Actually winning marijuana legalization via the legislative process is hard. We're close, but not quite there yet.
Marty Jackley thought he had a slam-dunk way to jazz up his gubernatorial campaign. Wrong.
Dianne Feinstein and Chuck Grassley file a CBD research bill, Detroit has been moving against unpermitted dispensaries, and more.
A Connecticut top narc gets nailed for stealing dope, an NYPD officer get nailed for peddling dope, a Hawaii cop gets a wrist-slap for "promoting" dope, and more.
A joint report from the Justice and State inspector generals' finds that the DEA lied and covered up the facts in a 2012 Honduran raid that left four innocent civilians dead, Peruvian security forces prepare to enter forbidden territory in the country's coca heartland, the South Dakota attorney general's ploy to win political advantage by prosecuting a pot consultant fails, and more.
France is moving toward marijuana decriminalization, perhaps as early as September, Vermont legalization supporters still hold out hope, and more.
There may be hope, albeit slim, for legalization yet this year in Vermont, Israeli marijuana decriminalization has gone into effect, South Carolina becomes the 31st hemp state, and more.
A bipartisan group of US senators has sent Attorney General Sessions a letter asking him to rein in federal civil asset forfeiture, the Rhode Island House is voting on a pot legalization study commission, the Canadian parliament begins debating the government's legalization bill, and more.
This article was produced in collaboration with AlterNet and first appeared here.
In the euphoric aftermath of marijuana legalization victories in California, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada last November, the marijuana blogosphere was alive with predictions about which states would be next to free the weed. Extract listed 10 states, MerryJane went big with 14 states, the Joint Blog listed five states, Leafly homed in on six states, and Weed News went with seven states. AlterNet got into the act, too, with "The Next 5 States to Legalize Marijuana."
But unlike the first eight states, which all legalized it via the initiative and referendum process, for legalization to win this year, it would have to be via a state legislature. Yet here we are, nearing the halfway point of 2017, and we're not seeing it. And we're unlikely to see it for the rest of this year. The states that had the best shots are seeing their legislative sessions end without bills being passed, and while bills are alive in a couple of states -- Delaware and New Jersey -- they're not likely to pass this year either.
To be fair, we have seen significant progress in state legislatures. More legalization bills have been filed than ever before, and in some states, they are advancing like never before. In Vermont, a bill actually got through the legislature, only to fall victim to the veto pen. But actually getting a legalization bill past both houses of a legislature and a governor has yet to happen.
And while there is rising popular clamor -- buoyed by favorable opinion polls -- for state legislatures to end pot prohibition, the advocacy group most deeply involved in state-level legalization efforts, the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), understands the difficulties and intricacies of working at the state house. While it has worked hard, it made no promises for victory this year, instead saying it is committed to "ending prohibition in eight more states by 2019."
That MPP list doesn't include initiative states, of which we could see a handful next year. MPP is already involved in Michigan, where legalization is polling above 50%, and first-stage initiative campaigns are already underway in Arizona, Arkansas, Missouri, and the Dakotas. It would be disappointing for reform advocates if they have to wait until November 2018 and the popular vote to win another legalization victory, and given the progress made in state houses this year, they hope they won't have to. Still, legalization at the state house is proving a tough row to hoe.
Drug War Chroniclethought the best prospects were in Connecticut, Maryland, New Mexico, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Here's what's happened so far:
Connecticut. Legalization isn't quite dead yet this year, but it is on life support. A legalization bill died in the General Assembly after getting several hearings this year, but failing to even get a vote in the judiciary and public safety committees. In a last-ditch move, Assembly Democrats this month included marijuana legalization in their budget recommendations as a means of addressing budget problems, but they conceded they don't have enough votes in their caucus to pass it and said they added legalization merely "to spur conversation." The dour figure of Gov. Dannel Malloy (D) and his hints of a veto didn't help.
Maryland. A Senate legalization measure, Senate Bill 927, and its House companion, House Bill 1186, both got committee hearings, but neither could get a vote out of disinterested committee chairs. A bill that would have amended the state constitution to legalize personal possession and cultivation, Senate Bill 891, suffered the same fate. The General Assembly is now adjourned until January 2018.
