The government also revealed in the throne speech that it aims to build a leaner, more agile, better-equipped military, and to refocus its global aid – for the second time in a decade. It did commit the government to working to “keep all Canadians safe while at the same time protecting our cherished rights and freedoms”.

Dec 5, 2015- The annual speech to open the first session of parliament in Canada promised a “smart and caring” nation under the new Liberal government.

But first up next week, the Liberals said they would implement a tax cut on middle income earners promised during the election campaign.

A father of four found guilty of being involved in a major cannabis factory discovered in a historic network of tunnels has been jailed for two-and-a-half years.

Jason Whiley had denied growing more than 800 cannabis plants in a section of the sprawling Drakelow Tunnels between Kinver and Kidderminster.

But a jury found him guilty of being concerned in the production of cannabis with a street value of about £650,000 in October.

Yesterday, Whiley was given a jail sentence of two-and-a-half years at Hereford Crown Court.

A raid by narcotics agents of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, has led to the discovery of 137kgs of cannabis and the arrest of two suspects in Abia State.

The NDLEA commander in the state, Mr. Dele Akingbade, said the two suspects, 35-year-old Fidelis Ogbonna and 68-year-old Ududem Nwoke, were major hemp distributors in the state.

Akingbade said a cannabis warehouse run by Nwoke was discovered during the raid. It was there the NDLEA discovered nine bags of cannabis weighing 87kg.

When Ogbonna was arrested, a vehicle he used for the distribution was also impounded. fifty kilogrammes of cannabis ready for distribution was reportedly recovered by the NDLEA agents in the process.

When medical marijuana is legal statewide but illegal under federal law, things get tricky for patients.

With 71 interior Border Patrol checkpoints—33 of which are permanent—other medical marijuana patients are facing the same predicament.

Once a week, 50-year-old Raymundo Marrufo drives 22 miles from Deming, New Mexico to the state’s second largest city, Los Cruces. It’s the medical marijuana dispensary that brings him there, the closest place to his home where he can fill a prescription for cannabis to treat PTSD.

The End of Prohibition Brings Tough Proposals for Regulatory Oversight

We’ve had decades to determine what can and can not be sprayed on strawberries, but do you really know what’s on or in your cannabis ? The Oregon Health Authority has issued preliminary rules taking effect in June of 2016 for more stringent sampling and testing for pesticide residue as lawmakers wrestle with a broad spectrum of regulatory issues to ensure the safety of cannabis products.(http://www.oregonlive.com/marijuana/index.ssf/2015/11/oregon_drafts_rules_for_pestic.html)

MUNCIE, Ind. (December 4, 2015) - A Ball State student is suing the federal government and the university.

Bronson Westbrook, 24, was arrested in 2014 and charged with possession of marijuana. During that arrest, more than $14,000 in cash was confiscated. Police say that money was collected from selling drugs.

“As far as I know he’s a good guy and he comes over and cuts his mom’s yard,” said Westbrook’s neighbor Tino Edwards.

Neighbors in Westbrook’s south side Muncie neighborhood didn’t know him to be much of a trouble maker. A few blocks away though on March 2, 2014, Westbrook was involved in a car accident. Police say that’s when they found more than 24 grams of marijuana on him and more than $14,000 in cash-- some hidden under the driver’s seat.

A new licensing scheme is to be established to regulate the cultivation of cannabis for medicinal or scientific purposes.

Minister for Health, Sussan Ley said that a single national scheme would oversee all regulatory aspects of the cultivation of medical cannabis.

Ms Ley said this would remove the need for States and Territories to implement legislation to set up individual cultivation schemes and would ensure laws were consistent for growers across the country.

She said the decision followed consultation with State and Territory Governments and law enforcement Agencies over the past month.

SANTIAGO, Chile — Chilean President Michelle Bachelet has signed a decree that removes marijuana from the country's list of hard drugs.

The decree also authorizes the sale of cannabis-derived medicines at pharmacies.

The document hasn't been published officially, but a copy was obtained Friday by The Associated Press.

Planting, selling and transporting marijuana remains illegal in Chile and carries prison terms of 5-10 years. But Congress is expected to soon debate wider changes to Chile's drug law.

Chile is joining an international trend of easing restrictions on marijuana for medical or personal use.

The Manhattan Beach City Council passed a ban on all but the private storage and use of medical marijuana at its regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday night.

The temporary ordinances were introduced as “interim” and “urgency” legislation that prohibits cultivating, selling and delivering medical marijuana in the city.

The city banned medical marijuana dispensaries in 2008, however, under the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Ac, which takes effect March 1, 2016, cities must take action if they want to ban or regulate medical marijuana cultivation. Otherwise, the California Department of Food and Agriculture will become the sole licensing authority for medical marijuana cultivation applications, said City Attorney Quinn Barrow.

I received the following press release:

Big Island man Mike Ruggles launched a crowdfunding campaign this week to help pay for legal fees after being arrested for opening Hawaii’s first medical marijuana collective. Ruggles says this is an opportunity to help set legal precedence to establish medical marijuana collectives in Hawaii.