Thousands of people have taken to the streets of Berlin to advocate the legalization of cannabis. The 19th annual "Hanfparade" (hemp parade) has also found support among some politicians.

Berlin police estimate that roughly 8,000 people came together for the "Hanfparade" march (hemp parade) in Berlin on Saturday, moving from the central train station to the Brandenburg Gate. Along the route, they also stopped by at the Ministry of Health and the Berlin Cathedral.

Cannabis, not drink, is the major drug problem of 2015 among the young, according to Ireland's leading adolescent psychiatrist Dr Bobby Smyth, who says drug debt is now a huge issue for Irish teens too.

"Cannabis accounts for 85pc of my clients. It's very much the dominant drug, it's head and shoulders above everything else and alcohol would be second.

"Up until eight years ago, cannabis would have accounted for 25-to 40pc of referrals," the psychiatrist and Trinity College lecturer said.

"In terms of the number of young people whose lives have been damaged by this drug, we have nothing to compare to, you would have to look back to the heroin epidemic in the 80s. Although the consequences are different, for me, it is the drug problem of 2015," he said.

Janusz Palikot, Polish politician wants to waive his parliamentary mandate in favor of Andrzej Dołecki, leader of the “Free Hemp” association, so that he could fight for the freedom of his parents imprisoned for transporting RSO oil into Poland.

Andrzej Dołecki

Andrzej Dołecki, leader of the “Free Hemp (Wolne Konopie )” has a chance to become a politician for 2 months till the end of the parliamentary cadence. Janusz Palikot said that by this action he wanted to support case of Andrzej Dołecki parent’s that are accused of irrational allegation of transporting one liter of RSO oil into Poland.

In Germany the possession of cannabis is illegal. Even small amounts are prosecuted, but charges are usually dropped.

The definition of this "small amount" varies depending on the federal state. Most states do not prosecute up to 6 grams. The state of Berlin, being the most liberal, allows 15 grams.

Berlin is one of the cannabis hotspots in the world. Germany's number one open illegal market to buy cannabis in public is Gorlitzer Park, affectionately known as “Gorli” by the locals.

However the use and consumption of Cannabis is not forbidden in Berlin, it’s actually one of the most liberal cities in the world regarding cannabis.

In Berlin on Saturday, marchers will come out in force in support of cannabis. Politicians, too, have called for weed's legalization. Many Germans consider prohibition policies to have failed, Matthias von Hein reports.

SUMMARY: Germany is the fifth largest B2C ecommerce market in the world. If you want to expand your business into this large and growing market, what do you need to know about the preferences of German shoppers? 

Watch our interview with Nadine Späth, Manager of Consumer Markets and Ecommerce, Germany Trade & Invest, to learn more about how German financial and cultural preferences differ from those of American consumers.

In January 2015, BEVH, the German Ecommerce and Distance Selling Trade Association, conducted an online survey with Creditreform Boniversum asking a representative sample of 1,054 German shoppers, 18 to 69 years old, about their online payment habits. 
 

What was supposed to be a friendly Swedish-style 'fika' turned into drama when a man poisoned his two guests with a chocolate mud cake laced with cannabis.

If you have Swedish friends, you have probably one time or another been invited over to someone's house for a traditional 'fika'. This usually involves things like coffee and cake. It usually does not include drugs.

But a 25-year-old in the Södervärn area of Malmö, southern Sweden, is now being investigated by police after he served a cake seasoned with the drug to his two friends, a 55-year-old woman, and a 45-year-old man.

On Tuesday evening police received a call from the hospital from the confused male guest saying that he had been poisoned.

When is a choice not really a choice? It could be argued that the latest proposal from the government aimed at people who have problems with drugs and alcohol is not a choice but an ultimatum – accept help for your problem or lose your right to welfare benefits.

The sale and distribution of drugs in parts of Dublin has dramatically increased on last year.

Gardai in Crumlin, Ballyfermot and Cherry Orchard all recorded huge increases in drug crimes this year.

In total, the South Central district recorded 160 cases of the sale and distribution of drugs in the 12 months up to mid-July this year.

That's up by 54 cases on the same period last year.

Kilmainham and Kevin Street Garda Stations reported the problem increased by a shocking 76pc in their area alone, compared with 2014.

They had 104 detections of the sale and supply of drugs in their districts, compared to just 59 between July 2013 and July 2014.

Proposals that would largely decriminalize marijuana in Italy currently have the support of 250 MPs – but does that mean Italy will be legalizing the drug any time soon?

Under the new proposals, people over the age of 18 could cultivate up to five plants at home and growers could set up social clubs involving a maximum of 50 people and 250 plants.

The scope of such social clubs would be to provide spaces for growers to consume and share their product, but would prohibit them from profiting from the sale of cannabis.