New Mexico. Hopes for legalization this year in the Land of Enchantment crashed and burned back in February, when a measure to do just that, House Bill 89, died an ignominious death in the House Business and Industry Committee. Four out of five committee Democrats joined all five committee Republicans to bury it on a 9-1 vote. And the legislature killed a decriminalization bill, too, before the session ended. Again, a veto threat-wielding governor in the background, Susana Martinez (R), didn't help.
Rhode Island. Although a full third of House members cosponsored the legalization measure, House Bill 5555, the House Judiciary Committee this month failed to vote on it, instead passing House Bill 5551, which punts on the issue by instead creating a commission to study marijuana legalization and report back in March 2018. That bill now awaits a House floor vote.
Vermont. The Green Mountain State became the first to see a marijuana legalization bill, Senate Bill 22, approved by the legislature, only to see it vetoed last week by Republican Gov. Phil Scott, who cited concerns about drugged driving and youth access. Scott did leave the door open for a modified bill to win his approval this year, but that would require legislators to agree on new language and get it passed during a two-day "veto session" next month, which in turn would require Republican House members to suspend some rules. That's looks unlikely, as does the prospect of a successful veto override. But it's not dead yet.
When it comes to pot, New England is hot.
For reform advocates, it's a case of the glass half full.
"This is still a historic time," said Justin Strekal, political director for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). "For the first time, we saw a state legislature pass a bill removing all penalties for the possession and consumption of marijuana by its citizens. We've had great victories in the past 10 years, but they've all been through the initiative process. Now, with the polls continuing to show majorities favoring outright legalization, legislators are feeling more emboldened to represent their constituents, but it won't happen overnight."
"We've seen bigger gains than any other year in history," said MPP Communication Director Mason Tvert. "There's never been a legislature in all our history that passed a law making marijuana legal for adults, and now one did. That's pretty substantial."
But Tvert conceded that legalization via the state house is a course filled with obstacles.
"In Rhode Island, the leadership is still holding it up, although it looks like it will pass a legalization study commission," he said. "In Delaware, a bill passed easily in committee, but it needs two-thirds to pass the House, and that's tough to do in the first year. In Vermont, last year, we had the governor, but not both houses of the legislature; this year we had the legislature, but not the governor," he elaborated.
"That's the nature of representative democracy and the structure of government in the US," Tvert said. "It requires a lot of pieces to fall into place."
"One of the biggest obstacles we face is the demographics of those chair those legislative committees," said NORML's Strekal. "They tend to skew toward older, more prohibitionist age brackets, but as these turn over to a new generation of legislators and elected officials, we should be able to get more of those bills out of committee, like we just saw in Delaware."
Tvert pointed to an example of the committee chair bottleneck in the Lone Star State.
"It's one thing to lose on a floor vote in the House," he said. "It's another thing to have a whip count showing you could win a floor vote, and you can't get a vote. That was the case in Texas with both medical marijuana and decriminalization. They had immense support and couldn't get votes."
Despite the vicissitudes of politics at state capitals, marijuana reformers remain confident that history is on their side.
"This is a situation where times are changing and people are becoming increasingly impatient," said Tvert. "When you have people's lives negatively affected by prohibition and obvious solutions staring you in the face, it's understandable that some people get antsy, but we've seen some pretty significant developments this year, and there will be more to come."
Tvert compared the legalization situation now with medical marijuana a few years back.
"With medical marijuana, we won in five initiative states between 1996 and 2000 before Hawaii became the first legislative medical marijuana state," he noted. "Since then, there've been nine more initiative states and 14 more legislative states. Now, we've seen eight states legalize in through initiatives in 2012 and 2016, Once this gets through one state legislature, the floodgates will open."
NORML's Strekal was taking the long view.
"In the grand scheme of things, this movement is chugging along much faster than other issues have advanced historically," he said. "It's important to keep in mind how far we've come."
But marijuana legalization is still a work in progress, and we've still yet to see that first legislative state fall. Maybe next year.
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South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley (R) thought he had the perfect case to help burnish his tough-on-pot prosecutorial credentials as he eyes the governorship in the socially conservative state. It didn't work out that way, though.
Eric Hagen, who was set to be sacrificed on the altar of Jackley's ambitions, walked free last week after a jury in Flandreau refused to convict him of a marijuana trafficking conspiracy for his company's efforts to advise the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe on a marijuana cultivation operation and resort.
