The legal status of cannabis “varies wildly across the globe,” and while in some countries it may be subject to strict regulations, in others it is still fully banned. Canada legalized the substance for recreational use in 2018, while Uruguay had already done so five years earlier. An article on Drug Policy Reform Foundation Transform, discussed the situation in Europe.
In Switzerland, a country renowned for a long history of pioneering drug policy, two national referendums on cannabis legalization have taken place so far. As a result, sales of CBD have been allowed for some years, and cannabis for personal possession was decriminalized in 2012. Moreover, Switzerland may become the first European nation to fully legalize cannabis production for non-medical adult use.
Moving away from medical-use only
On the other hand, Luxembourg was the first European country to set in motion such reforms, by announcing a plan to legalize and regulate cannabis production and sale for non-medical adult use in 2018. These plans were put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, it was recently announced that the policy change is “ongoing” and that “intensive” exchanges between the ministries had taken place, so that the project is “completed” and “optimised”.
Media reports of the draft plans have revealed that retail access would be limited to adult Luxembourg residents, with only 14 retail outlets serving the country. Bans on advertising, internet sales and home deliveries, would accompany the measures.
Malta, has taken a somewhat different path to the formal markets being developed in Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland. However, a Government white paper published last March includes proposals to extend decriminalization of cannabis possession, expunge criminal records, and permit home growing of up to four plants per household.
Embracing “recreational use”
Meanwhile, despite being renowned for having ‘coffee shops’ licensed to allow cannabis consumption since the 1970s, cannabis had never actually been legalized in the Netherlands. Finally in 2017, a national plan passed by parliament to license the production of cannabis, at least on a limited trial basis, in order to supply the local coffee shops.
In France, a group of MPs from a committee of the National Assembly, have called for cannabis to be legalized and regulated for non-medical adult, in a recent report. The document was compiled following a year long consultation process and concluded that legalization would ‘take back control’ from traffickers and protect young people.
Regulatory changes across the globe
Reform is also progressing beyond North America and Europe. The Australian Capital Territory (decriminalisation and home growing); South Africa (decriminalisation and home growing); a number of Caribbean states (mostly for religious and medical use); some Asian countries mainly for medicinal purposes, and Israel (fully regulated market).
NZ’s Pharmacists Urged to Educate Themselves About Medicinal Cannabis
Cannabis consumers deserve and demand equal rights and protections under our laws that are currently afforded to the drinkers of far more dangerous and deadly, yet perfectly legal, widely accepted, endlessly advertised and even glorified as an All-American pastime, alcohol.
Plain and simple!
Legalize Worldwide!
The “War on Cannabis” has been a complete and utter failure. It is the largest component of the broader yet equally unsuccessful “War on Drugs” that has cost our country over a trillion dollars.
Instead of The United States wasting Billions upon Billions more of our yearly tax dollars fighting a never ending “War on Cannabis”, lets generate Billions of dollars, and improve the deficit instead. Especially now, due to Covid-19. It’s a no brainer.
The Prohibition of Cannabis has also ruined the lives of many of our loved ones. In numbers greater than any other nation, our loved ones are being sent to jail and are being given permanent criminal records. Especially, if they happen to be of the “wrong” skin color or they happen to be from the “wrong” neighborhood. Which ruin their chances of employment for the rest of their lives, and for what reason?
Cannabis is much safer to consume than alcohol. Yet do we lock people up for choosing to drink?
Let’s end this hypocrisy now!
The government should never attempt to legislate morality by creating victim-less cannabis “crimes” because it simply does not work and costs the taxpayers a fortune.
Cannabis Legalization Nationwide is an inevitable reality that’s approaching much sooner than prohibitionists think and there is nothing they can do to stop it!
Legalize Nationwide! Support Each and Every Cannabis Legalization Initiative!
It’s time for us, the majority of The People to take back control of our national cannabis policy. By voting OUT of office any and all politicians who very publicly and vocally admit to having an anti-cannabis, prohibitionist agenda! Time to vote’em all OUT of office. Period. Plain and simple.
Politicians who continue to demonize Cannabis, Corrupt Law Enforcement Officials who prefer to ruin peoples lives over Cannabis possession rather than solve real crimes who fund their departments toys and salaries with monies acquired through cannabis home raids, seizures and forfeitures, and so-called “Addiction Specialists” who make their income off of the judicial misfortunes of our citizens who choose cannabis, – Your actions go against The Will of The People and Your Days In Office Are Numbered! Find new careers before you don’t have one.
The People have spoken! Get on-board with Cannabis Legalization Nationwide, or be left behind and find new careers. Your choice.
“Cannabis is 114 times safer than drinking alcohol”
“Cannabis may be even safer than previously thought, researchers say”
“Cannabis may be even safer than previously thought, researchers say New study: We should stop fighting Cannabis legalization and focus on alcohol and tobacco instead By Christopher Ingraham February 23
Compared with other recreational drugs — including alcohol — Cannabis may be even safer than previously thought. And researchers may be systematically underestimating risks associated with alcohol use.
Those are the top-line findings of recent research published in the journal Scientific Reports, a subsidiary of Nature. Researchers sought to quantify the risk of death associated with the use of a variety of commonly used substances. They found that at the level of individual use, alcohol was the deadliest substance, followed by heroin and cocaine.”
-washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/02/23/Cannabis-may-be-even-safer-than-previously-thought-researchers-say/
“The report discovered that Cannabis is 114 times less deadly than alcohol. Researchers were able to determine this by comparing the lethal doses with the amount of typical use. Through this approach, Cannabis had the lowest mortality risk to users out of all the drugs they studied. In fact—because the numbers were crossed with typical daily use—Cannabis is the only drug that tested as “low risk.”
-complex.com/pop-culture/2015/02/scientific-reports-weed-114-safer-alcohol