Cannabis Hemp News

Africa: Debate Over Marijuana Legalization in Morocco Hits the Airwaves 12/12/08 Drug War Chronicle, Issue #564, http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/564/mo...lization_debate Since at least the 15th Century, farmers in Morocco's Rif Mountains have been growing marijuana, which they typically process into hashish. For decades, Moroccan hash has been a mainstay of European marijuana markets. In recent years, production reached a peak of 135,000 hectares in 2003 before declining to about 60,000 hectares this year and last in the face of aggressive government efforts to eradicate crops and break up trafficking organizations. Moroccan hashish fieldBut while the half-decade…

http://www.psychointegrator.com/?p=176 December 9th, 2008 MARIJUANA REDUCES MEMORY IMPAIRMENT COLUMBUS, Ohio – The more research they do, the more evidence Ohio State University scientists find that specific elements of marijuana can be good for the aging brain by reducing inflammation there and possibly even stimulating the formation of new brain cells. The research suggests that the development of a legal drug that contains certain properties similar to those in marijuana might help prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Though the exact cause of Alzheimer’s remains unknown, chronic inflammation in the brain is believed to contribute to memory impair…

In what seems to be a fairly draconian reaction police raided a mans house in Maroochydore for reposting a funny clip on LiveLeak. Sydney Morning Herald There's some more information about it on LiveLeak including the detrimental effects this has had on the mans welfare. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a4f_1228731672 This news clip shows some of the original footage. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=c01_1228832145

R v Long appeal decision was just announced, the decision was overturned on appeal. In a nutshell this means that the lower Courts have not accepted that Canada's cannabis laws have indeed fallen and have not been in operation since 2003. I haven't read the decision yet and still waiting for more detailed analysis on http://www.thepotlawhasfallen.ca/ in the next 24 hours. PDF of the decision is attached. Long_Reasons_for_Judgment_Dec8.08.pdf

9/12/08 http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/articl...LW2w3QD94UO6G80 Copyright © 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) — Police said a woman was arrested after asking a state trooper whether she could smoke — and then trying to light up a marijuana joint. Honesty Knight, 32, was a passenger in a vehicle that Trooper Eric Perkins pulled over for a traffic violation early Friday. While the trooper was talking to the driver, Knight obtained the trooper's permission to smoke. Police say Perkins then asked to see the cigarette, which contained marijuana, not tobacco. Knight faces a preliminary charge of possession of paraphernalia. She was re…

Saturday, December 06, 2008 1:58 PM http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewi...id_2861108.html (Source: Press, The; Christchurch, New Zealand)By McCRONE John copryright 2008 all rights reserved Cannabis has become part of ordinary Kiwi life. We lead the world in both usage and in drug arrests and convictions. Next year the Law Commission will review the 33-year-old Misuse of Drugs Act. JOHN McCRONE considers the public debate. -------------------- Two youths in baseball caps and work boots are in earnest discussion with the shop assistant about the $195 bottles of liquid fertiliser. It's a kitset system, they are told. You need the Growzilla to get the lush v…

by J.D. Tuccille December 6, 2:03 PM http://www.examiner.com/x-536-Civil-Libert...in-Odessa-Texas © 2008 Copyright Examiner.com I've long thought that too many civil liberties advocates (myself included) are reactive -- forever chasing the last horrendous abuse, only to be blind-sided by the next one. What we need are more pro-freedom advocates who are confrontational and take the battle to the authorities. Of course, that would probably require somebody with a bankroll to spend on good deeds, or else some way to make such confrontations into a commercial opportunity so they're self-financing. Sort of like what ex-cop Barry Cooper did when he set a trap for Odessa, T…

Amsterdam wants to halve prostitution windows, coffee shops 7 December 2008 AFP http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/artic...lNBqCuQ7jv4QDVw THE HAGUE (AFP) — Amsterdam plans to halve the number of prostitution windows and cannabis-vending coffee shops in its historic city centre in a revamp it hopes will curb rising crime. "The ambition is to turn (the city centre) into a safer, more beautiful and liveable area," states a strategy proposal released by the city council on Saturday. Hot on the heels of a country-wide ban on hallucinogenic "magic mushrooms" and plans by some cities to close their coffee shops, this is the latest example of a hardening in the tradition…

Northern Rivers Echo The Nimbin Museum is open for business and the Nimbin HEMP Bar will soon be opening its doors again, with locals banding together to save the two iconic buildings from closure. The landlords of both buildings were advised several weeks ago they would have to comply with a strict set of conditions or police would declare them ‘restricted premises’ under the Restricted Premises Act of 1943, which allows police to search or raid at will. Museum tenant Michael Balderstone was also told he could no longer manage the tourist drawcard, however, his business partner Elspeth Jones has stepped into the breach and advised the landlord she will take over tenanc…

FOXNews.com Friday, December 05, 2008 By TOBY STERLING, Associated Press Writer Amsterdam will fight national efforts to crack down on marijuana cafes _ arguing that the city's establishments are so strictly regulated that it is unnecessary to comply with a government ban on having them near schools. Mayor Job Cohen's promise to lobby the Justice Ministry to give Amsterdam an exception came after city leaders overwhelmingly voted to challenge the issue. They argue the cafes are already so closely watched they don't need new rules to keep children away. Cohen told national broadcaster NOS that "if there are other possibilities" to an outright ban, "then we'd like…

ENCOD 3 December 2008 - Yesterday the Cannabis Tribunal in The Hague ended with the final conclusion that a ban on cannabis does have more disadvantages than advantages. Representatives of the Christian Democrat Party (CDA) did not succeed in convincing an independent judge of the opposite. On behalf of the organisers Joep Oomen, spokesperson, launched a call to the Members of the Dutch Parliament to request the Dutch government to abolish this ban as soon as possible. An amount of 200.000 euro had been made available to the political party that would be able to convince an independent court of the positive effects of a ban on cannabis. The organisers had had troubl…