If (Marijuana) were unknown, its discovery would no doubt be hailed as a medical breakthrough. Scientists would praise its potential for treating everything from pain to cancer and marvel at its rich pharmacopoeia; many of whose chemicals mimic vital molecules in the human body.

Well said. If marijuana weren’t tarnished by its ability to make people happy, and its subsequent criminal underpinnings, we would be enjoying all of its favorable qualities, including treating stubborn diseases which modern medicine is tripping over to find cures.

Businessman wrote on his blog that the UN office of drugs and crime was poised to embrace decriminalising personal possession and use

Richard Branson has been involved in a bruising clash with the United Nations following his claim that the organisation is poised to endorse a global policy of decriminalising drugs.

Gillian Cicero tells MICHELLE CHOW how she has started using cannabis oil to relive the pain caused by her cancer treatment – after her husband tracked down a fellow sufferer who told of the virtues of the drug in an edition of The Sentinel

CANCER patient Gillian Cicero had been suffering from lack of sleep and loss of appetite after undergoing eight months of chemotherapy.

Desperate to relieve the pain, the mum-of-two sought help through alternative methods.

After reading an article in The Sentinel about a former cancer patient who had claimed to have seen the benefits of using cannabis oil, her husband Roy made it his mission to find him.

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) appeared set to call on governments to end the criminalization of drug use and possession, according to DPA Honorary Board Member Richard Branson -- but in a dramatic turn of events withdrew its briefing paper under pressure from at least one country, according to the BBC.

Legalising and taxing cannabis could raise hundred of thousands of pounds a year and save the justice system a fortune, a leaked Treasury report has claimed.

The Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER) estimated that legalising and licensing cannabis could help reduce the UK budget deficit by up to £1.25 billion per year.

The leaked report responded to this figure to argue that it was probably over-optimistic, but it conceded that legalising the substance could “generate notable tax revenue” and “lead to overall savings to the criminal justice system”.

The Home Office has said that it has no plans to change the law prohibiting the use of cannabis, which remains a Class B illegal drug.

The UN is expected to call on governments across the world to change tack in the 'war on drugs' by decriminalising all illegal substances. 

In a surprise post on his Virgin website, Richard Branson claimed he had seen a report by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) which dramatically altered the organisation's stance on narcotics, but was going public in advance of its release for fear the UN would "bow to pressure by not going ahead with this important move".

Police cite shrinking budgets and reduced stop and search, as possession offences recorded in England and Wales drop by almost a third.

The number of cannabis possession offences in England and Wales has plummeted since 2011 as forces divert shrinking budgets into tackling more serious crime and officers rein in stop and search.

Figures released to the Guardian under the Freedom of Information Act reveal offences recorded by English and Welsh police forces – including penalty notices, cautions, charges and summons – fell by almost a third from a peak of 145,400 in 2011-12 to 101,905 in 2014-15.

An addiction psychiatrist has said smoking marijuana does not necessarily cause addiction to other drugs later in life, contradicting the common theory it is a 'gateway drug'.

Dr Kevin Hill, a director at McLean psychiatric hospital in Massachusetts and assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard University was answering questions about marijuana on Reddit, when he shared his opinion.

Former cannabis smuggler turned author Howard Marks has talked about having no regrets, as his second memoir Mr Smiley: My Last Pill and Testament is published.

An addiction psychiatrist has said smoking marijuana does not necessarily cause addiction to other drugs later in life, contradicting the common theory it is a 'gateway drug'.

Dr Kevin Hill, a director at McLean psychiatric hospital in Massachusetts and assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard University was answering questions about marijuana on Reddit, when he shared his opinion.