Legendary comedian Roseanne Barr was over the “f—ed up” two-party political system long before the disaster of democracy that is the 2016 presidential election. So much so that she decided to run for president in 2012, taking encouragement from one of her friends, documentarian Michael Moore, to capture it all on camera. The documentary, directed by Eric Weinrib, had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2015 and hits theaters and on-demand July 1.

The cracks in the policies that prohibit the use, cultivation and trade in cannabis in South Africa are beginning to show.

Fields of Green for ALL representatives attended the recent UN Special Session on Drugs in New York as civil society delegates. Minister of Police, Nkosinathi Nhleko, and Deputy Minister of Social Development, Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, were there in their official capacity.

But South Africa’s comments on the outcome document were as bland as the majority of other countries, and a report that described the whole special session as a “damp squib” was quite accurate.

However, it was inspiring and enlightening to be part of a gathering of so many movers and shakers in the drug policy world, rarely in one place at one time.

There's a reason why people are still buying weed from their drug dealer and not their local dispensary.

Denver holds the distinction of being one of a handful of cities to offer legal marijuana at a price point that rivals that of black market merchants.

Spokane, Washington, Aurora, Colorado, and Mesa, Arizona join the mile high city as the destination for legal cannabis that is cheaper than the more traditional friend-to-friend transactions that the majority of us are use to.

That’s according to analysis by Perfect Price, a company that offers price optimization software revealed. The San-Francisco based company analyzed data from six states and 66 large cities that allow the legal sale of marijuana. 

The first shot in Mexico’s drug war was fired in December 2006, when Mexican President Felipe Calderon sent 6,500 security forces to reclaim Michoacan state from feuding cartels. “The battle against organized crime has just begun,” Calderon’s interior minister declared, “and the fight will take time.” He wasn’t kidding. That fight has now taken nearly 10 years, and tens of thousands of lives.

The global conversation on marijuana legalization has reached its highest volume yet. Already, some countries, the United States included, have pioneered past decriminalization and into some form of legalization. Few have fully legalized marijuana — and have yet to transform into total hellscapes from it. 

Experts gathered in Rome last last month for an Italian parliament hearing on a proposal to legalize cannabis. The proposal, dubbed Cannabis Legale, is the brainchild of a committee that includes more than 200 senators and deputies. 

So what are the chances of Italy legalizing any time soon?

The Central Drug Authority has taken a definitive position on the use of dagga, and has called for it to be decriminalised.

CDA Head researcher Professor Dan Stein says their opinion is based on evidence studied over time in different countries.

Stein explains that the CDA's stance falls between commercialisation and staunch criminalisation.

We're saying let's move away from a 'war on drugs' thinking, but let's not go completely towards commercialisation until we have a better idea using data.

— Professor Dan Stein, Head of CDA Research Committee

Meanwhile, pro-dagga activist Myrtle Clarke has welcomed the announcement, and what she calls a rational statement and "bold step".

Cannabis users seeking treatment often have an expertise about the drug which is leaving those trying to help them lagging behind, a conference has been told.

A group of national experts was told about the "inverted expertise" seen in users at a meeting at York University to exchange ideas on effective treatment.

The conference was told that there has been a dramatic increase in the number of people seeking treatment, with research showing there has been a 64% increase between 2005 and 2015 in England.

And cannabis has now overtaken heroin as the drug most likely to prompt calls for help.

But the increase in requests for treatment contrasts with the steady decline in the population's use of the drug, delegates were told.

A Los Angeles restaurant has unveiled a menu of cannabis cocktails.

Gracias Madre, a high-end celebrity favorite that serves vegan Mexican food, now offers three elegant beverages infused with CBD, one of the two cannabinoid stimulants found in weed.

Diners do not need a medical marijuana card to consume the $20 drinks.

The recipes were designed by Jason Eisner, the head bartender at West Hollywood's Gracias Madre, who honed his craft in New York City's top cocktail clubs.

Eisner has sourced the cannabinoid oil for his creations from a grower in San Diego.

True to the restaurant's healthy-eating form, the oil is branded as 100 per cent organic.

Last week, state legislators put Illinois on track to become the 21st state to decriminalize cannabis.

If Governor Bruce Rauner signs the bill – and he’s said he likely will – residents would no longer face up to 6 months in jail and a fine up to $1,500 or getting caught with between 2.5-10 grams of marijuana.

Instead, They’ll be ticketed between $100-$200 per offense.

But other Americans aren’t so lucky. Some states impose hefty fines for small amounts of cannabis – even for personal use. Here are the 5 harshest state lawscurrently on the books for simple cannabis possession (based on data from NORML.)