The tribe last year had announced plans for the operation after tribes across the country received an unsolicited okay from the federal government to pursue marijuana operations and hired Hagen's Colorado-based Monarch America to help get the operation up and running. But facing mixed signals -- including threats of possible raids -- from federal officials and staunch opposition from state and local officials, the tribe tore up its plants last fall.
State officials got what they wanted, the tribe gave up its plans, Monarch America closed up shop on the reservation, and the matter appeared to be settled. But nine months later, as Jackley geared up for his 2018 gubernatorial run, he brought marijuana trafficking charges against Hagen and Monarch Vice President Jonathan Hunt.
The move came even though state attorneys general can't prosecute non-Indians for crimes on reservations. In a novel move, Jackley argued that his office did have jurisdiction to prosecute victimless crimes committed by non-Indians.
Facing up to ten years in state prison, Hunt copped to one count of conspiracy in August and agreed to testify against his business partner, but Hagen decided to fight and went to trial beginning last Friday. As a witness, Hunt testified that he did not think he was really guilty of crime, but accepted a plea bargain because he didn't want to risk a prison sentence.
At the trial, jurors had to decide whether Hagen possessed or intended to possess marijuana and whether he engaged in a conspiracy. The state's case took a blow when Santee Sioux tribal officials, including Chairman Tony Reider, testified that it was the tribe's marijuana, not Hagen's, and that Hagen and Hunt were merely consultants.
Defense attorney Mike Butler also successfully challenged the conspiracy claim, noting in arguments and questions to witnesses that there was nothing secret about the tribe's plans. As Butler noted, the tribe and Monarch America had been very open about their plans and had invited media, lawmakers, and even the FBI to tour the grow operation.
Butler also alluded to the political subtext behind Jackley's prosecution of the consultants. "My client and Mr. Hunt are collateral damage," he said.
The jury agreed, finding Hagen not guilty after only two hours of deliberation Wednesday.
Hagen is a free man, but his company must now be rebuilt, and the Sioux Falls native is calling out Jackley for attempting to ride to higher political office on his back.
"He tanked our company by spreading lies and rumors," Hagen said. "It was 100% politically motivated. This was simply a media ploy for Jackley because he's running for governor in 2018."
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Dianne Feinstein and Chuck Grassley file a CBD research bill, Detroit has been moving against unpermitted dispensaries, and more.
National
Last Thursday, a pair of prohibitoinist senators filed a CBD research bill. Two of the Senate's most ardent prohibitionists, International Narcotics Control caucus leaders Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) filed a bill to expand research into the medical benefits of cannabidiol and marijuana. The bill has not yet been assigned a number, nor is the text available on the congressional website, but the text can be viewed here. Feinstein authored a similar bill last session that went nowhere.
Arkansas
On Tuesday, state regulators delayed voting on final rules for another week. The state Medical Marijuana Commission needs another week to finalize some rules, commission Chairwoman Dr. Ronda Henry-Tillman said. If it indeed finalizes rules next week, applications for medical marijuana businesses will open up on June 30.
Michigan
As of Monday, Detroit has closed 167 unpermitted dispensaries, with more to come. The city's crackdown on illegally operating dispensaries has seen 167 of them shuttered since the campaign began last year, and another 51 are in line to be closed in coming weeks, according to Detroit corporation counsel Melvin Butch Hollowell. The city had identified 283 illegally operating dispensaries and has a goal of reducing the number of dispensaries in the city to 50.
[For extensive information about the medical marijuana debate, presented in a neutral format, 'visit MedicalMarijuana.ProCon.org.]
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A Connecticut top narc gets nailed for stealing dope, an NYPD officer get nailed for peddling dope, a Hawaii cop gets a wrist-slap for "promoting" dope, and more. Let's get to it:
In New Orleans,
an Orleans Parish sheriff's jail employee was arrested last Thursday after she was caught in the act smuggling heroin and other drugs into the parish jail. Ciboney Parker, 23, went down after jail authorities recorded phone calls made between her, an inmate, and the inmate's girlfriend setting up a delivery. She got popped when she showed up at work with the drugs. She is now charged with possession with intent to distribute heroin, possession of schedule IV drugs (tramadol) and bringing contraband into a correctional facility.
