Brazil’s Catholic Church is deeply divided over potential moves as it weighs decriminalising possession of small amounts of marijuana. The church’s conflicting stances reflect the polarised debate between liberal Supreme Court justices who back decriminalisation and conservative legislators pursuing harsher penalties. With over 123 million Catholics, Brazil has the world’s largest Catholic population. Lawyer Miguel Read more
We support the recent new provision in law (2019) for cannabis-based medicine to be available on prescription. We also support the general move towards decriminalising cannabis users, and instead concentrating on a non-punitive health-based approach of helping those being harmed by cannabis use and addiction. We note that police are generally no longer prosecuting recreational Read more
A common argument in favour of legalising cannabis is that alcohol is legal and is more harmful to people and society than cannabis, and therefore cannabis should be legal too. This is a somewhat spurious argument along the lines of “Would you rather be eaten by a lion or a bear” or “Would you rather Read more
Cannabis-based products will be allowed to bypass usual processes required for medicines in New Zealand and go directly onto the market without any proof of safety or effectiveness. This unprecedented proposal is contained in the government’s consultation document on giving greater access to medicinal cannabis. Read more
Michael Mayell has partnered with Abe Gray, the founder of New Zealand’s first cannabis museum, to create a cannabis institute in two heritage-listed buildings on Manchester St. The former Trinity Congregational church will be used for the museum during the day, an education space Mayell dubbed “cannabis university” in the evenings. Read more
The 5-year experiment that is Colorado’s pioneering legalization of recreational marijuana now has enough data for more than conjecture to debate its success. The state’s first dispensaries began legal recreational sales on January 1, 2014. In 2014, combined recreational and medical sales totaled $683.5 million, and are expected to top $1.5 billion in 2018. Over Read more
Legalising cannabis won’t necessarily make more people use the drug but it will mean that those who already do, will do so more often – at the cost of their health. About 75 per cent of New Zealanders have used cannabis at least once by the age of 25, according to The Christchurch Health and Read more
Professor Doug Sellman is wrong to believe “the days of cannabis prohibition in New Zealand appear to be coming to an end.” New Zealanders need to be aware of a smokescreen around this issue according to Bob McCoskrie. Politicians need to reject knee-jerk law changes and understand the real agenda behind liberalising drug laws and Read more
Sister Kate calls herself an “accidental nun.” At age 16, she tried marijuana for the first time inside a friend’s car during a cold Wisconsin winter. But that was when she was a “good mid-western Catholic girl,” and the drug did nothing for her. Years later, after her first marriage had come and gone, after she Read more
The Vatican is red-faced after illegal drugs were found in a car bearing diplomatic plates associated with the Holy See. French authorities found 4kgs of cocaine and 200 grams of cannabis on board. The car belongs to retired Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Maria Mejia, 91, emeritus librarian at the Holy See, who retired in 2003 and Read more