An Illinois judge has acquitted a man of animal cruelty charges filed after the man uploaded a video of himself smoking marijuana with a chameleon to Facebook, according to local media.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) complained over the video Bruce Blunt uploaded of himself smoking marijuana with the chameleon Binna in 2015, the Chicago Tribune reported.

The New South Wales Greens will introduce a bill to parliament calling for a ban on sniffer dog operations across the state, describing the current approach as wasteful, dangerous and ineffective. 

Member for Newtown in Sydney's inner-west Jenny Leong and Greens MP David Shoebridge were joined at today's bill announcement by Australian producer Paul Mac and Dan McNamee of Art vs Science, who last year called for a ban at Splendour In The Grass to reduce overdose-related hospitalisations. 

New bill proposes banning all psychoactive substances then expressly permitting use of government-approved drugs

A new blanket ban on legal highs is to be so widely drawn that its provisions could be used to outlaw alcohol, tobacco, coffee and many other widely-used items, ministers have acknowledged.

The Home Office said that one of the main elements of the psychoactive substances bill would be a ban on the trade in “any substance intended for human consumption that is capable of producing a psychoactive effect”, with a maximum seven-year prison sentence to back up the ban.

But it quickly added that “substances such as alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, food and medicinal products would be excluded from the scope of the offence”.

The United Nations General Assembly will hold a Special Session (UNGASS) on drugs on April 19th -21st, 2016 (UNGASS 2016). This is the most significant opportunity to hold a global and in-depth discussion on drugs in almost 20 years. The beneficial role civil society can play in the preparation for this meeting has been widely acknowledged by the United Nations.

Cannabis Sans Frontières is the only French party to run for election for the legalization of the herb. It was founded in 2009 by Farid Ghehiouèche with other pro-legalization activists. The party line is located at the extreme left of the political spectrum - reforms for the right to housing, open borders, the right to basic income - except they are also in favor of legalizing therapies based alternatives poppy, cannabis or iboga, and support to victims of those accused or suspected of drug use. In the European elections of 2014, the party had collected 7,389 votes in his favor, or 0.24% of the votes - which is low, we will agree.
 

WASHINGTON -- A wide-ranging federal criminal complaint alleging that baggage handlers at Oakland International Airport used their special access to circumvent security to transport marijuana across the country has a link to the New Orleans area.

The complaint, unsealed last week, said that Keith Ramon Mayfield, 34, used his privileges as a baggage handler to ship marijuana as cargo and had "co-conspirators," including Brandon Jarred Davillier, 27, of Slidell, receive the marijuana for later distribution. As of late last week, Davillier was listed as a fugitive by the Department of Justice.

There are currently an estimated 22 Veterans committing suicide every day. This is an oft-touted statistic, but it can never be repeated enough. Veterans are returning to the states finding the battles waiting for them here are no less dangerous than the battles they fought in over there. There are new enemies here – post-traumatic stress, the lifelong effects of traumatic brain injury, and a government that will charge them as felons for using a medicine that works for them. This is absolutely unacceptable.

Louisiana may be about to reform its harsh marijuana laws, but not Kansas; a Nebraska CBD cannabis oil bill dies, a Michigan legalization initiative goes back to the drawing board, the Germans and the Israelis grapple with marijuana policy, and more.

Marijuana Policy

Marijuana policy is changing the way Congress thinks and acts. Like most new areas of policy—or policies new to Congress—it is not happening through a ground-breaking, fast moving, all-encompassing policy shift. Instead, through small steps—small victories for marijuana supporters—Congress is showing signs of change, at least in regard to medical marijuana, that depart dramatically with the institution’s historical support for the war on drugs.

Israel, a nation rich in history and diversity, holds its reputation when it comes to medical marijuana research as well. It is the home of “the father of medical marijuana,” Professor Raphael Mechoulam at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in the 1960s, JNS.org reported.