In New York City, an NYPD officer was arrested last Thursday for allegedly peddling drugs on the street in Queens while off duty. Officer Jose Sierra got popped for selling drugs to a man on 111th Street in Corona. He is a five-year veteran of the force.
In Fairfield, Connecticut, the Fairfield Police Department's lead narcotics detective was arrested last Friday on charges he stole heroin and other drugs seized during police operations. Detective Steven Rilling, 40, is charged with third-degree computer crime, second-degree larceny, second-degree forgery, possession of narcotics, false entry by an officer or agent of a public community and tampering with evidence. Rilling only stole drugs from cases in which he was involved, police said.
In Honolulu, a former Honolulu police officer was sentenced Tuesday to 60 days in jail on multiple drug charges. Alan Ahn got into trouble when police raided his girlfriend's house after undercover officers bought drugs there. While he was looking at up to years, he copped a plea, admitting to "promotion" of cocaine, marijuana, and painkillers. He must also do four years' probation.
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A joint report from the Justice and State inspector generals' finds that the DEA lied and covered up the facts in a 2012 Honduran raid that left four innocent civilians dead, Peruvian security forces prepare to enter forbidden territory in the country's coca heartland, the South Dakota attorney general's ploy to win political advantage by prosecuting a pot consultant fails, and more.
Authorities in Honduras have discovered their first domestic coca plantation. (deamuseum.org)
Maine Legislature Passes Bill to Fund the Implementation of the Marijuana Legalization Initiative and Change the Agency That Will Regulate Marijuana for Adult Use. The Senate on Thursday passed Legislative Document 243 unanimously "under the hammer," without debate or a roll call vote, sending it to Gov. Paul LePage (R) for final approval. The House passed it "under the hammer" on Wednesday. The bill would transfer the authority to oversee adult-use marijuana from the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to the Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations within the Department of Administrative and Financial Services (DAFS). The Bureau would be responsible for licensing adult-use marijuana businesses and creating and enforcing regulations. LD 243 also allocates $200,000 to the Joint Select Committee on Marijuana Legalization Implementation and $1.4 million to DAFS to implement Question 1.
South Dakota Attorney General Foiled in Bid to Prosecute Pot Consultant for Personal Political Advantage. A jury in Flandreau acquitted a marijuana business consultant of conspiracy to possess and marijuana possession Wednesday. Eric Hagen, president of Colorado-based Monarch America, had contracted with the Flandreau Sioux tribe to assist it in developing a marijuana grow operation and resort, a plan that was abandoned by the tribe in the face of mixed signals from the federal government and staunch opposition from state officials. Led by Attorney General Marty Jackley (R), who is eying the state's governor's office, the state nine-months later charged Hagen and a business partner, even though they never possessed or controlled any marijuana. It took a juror just two hours to find Hagen not guilty. Hagen immediately accused Jackley of ruining his company through a politically motivated prosecution. "He tanked our company by spreading lies and rumors," Hagen said. "It was 100 percent politically motivated. This was simply a media ploy for Jackley because he's running for governor in 2018."
International
Peruvian Forces Set to Enter Key Coca Cultivation Area. Security forces are preparing to enter the lawless Apurimac, Ene, and Mantaro River valleys (VRAEM) coca growing areas for the first time as part of a plan to eradicate half the country's coca supply by 20121. The area, where an estimated 125,000-150,000 acres of coca is grown is remote, on the far side of the Andes, and the trade there is protected by armed rebel groups and drug trafficking organization. "It has to be done slowly, but it has to be done," Peru's drug czar Carmen Masias told a news conference.
Hondurans Bust First Coca Plantation. For years, Honduras has been a key transshipment point for cocaine headed from South America toward North American markets, but now Honduran authorities report finding their first domestic coca growing operation. They busted the field containing an estimated 7,000 plants last month in the mountainous region of Esquipulas del Norte. "We have confirmed through toxicological exams that we're dealing with coca plants. This is the first time we've confiscated a coca plantation in Honduras," prosecutor Carlos Morazan said. "At the site, we found a laboratory with tools and precursor chemicals for making coca paste and for processing the drug up to its final power form," Morazan added.
