Last week, New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd brought attention to the dearth of regulation in edibles labeling when she wrote about eating too much of a THC-infused candy bar and spending eight hours in the fetal position. Readers laughed – a lot.

Cannabis extract treatment for severe childhood epilepsy to be fast-tracked in US

GW Pharmaceuticals' cannabis-extract treatment for severe childhood epilepsy is to be fast-tracked through the US drug approval system.

The Aim-listed company is currently testing its treatment, known as Epidiolex, on children with a rare but debilitating form of childhood epilepsy, known as Dravet Syndrome. Children with this condition do not respond to any existing epilepsy drugs.

US regulator the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) grants fast-track status to drugs thought to meet a previously unmet medical need. Drugs with this designation are given greater access to the regulator to help speed up the process of clinical testing, review and potential approval.

With the World Cup's commencement, 32 Nations go to figurative war on the soccer field. None of these country's players or fans will agree about the sport till the tournament comes to an end.

But the one thing we all have in common? The need to free up the weed. The most popular drug in the world is consumed by citizens from all 32 of these countries at varying degrees. Insight into each country’s politics, lifestyle, and overall vibe can be seen through the lens of its cannabis culture.

The below list provides insight into every World Cup qualifying nation's marijuana policy and cannabis culture:

A study published in medical journal Human Reproduction has claimed that the use of marijuana may have adverse effects on a man's sperm that may affect one's fertility.

The researchers sought to determine common lifestyle factors that may be associated with poor sperm morphology. The researchers analysed the various lifestyles activities and factors that could be linked to fertility. In a study that looked at the data from 1,970 men from fertility clinics across the United Kingdom who aside from providing information on their lifestyle, habits and medical history, also provided samples of their semen.

Dr Hans-Christian Raabe, who was removed from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs after one month, this week wrote two rather provocative articles on the Conservative Woman website.

Legal drug awareness campaigners are warning of new, legal and lethal synthetic cannabis brands that are prevailing all across the UK.

The chemically made substitute for cannabis, forced into production through prohibition, has killed 11 people last year in Ireland alone. People are dropping like flies; in the course if five days, 120 people have overdosed in Texas after smoking the marijuana look alike. Estonia ranks highest with 191 drug deaths per one million population with Norway second with 76 recorded deaths. Sweden was ranked fourth with 63 and Finland fifth with 58 deaths per million.

What are you doing this weekend? If the answer is something, cancel those plans! If the answer is nothing, then you definitely have no excuse than to get down to Bristol and enjoy the UK’s biggest cannabis activist group – Norml’s yearly gathering!

Take a deep breath. Because this weekend it’s the NORML UK AGM, UK CSC AGM and NORML UK Women´s Alliance first public meeting. A dense name, for a dense weekend of activities and events to get involved in.

Click here to read the full original article by Jo Martin-Moss, Deputy Director at Norml UK