XPost: alt.drugs.psychedelics, alt.hemp.politics, rec.drugs.cannabis
From: bliss@mouse-potato.com

Drug War Chronicle, Issue #1041 -- 10/26/18
Phillip S. Smith, Editor, psmith@drcnet.org https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/1041

A Publication of StoptheDrugWar.org
David Borden, Executive Director, borden@drcnet.org
"Raising Awareness of the Consequences of Drug Prohibition"

Table of Contents:

1. O CANADA! MARIJUANA IS NOW LEGAL IN THE GREAT WHITE NORTH [FEATURE]
Canada becomes the second country and the first G7 member to free the weed. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2018/oct/19/o_canada_marijuana_now_legal

2. ONE KEY CONGRESSMAN'S BOLD PLAN TO END FEDERAL MARIJUANA PROHIBITION
NEXT YEAR [FEATURE]
What a difference a midterm election can make. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2018/oct/22/one_key_congressmans_bold_plan

3. TWO NEW POLLS SUGGEST MARIJUANA PROHIBITION'S DAYS ARE NUMBERED [FEATURE] Gallup and Pew both report record levels of support for marijuana
legalization. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2018/oct/25/two_new_polls_suggest_marijuana

4. MEDICAL MARIJUANA UPDATE
Arizona's attorney general backs away from arguing that hash is not
medical marijuana, the Indiana legislature balks on medical marijuana,
Missouri medical marijuana initiatives have raised big bucks, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2018/oct/24/medical_marijuana_update

5. CHRONICLE AM: OH DEM GOVERNOR CANDIDATE RESORTS TO DRUG WAR RHETORIC, MORE... (10/19/18)
Take the time to comment on how marijuana should be classified under international drug treaties, an Indiana legislative committee rejects
medical marijuana, Ohio's Democratic gubernatorial candidate resorts to
drug war rhetoric, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2018/oct/19/chronicle_am_oh_dem_governor

6. CHRONICLE AM: GALLUP HAS MJ LEGALIZATION AT 66%, UN DRUG WAR "A
FAILURE," REPORT SAYS, MORE... (10/23/18)
A new Gallup poll shows still rising support for marijuana legalization,
a new report from the IDPC calls for a radical shift in UN drug control policies, Bangladesh moves toward passing a bill mandating the death
penalty or life in prison for even possessing small amounts of some
drugs, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2018/oct/23/chronicle_am_gallup_has_mj

7. CHRONICLE AM: OPIOID OVERDOSES DECLINE, BUT COCAINE ODS AT RECORD
HIGH, CDC REPORTS, MORE... (10/24/18)
The CDC's latest drug overdose numbers are out, Arizona's attorney
general retreats on hashish, the Justice Department clears the way for
harm reduction measures at music venues, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2018/oct/24/chronicle_am_opioid_overdoses

8. CHRONICLE AM: NY SENATE REPORT ON OPIOIDS, WY MARIJUANA POLL, MORE... (10/25/18)
A new poll has marijuana legalization on the cusp of majority support
even in Wyoming, the New York state Senate releases its report on the
state's opioid crisis, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2018/oct/25/chronicle_am_ny_senate_report

(Not subscribed? Visit https://stopthedrugwar.org to sign up today!)

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1. O CANADA! MARIJUANA IS NOW LEGAL IN THE GREAT WHITE NORTH [FEATURE] https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2018/oct/19/o_canada_marijuana_now_legal

As of Wednesday, October 17, marijuana is legal in Canada. Our northern neighbor becomes the second country to fully legalize weed (after
Uruguay led the way in 2013), and the first major industrial power to do so.

While the Liberal-dominated federal parliament passed the C-45
legalization bill earlier this year, October 17 marks the beginning of
legal marijuana sales and commerce. Under Canada's federal legalization,
there will now be an overarching national regulatory framework, but each province establishes its own system of licensing and regulating
marijuana businesses.

Like liquor laws in the US, Canada's provincial marijuana laws will have
some variation. In some provinces, such as Alberta and British Columbia, licensed producers will store their product in government-regulated
warehouses, then ship it to retail pot outlets and online customers.
Others, such as Newfoundland, will have growers ship directly to stores
or to customers through the mail. Ontario, the country's most populous province, will at first only have mail deliveries because the new
Conservative provincial government rejected a plan for state-owned
stores in favor of privately held shops. Ontario doesn't expect to have
any licensed pot shops open for business until April.