DOJ Report Says DEA Lied About Fatal Honduran Drug Raid. In 2012, a botched drug raid in Honduras led to the shooting deaths of four civilians, including a teenage boy, as they floated along a river. Now, a report from the Justice Department's Office of the Inspector General finds that the DEA lied when it claimed the victims were cocaine traffickers who had shot first and that DEA agents were only present as advisors. The report says the DEA failed to properly investigate, blocked attempts to find the truth, and stuck with an inaccurate version of events despite the efforts of Congress and the Justice Department to get to the bottom of it.
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France is moving toward marijuana decriminalization, perhaps as early as September, Vermont legalization supporters still hold out hope, and more.
Vive la France!
New Hampshire Senate Committee Votes to Establish Commission to Study Marijuana Legalization. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Thursday to approve House Bill 215, which would create a 22-member commission to study"the possible impacts of changing state policy to treat marijuana in a manner similar to the way the state deals with alcohol and shall study the legalization, regulation, and taxation of marijuana including the specific issues related to growing, selling, taxing, limiting use, advertising, promoting, and otherwise regulating marijuana and marijuana-infused edible products." The bill has already passed the House and now heads for the Senate floor.
Vermont Legalization Supporters Seek Compromise. In the wake of Gov. Phil Scott's (R) veto of the Senate Bill 22 legalization measure, supporters are seeking to find a compromise that will make the governor comfortable signing off on legalization. Scott said he wanted more aggressive penalties for driving under the influence or smoking in front of children and clearer and harsher penalties for selling and providing marijuana to minors. But Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Sen. Richard Sears (D-Bennington), a legalization supporter, said while compromise was possible, it might not happen if Republicans don't agree to suspend legislative rules to allow the legislation to move more quickly during a two-day summer session.
Medical Marijuana
Prohibitionist Senators File CBD Research Bill. Two of the Senate's most ardent prohibitionists, International Narcotics Control caucus leaders Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) filed a bill to expand research into the medical benefits of cannabidiol and marijuana Thursday. The bill has not yet been assigned a number, nor is the text available on the congressional website, but the text can be viewed here. Feinstein authored a similar bill last session that went nowhere.
Asset Forfeiture
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Reins in Prosecutors on Civil Asset Forfeiture. In a unanimous decision Thursday, the state's highest court ruled that before seizing a property, prosecutors must prove it played a significant role in committing a crime, and it's value must be proportionate to the offense. The ruling came in the case of a 72-year-old Philadelphia woman whose $54,000 home and used minivan were seized in 2012 after her son was investigated for selling small amounts of marijuana. Her case has now been sent back to the lower courts to be decided in compliance with this ruling.
Sentencing
Hakeem Jeffries Files Federal Drug Charge Expungement Bill. US Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) has filed House Resolution 2617, which would allow first-time, low-level, nonviolent drug possession offenders a change to expunge their convictions and clean up their records upon completion of court imposed probation. The bill has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee.
International
France Could Decriminalize Marijuana Possession as Soon as September. Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said Wednesday that the ministry is set to issue new rules under which someone caught with small amounts of pot would be cited and fined -- not arrested. The new rules could be in place "within three or four months," he said. Collomb's boss, newly-inaugurated President Emmanuel Macron had campaigned in favor of decriminalization and described marijuana prohibition as "posing a security problem."
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There may be hope, albeit slim, for legalization yet this year in Vermont, Israeli marijuana decriminalization has gone into effect, South Carolina becomes the 31st hemp state, and more.
Marijuana PolicyKeeping Hope Alive in Vermont. Marijuana legalization advocates met last Friday with members of Gov. Phil Scott's (R) staff to discuss possible revisions in the marijuana legalization bill, Senate Bill 22, that could make it palatable enough to Scott to make him put away his veto pen. Scott vetoed the bill last week, saying he was not philosophically opposed to legalization, but wanted tougher penalties for using marijuana around children and a delay in the deadline for a legislative commission to study legalizing marijuana commerce. The current bill would only legalize personal possession and cultivation.
Medical Marijuana
Detroit Has Closed 167 Unpermitted Dispensaries; More to Come. The city's crackdown on illegally operating dispensaries has seen 167 of them shuttered since the campaign began last year, and another 51 are in line to be closed in coming weeks, according to Detroit corporation counsel Melvin Butch Hollowell. The city had identified 283 illegally operating dispensaries and has a goal of reducing the number in the city to 50.
