The surge in the number of synthetic cannabis being seized by the Turkish Cypriot police is a concern, according to media reports on Monday.

The drug – and especially the brand ‘Bonsai’ – is said to be highly addictive and is known to cause mental disorders, severe hallucinations, violent behaviour, and even heart attacks.

Figures for 2014 showed that around five kilos of ‘Bonsai’ were apprehended in the north, whilst the figure nearly doubled in 2015. Five people are said to have died after overdosing on the synthetic cannabis which is often termed spice.

Due to its low selling price and extreme high, the drug has become popular amongst youths, particularly in Turkey.

As momentum spreads for national marijuana legalization in 2016, access to cannabis is becoming more and more convenient. One state where weed is legal for recreational use may be allowing a convenience never seen before in the United States.

In 2001, Portugal decriminalized heroin, cocaine and cannabis. It remains a crime to profit from the sale or distribution of illegal drugs, but the user was not criminalized for possession. If a person is found with less than a 10-day supply, they must meet a three-person Commission for the Dissuasion of Drug Addiction, usually made up of a lawyer, a doctor and a social worker. The commission will recommend treatment, a minor fine or, as in most cases, no penalty at all.  

In 1990, one per cent of the Portuguese population was addicted to heroin. Portugal now has the lowest addiction rate of illegal drugs in all of Europe. After 14 decriminalized years, overall rates of drug use, drug addiction, drug overdose, HIV and accidental death have all gone down.

I recently read that a number of U.S. kosher certifying agencies are mulling putting their seal of approval on legal medical marijuana. Rabbi, marijuana is a plant. Since when does a plant need to be certified kosher?

Response:

Since you only asked whether it is kosher—and not whether marijuana should be legal—I will focus solely on that issue. And the answer really depends on how you define the word “kosher.”

Narrow Definition

Most narrowly defined, kosher means that it contains no ingredients that were from non-kosher animals, milk and meat, or other substances proscribed by Jewish law.

Is marijuana kosher? If it's medicine, it doesn't matter.

That's the message from Canada's largest kosher certification agency after its board of rabbis held a debate on whether to certify cannabis oils as kosher.

The Kashruth Council of Canada met Thursday to discuss an application from MedReleaf, a licensed producer of medical pot. The meeting followed news in the U.S. that a New York company would soon offer certified kosher medical cannabis products.

But after "a lot of interplay and exchange," the Kashruth council decided the Jewish faith doesn't require sick people to consume kosher medicine, said managing director Richard Rabkin.

A couple and their five children rented an Airbnb home in Australia subject to “horrifying” drugs raid

A family was renting a home via Airbnb in Australia and preparing a Christmas barbecue when a team of ten police officers raided the property and uncovered an elaborate drugs operation in an “off-limits” room.

Dieter Winkler and his partner and five children were staying at a three-bedroom house on the Gold Coast in Queensland on December 27 when police wearing bulletproof vests kicked the door down and began an extensive search.

Every day, there is news from somewhere in the world of progress and developments in respect of legalising and regulating cannabis. This applies particularly to the American continent and Europe. However, there is a third continent that is heading in the same direction: Oceania, and in this article, we focus on New Zealand, one of 14 independent countries that make up that continent and where use of medicinal cannabis may become legal  as soon as 2016.

Could Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's plans to legalize cannabis in Canada become derailed by international treaty disputes? The Canadian Press broke a story earlier this week that has politicians and commentators talking about that possibility. But it could prove to be a rough patch rather than a roadblock.

Legalization has always been framed as a domestic issue. That changed Jan. 5 when the Canadian Press obtained a briefing note prepared for the prime minister. The note warned that Trudeau must prepare to explain to the world how he will legalize cannabis while also conforming to the nation's obligations to international drug treaties, which restrict access to cannabis in Canada to medical use and scientific research.

The United Nations treaties in question are:

It's not a new topic, but it's getting a new push.

Two bills are expected to be introduced this legislative session -- one that would legalize medical marijuana and another legalizing recreational use of the drug.

"I would love to get a vote on the floor this year either in the senate or the house," explained former US Congressman Mike Ward.

LivWell Enlightened Health opened its 11^th retail location in the state yesterday. The new dispensary in Trinidad, Colo. is LivWell Enlightened Health’s third in southern Colorado, and will offer a wide range of cannabis products to recreational customers (adults 21+).

“We are excited to add a new location to our Colorado lineup,” said John Lord, CEO and owner of LivWell Enlightened Health. “Combined with our locations in Cortez and Mancos, it allows us to better service customers in southern Colorado. We look forward to providing our Trinidad neighbors with a cannabis shopping experience that is second to none, and to contributing to this vibrant community.”