Marijuana consumers will pay a federal tax of $1 per gram or 10 percent, whichever is higher, with the federal government keeping one-fourth of
those revenues and returning the rest to the provinces. The provinces
can also tax marijuana sales, and consumers will have to pay local sales
taxes on top of that.

Wednesday's roll-out of the legal pot system isn't exactly starting with
a bang. Only about 100 pot shops will be open across the country of 37
million, and only one in the entire province of British Columbia. Many,
many more will be coming as the provinces finalize regulatory approaches
and potential operators get their permitting in order.

There won't be any edibles for sale for now; marijuana-infused foods and concentrates are expected to be available sometime next year. In the
meantime, what's on offer will be buds, capsules, tinctures, and seeds.

That Canada has now legalized marijuana is a very big deal, American
marijuana and drug reform groups say.

"Canada's move to legalize marijuana is a historic rebuke to the
disastrous global war on drugs, which has ruined millions of lives,"
said Hannah Hetzer, global marijuana policy analyst for the Drug Policy Alliance. "Many countries are searching for innovative approaches to
drug policy that emphasize health and rights, rather than repression. By
taking this bold and principled step, Canada will likely become an
inspiration for many other countries," she said.

"The legalization of marijuana in Canada, and the likely changes we will
see on drug policy in Mexico under its new government, make the United
States federal government's prohibition on marijuana even more
untenable. It's long past time for Congress and the administration to
take action on this issue," Hetzer concluded.

"Canada is setting a strong example for how to end marijuana prohibition
at the national level and replace it with a system of regulated
production and sales that is largely governed at the local level," said
Steve Hawkins, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project.

"The Canadian model is rather similar to what many envision for the US,
and in many ways it mirrors what is happening here, as states have taken
the lead in regulating commercial cannabis activity," Hawkins continued.
"The big difference -- and it is a critical difference -- is the
blessing provincial governments have received from their federal
government. It is time for Congress to step up and take similar action
to harmonize our nation's state and federal marijuana policies."

Indeed, Canada's full federal legalization is going to provide an edge
for Canadian marijuana companies and researchers compared to the US.
Even though nine states, including California (which has more people
than Canada), the District of Columbia, and the Northern Mariana Islands
have legalized marijuana, the continuing federal prohibition on
marijuana and its continuing classification as a Schedule I drug
continue to create a significant hurdle for US pot businesses and
research efforts.

America's loss could be Canada's gain, Hawkins said.

"As just the second country and the first G7 nation to end marijuana prohibition, Canada has positioned itself as a global leader for
cannabis business and development. As the US continues to face federal roadblocks to cannabis-related medical research, Canada could very well
become the world leader in discovering new cannabis-based medicines. The country has already begun to experience some of the economic benefits
that come with being one of the first nations to establish a legal
marijuana market for adult use. It won't be long before it begins to see
the public health and safety benefits that stem from replacing an
illegal market with a regulated one," he explained.

"Canada is going to generate significant revenue, create all sorts of
jobs and business opportunities, and become the world leader for cannabis-related research and development," Hawkins continued.
"Hopefully Congress will take notice quickly and that competitive
American spirit will kick in sooner rather than later."

We'll see about that after the next elections. In the meantime, Canada
is going to take that competitive advantage and run with it. And
Mexico's president-elect, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, is making noises
about legalizing marijuana south of the border. Wouldn't it be ironic if
the United States turned out to be the last country in North America to
free the weed?

This article was produced by Drug Reporter (https://independentmediainstitute.org/drug-reporter/), a project of the Independent Media Institute. The Drug Policy Alliance is a financial
supporter of both Drug Reporter and Drug War Chronicle.


================  ...

___________________

It's time to correct the mistake: Truth:the Anti-drugwar
<http://www.briancbennett.com>
Cops say legalize drugs--find out why:
<http://www.leap.cc>
Stoners are people too:
<http://www.cannabisconsumers.org>
___________________

bliss -- Cacao Powered... (-SF4ever at DSLExtreme dot com)

--
bobbie sellers - a retired nurse in San Francisco

"It is by will alone I set my mind in motion.
It is by the beans of cacao that the thoughts acquire speed,
the thighs acquire girth, the girth become a warning.
It is by theobromine alone I set my mind in motion."
--from Someone else's Dune spoof ripped to my taste.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: www.darkrealms.ca (1:229/2)