Six people have been hospitalised after a drug trial went terribly wrong at the Pontchaillou Hospital in Rennes in France. One has been declared brain-dead, and four others are in critical condition. Ninety participants in the trial have been asked to contact the hospital.

According to preliminary reports, the trial was of a drug aimed at inhibiting the brain enzyme that degrades endogenous cannabinoids, chemicals produced naturally by the brain that resemble the active compounds in cannabis.

A clinical trial involving a cannabis-based painkiller has gone seriously wrong in France, leaving one man brain-dead and five others seriously injured. The French media is reporting that the trial took place at the Biotrial clinic, in Rennes in Brittany. Health Minister Marisol Touriane is currently speaking at a press conference on the unfolding situation, but has already stated that “a serious accident took place” and that all subsequent tests have been halted. 

52% of Americans, including a majority of adults under 65, support legalizing marijuana

According to estimates, Italians consume about 3 million pounds of cannabis each year. The debate "legalization, or not" has been going on for years without ever leading to concrete results. In 2015 something moved when a bill for cannabis freedom came to the House, ready to fill a legal vacuum that has lasted two years. So 2016 might truly be the year of the legalization of cannabis for recreational purposes? The Minister of Justice Orlando brakes, but there are those who bet on the legalization creating the first Italian brand for the sale of cannabis and open selections for the franchise.

Could alcohol abstinence campaigns like Dry January may do more harm than good? 

The Dry January campaign estimates that last year over 2 million people cut down their drinking for January, but popular doesn't necessarily mean effective, and the claims lack rigorous evaluation. Like 'don't buy gas on Tuesday', it isn't really changing anything if people engage in the same behavior a little later.

2016 will be a breakthrough year for marijuana lovers, according to a group of Italian agronomists and entrepreneurs. 

A lot of marijuana users claim that smoking makes them feel closer to nature and more inclined to spend time outdoors. In particular, biking while under the influence of cannabis (or "stoned cycling") has proved popular — leading researchers to question whether the physical activity carries added safety risks while high. The answer turns out to be a resounding "no," a new study found.

The truck was intercepted as they leave Andalusia …

A tonne of cannabis resin was seized on Monday in Biriatou (Pyrénées-Atlantiques), near the Spanish border, hidden in barrels of olives  on a lorry registered in Spain, it has been reported on Wednesday by Customs officials.

Customs officers intercepted the truck on Monday afternoon, when he came from Andalusia and was carrying 93 barrels of olives  to the Netherlands.

“After canvassing several tons, customs encounter resistance at one of the barrels.Under the  olives, they discovered clear bags containing herbal cannabis and cannabis resin bales, “said the General Directorate of Customs in a statement.

Misha Glenny

The terms may no longer be politically correct but western governments continue to wage both a war on terror and a war on drugs. They now need to recognise what is staring them in the face : that the prosecution of the latter makes it impossible to win the former.

In some of the most significant international cannabis legislation of 2015, Germany approved the creation of a special government agency to oversee the production of medicinal cannabis in the European nation. This progressive move puts the German government in the business of producing and making available high-quality medicinal cannabis via safe access to thousands of its severely ill citizens.

“This paves the way for the first cultivation of medicinal cannabis in Germany,”