Maine people are excited to have a chance to vote on this.”

Polish MP Piotr Liroy-Marzec's bill supports the legalisation of marijuana for medicinal use, such as this cannabis-made product for therapeutic use

Warsaw (AFP) - A Polish rapper-turned-politician on Monday presented a draft bill on legalising medical marijuana in an EU nation where two-thirds of people back the idea. 

"This draft crowns everything I've said over the years, especially during the election campaign," said MP Piotr Liroy-Marzec, better known by his stage name Liroy, who pioneered Poland's rap scene in the 1990s.

When it comes to legalizing marijuana, Canada isn’t sailing entirely into the unknown. A number of countries and U.S. states have experimented with loose pot policies (if not outright decriminalization), and these places offer potential models and lessons for Canada.

Toronto-based law firm O’Neill Moon Quedado LLP has put together an infographic comparing three countries known for their experimentation with drug decriminalization: The Netherlands, Portugal, and, most recently, the U.S.

At the same time, opponents of legalization are talking with voters and lawmakers about the dangers of marijuana use, the impact on children and public safety. Further, they say legalization would undo decades of substance-abuse education.

Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy, Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery and others are urging the public to learn about marijuana legalization's impact in Colorado, pointing to increased marijuana use by children, concerns over impaired drivers and drug-related expulsions from schools.

Seth Leibsohn, chair of Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy, called the billboard a "stunt, hijacking a laudable and charitable sports tournament" to promote substance abuse.

It looks like Mainers will be voting on legalization in November. Monday, the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol turned in more than 103,000 raw signatures for its petition drive. It only needs 61,000 valid voter signatures to qualify for the November ballot.

As a general rule of thumb, initiative and referendum experts counsel petitioners to expect a certain percentage of raw signatures to be deemed invalid, but that figure is usually put around 25% to 30%. For this petition drive to fail, more than 40% would have to be found invalid. It's not impossible, but it's very unlikely.  

I remember when Obama was elected in 2008. From a purely marijuana activist standpoint, I had a lot of hope that he would do big things when it came to marijuana policy in America. I remember thinking that anything was possible while he was in office, including the end to federal marijuana prohibition altogether. One thing that I thought for sure was going to happen while Obama was in office was changing marijuana’s status as a Schedule 1 controlled substance, or at the very least, a very strong push for it by Obama.

SAN JUAN – The Cannabis Licensing Authority of Jamaica has begun the draft of interim regulations governing the cultivation and sale of marijuana for medicinal, research or religious purposes, the Ministry of Industry said Friday.

The start of the process comes nine months after the marijuana-decriminalizing amendments to the Dangerous Drugs Act went into effect last April and follows a series of consultations with key stakeholders.

“The impending implementation of the interim regulations will pave the way for the Authority to begin the issuance of licenses, permits and authorizations in keeping with said regulations,” the ministry said in a statement.