This is big news for medical marijuana in Germany.

Germany may soon join the ranks of many other countries and states within the United States by adopting a policy that would allow for the wide use of medical cannabis to alleviate pain. The German Drug Commissioner Marlene Mortler announced that Germany will be aiming to set up a Cannabis Agency to regulate cannabis use in a medical setting.

This would not allow for patients to grow the plant on their own, but would grant access to those in need. Likely, companies will be certified to grow cannabis and then distribute to patients, which is currently what is happening in Canada.

Halil Doda helped to grow drugs discovered at house on Newlands Road, Small Heath

AN illegal immigrant who helped to grow a cannabis farm at a house in Birmingham to pay off a debt to people smugglers has been jailed for six months.

Halil Doda tried to hide in the attic of the property which was raided by police who found 234 plants being grown with a potential value of £60,000.

Patrick Sullivan, prosecuting at Birmingham Crown Court, said officers, who executed a search warrant at the address in Newlands Road, Small Heath, on August 26 this year found cannabis being grown in all four rooms.

One contained seedlings while the other three had more mature plants.

LEGALISE IT: The campaign to legalise pot is no longer just students and hippies

A retired top cop, the Government’s former chief drugs adviser and a police and crime commissioner are among a growing number of respected professionals joining stoners to call for a change in the law.

They claim the UK is wasting £500million a year and scant police resources on a “war on drugs” it CAN’T WIN and targeting patients and pot-heads alike for something 60% of young people have at least tried.

Arrests, fines and confiscations reported at annual trade fair 

The sixth cannabis festival Cannafest took place over the weekend of Nov. 6–7 at the Holešovice fairgrounds. The festival, which focuses on promoting further legalization of marijuana, medical marijuana, legal production of cannabis and sale of hemp products, is the largest of its type in Europe.

CommonSpace columnist James McEnaney says it's time officials changed their thinking on drugs policy

IN the early 20th century, America spent years fruitlessly pursuing a policy of prohibition. The goal was to prevent the production, import, sale and consumption of alcohol; the result was an environment in which crime and drug addiction increased and organised crime built the foundations of an empire which endures to this day.

The ‘General Assembly’ is the principle policy-making organ of the United Nations (UN), and the only one in which all 193 UN member states have equal representation. At the request of member states, it convenes UN General Assembly Special Sessions (UNGASS) on specific issues. There was an UNGASS on drugs in 1998 at which member states agreed on a Political Declaration on Global Drug Control.

Yet another cannabis petition amongst hundreds of similar pleas was filed earlier this autumn.  This one though is more tightly focused on removing cannabis from schedule 1, which defines it as having no medicinal value.  The petition is also commendably concise but characterises itself as a ‘demand‘ that cannabis be rescheduled, an unfortunate choice of words.

A 19-year-old cancer patient made three requests to receive medical cannabis but permission to use the drug was only given by the health minister a few days before he died.

The young man who died last Saturday had supported his requests with medical evidence as well as a doctor’s prescription as he needed the medicine for pain relief while receiving chemotherapy. As the use of medical cannabis is not allowed in Cyprus, he appealed directly to the health minister. The Cyprus Mail asked the health ministry why it took so long to sign the request.

After decades of being treated as a sin, cannabis is becoming more mainstream in France.