Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan is pushing for the legalization of cannabis and other personal drugs.

However, he said regulations must be put in place by governments to curtail abuse.

“And therefore, the fourth and final step is to recognize that drugs must be regulated precisely because they are risky. It is time to acknowledge that drugs are infinitely more dangerous if they are left solely in the hands of criminals who have no concerns about health and safety.

Growing up in Soweto was very tough. There were just too many challenges and that has led to many young men resorting to drugs to forget everything happening around them. In 1997 a man asked my friend’s mother if he can erect his shack on their yard and because they needed the money they allowed him to. This man was selling Dagga for a living. As teenagers at that time we used to help him package it for distribution and he will buy us food and also give us the spillage for us to enjoy. As teenagers we used to enjoy that on the back of the toilet and because the neighbours used to complain about the odour or smell so we then smoked it in the veld. A few other friends joined us in smoking as it was given to us for free.

Marijuana's ascent appears nothing short of unstoppable.

Roughly two decades ago, only a quarter of people responding to a national Gallup poll wanted to see marijuana legalized. But beginning in California in 1996 and spreading throughout the country, 22 additional states, as well as Washington, D.C., have legalized marijuana for medicinal use as of today.

How's this possible? On one hand, public approval of marijuana being used as medicine is higher than it's ever been. A CBS News poll from April 2015 showed that a whopping 84% of those surveyed across America would like to see marijuana legalized for medicinal purposes.

A growing number of countries are deciding to ditch prohibition. What comes next?

Kiosks, in greater Cairo and other Egyptian governorates, have become a social focal point for young men and teenagers

A draft law to reduce penalties for drug use would stop short of fixing major human rights concerns in the current law, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Tunisian authorities should revise the law to eliminate all prison sentences for recreational drug use or possession.

The new bill reduces sentences, but still contains some troubling flaws

(Tunis) - A new drugs bill would reduce penalties for drug use without answering all the concerns raised by human rights with the current law, declared the Human Rights Watch in a report released today. The Tunisian authorities should revise the law to eliminate all prison terms for use or possession of drugs for recreational purposes.