Hemp
South Carolina Becomes 31st Hemp State. Gov. Henry McMaster (R) has signed into law House Bill 3559, which establishes a state hemp program that will award 20 licenses to farmers to grow and harvest hemp fields of up to 20 acres each. The bill passes the House unanimously and the Senate with a single "no" vote.
International
Trump Budget Would Cut in Half Mexican Drug War Aid. The administration's proposed budget for next year would cut almost in half foreign aid payments to Mexico, most of which goes to the police and military to wage the drug war south of the border. The budget does include $1.6 billion for building the border wall, though.
Israel Marijuana Decriminalization Has Gone Into Effect. As of this week, marijuana possession is decriminalized in Israel. People caught in possession of 15 grams or less will face a $280 fine for a first offense and a $560 fine for a second offense. Third time offenders will be investigated for drug offenses and have the violation added to their criminal records, while fourth-time offenders will face arrest.
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A bipartisan group of US senators has sent Attorney General Sessions a letter asking him to rein in federal civil asset forfeiture, the Rhode Island House is voting on a pot legalization study commission, the Canadian parliament begins debating the government's legalization bill, and more.
Marijuana PolicyCalifornia Senate Votes to Make Marijuana Use in Cars an Infraction. The state Senate on Tuesday approved Senate Bill 65, which would prohibit the use of marijuana in automobiles because of concerns over drugged driving. The bill would make the offense a violation, punishable by no more than a fine. The bill now goes to the Assembly.
Rhode Island House to Vote Today on Legalization Study Commission. The House is set to vote today on a bill creating a 17-member panel to "conduct a comprehensive review and make recommendations regarding marijuana and the effects of its use." The commission would have until March 1, 2018 to report its findings to the General Assembly. Adopting the bill effectively blocks legalization in the state until next year at the earliest. This measure is supported by anti-reform state Attorney General Peter Kilmartin and Smart Approaches to Marijuana. If the measure passes the House, it then goes to the Senate.
Wisconsin Decriminalization Bill Gets Lone Republican Supporter. Legislative proponents of marijuana decriminalization held a press conference on Tuesday to rally support for a bill that would remove criminal penalties for possession of 10 grams or less. Three Democratic cosponsors were joined by Republican Rep. Adam Jarchow (District 28) at the presser, where they conceded their bill was unlikely to pass this year, but was intended to get the ball rolling.
Medical Marijuana
Arkansas Regulators Delay Voting on Final Rules for Another Week. The state Medical Marijuana Commission needs another week to finalize some rules, commission Chairwoman Dr. Ronda Henry-Tillman said Tuesday. If it indeed finalizes rules next week, applications for medical marijuana businesses will open up on June 30.
Asset Forfeiture
Bipartisan Group of Senators Ask Session to Rein In Asset Forfeiture. Six US senators have sent a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions asking him to change Justice Department policy on civil asset forfeiture. "We encourage the Department of Justice to revise its civil asset forfeiture practices to reflect our nation's commitment to the rule of law and due process," Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT), Rand Paul (R-KY), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Tom Udall (D-NM) and Angus King (I-ME) wrote to Sessions. "We encourage the Department of Justice to revise its civil asset forfeiture practices to reflect our nation's commitment to the rule of law and due process." Noting that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas had recently expressed skepticism about the practice, they added: "You need not wait for Supreme Court censure before reforming these practices, and, in any event, the Department of Justice should err on the side of protecting constitutional rights."
International
Canada Begins Debating Government's Marijuana Legalization Bill. Parliamentary debate on the C-45 legalization bill got underway Tuesday. Supported by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the bill is expected to pass, making Canada the second country after Uruguay to legalize marijuana.
South African Opioid Substitution Program Underway. The city of Tshwane and the University of Pretoria are collaborating on a pilot opioid substitution therapy (OST) program in seven clinics in central Pretoria and Tshwane townships. Doctors are prescribing drugs such as methadone and buprenorphine to be consumed under direct supervision of health workers. The program also links patients to counseling and job skills, as well as testing for HIV and Hep C.
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