The European Convention on Human Rights over-rides laws which make drugs such as cannabis illegal, an all party parliamentary group report suggests

Drug users have a human right to feed their habit, MPs and peers have said, as they claimed international conventions banning drugs need to be reformed.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Drug Policy Reform said in a new report that Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights – the rights to “private and family life” – could be deployed by drug users who face prosecution.

Regulation of banned substances “needs to reflect the supremacy of human rights conventions”, the report said.

A legal cannabis market should be tested and drug use decriminalised in order to try a radical new approach to drug use that focusses more on human rights laws, a group of MPs and peers has said.

The All Party Parliamentary Group for Drug Policy Reform called for an overhaul in global narcotics policy, saying the "war on drugs" and "blanket prohibition" approach had failed.

It said experiments into possible models of regulated markets for marijuana should be "encouraged" among United Nations countries including the UK. In a report, the group said:

Drug use among young adults continues to fall but their parents buck the trend

Middle-aged parents are increasingly smoking cannabis while their children are giving up the drug, a Home Office report has revealed.

Illegal drug use has steadily increased amongst the 40 and 59 age group over the last 18 years, according to the figures.

The proportion of those people who admit having taken drugs has risen from 2.5 per cent in 1996 to 3.6 per cent.

By comparison, drug use has fallen among the young, with 17.4 per cent saying they had taken drugs in 1996 compared to 13 per cent in 2014-15.

Why was medical cannabis banned in the UK? Katharine Quarmby uncovers the history.

It was 1971 when the UK Misuse of Drugs Act received Royal Assent, although it didn’t come wholly into force until 1973. The Act made it illegal for doctors to prescribe their patients cannabis tincture – the only form of cannabis permissible at that time. But, in a somewhat surreal move, despite the many thundering speeches about cannabis, the Act actually softened sanctions for the possession of cannabis for recreational purposes.

Researchers are sounding the alarm: Substances destroys teeth

Cannabis, amphetamines, cocaine and other drugs can have serious consequences for dental health, warns researcher at the School of Dentistry. It writes Dental Journal.

It is well known that drugs can cause physical, psychological and social problems, but a wide range of illicit drugs also affects the teeth and mouth and can cause problems as caries and periodontal disease.

A big concerns of cannabis legalization is underage use, and science is here to put it to rest.

One of the biggest worries, and arguments against the cannabis legalization movement, is that it could increase teenage use. It is an understandable worry. Fortunately, it appears that these concerns are unfounded, as new long-term research finds legalization doesn’t lead to an increase in underage cannabis use.

Conversations about cannabis policy are heating up. So it’s no surprise that we suddenly seem immersed in claims and counterclaims on a slew of topics related to cannabis use and regulation.

Cannabis causes schizophrenia. Cannabis regulation leads to increased traffic fatalities. These are just some of the examples that seem to pop up, again and again, in news articles and online. They sound true, perhaps because they are repeated so many times, and also because they are often said to be based on scientific evidence.

Here's an alphabetical list of Countries and States that have legalized treating yourself with the natural plant, cannabis: 

The first up is Argentina where it's legal for personal use in small amounts (in private).

Australia: Illegal (decriminalized in some states) One or two plants may be privately grown for personal use in the Australian Capital Territory and South Australia. Personal grows of up to two plants are decriminalized in the Northern Territory.

Belize: Illegal, but mostly tolerated.

Bolivia: Illegal (but decriminalized).

Botswana: Illegal, but mostly unenforced.

Dutch company E-Njoint has developed a smokeless and flameless electronic cannabis vaporizer in the shape of a real joint. E-Njoint created a "3 in 1 vaporizer" which, depending on the legality of cannabis in a country, can be filled with real dry cannabis leaves, cannabis oil or wax. When consumed, the vaporizer leaves very little smoke after exhaling and practically no smell, especially if the cartridge is filled with oil or wax.

The vaporizer heats up electronically to 187C, which is just enough heat to vaporize cannabis ingredients THC and CBD, but not enough to produce carcinogenic flames, tar or ash.