Brasilia:

 A majority of the justices on Brazil’s Supreme Court are in favor of decriminalizing the possession of marijuana for personal consumption, following a crucial vote on Tuesday.

“The position is clear that no user of any drug can be considered a criminal,” said Justice Dias Toffoli, the sixth judge on the 11-member top court to vote for decriminalization.

So far, three justices have opposed a decision to no longer make possession of cannabis a crime, including its most recent member, Cristiano Zanin, who was appointed by leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

The consumption of marijuana in public will continue to be prohibited and cannabis remains illegal in Brazil.

Decriminalizing its use has been discussed by the Supreme Court since 2015 and the justices reached a majority at a time when politicians are proposing a constitutional ban on the use of illegal drugs.

A bill advancing in Congress, with the support of conservative and evangelical lawmakers, proposes amending the Constitution to make the use and possession of any kind of narcotics a criminal offense.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Washington, United States:

US President Joe Biden’s administration formally proposed on Thursday reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug, a historic shift that would bring federal policy more in line with public opinion.

“No one should be in jail merely for using or possessing marijuana. Period,” Biden said in a video statement.

“Far too many lives have been upended because of a failed approach to marijuana and I’m committed to righting those wrongs.”

Marijuana has been classified since 1970 as a so-called Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) — the same level as with heroin, ecstasy and LSD. That classification means it is deemed to have no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.

But it would be downgraded to a Schedule III drug under the proposal, putting it alongside drugs like ketamine and painkillers containing codeine, considered to have a moderate to low likelihood of dependence.

That wouldn’t make it legal, but it could lead to fewer arrests at the federal level.

The proposal to reclassify cannabis was unveiled by the Biden administration at the end of April and the Justice Department officially launched the process on Thursday.

Marijuana will remain a controlled substance until the process — which includes a public comment period and a potential hearing before a judge — is complete.

In 2022, Biden became the first president to initiate a federal review of marijuana policy.

Racist past

The issue is seen as a potential vote winner for Biden as he faces Republican Donald Trump in a tough election rematch this November, especially among younger people that the Democratic incumbent is struggling to court.

A Pew Research Center survey found 88 percent of Americans believe marijuana should be legal for medical or recreational use. Just 11 percent said it should not be legal at all.

Cannabis was first outlawed at the federal level in 1937, a decision critics say was made largely on the basis of racist ideas, as the drug was perceived as being intimately tied to jazz music, the Black community and Mexican immigrants.

The 1970s brought the “War on Drugs,” which likewise disproportionately hit minorities — before the medical marijuana movement took root in the 1990s. In 2012, US states began to make recreational cannabis legal for adults.

Cannabis is today a multibillion-dollar business in the United States, with more than half of all states having legalized recreational and medicinal cannabis use, including California and New York.

But figures show that racial minorities, in particular Black Americans, are overrepresented in marijuana-related arrests.

“This decision is monumental,” the NAACP civil rights organization said on X, formerly Twitter.

“Far too many Black Americans have fallen victim to a system designed for their demise.”

Boost to legal industry

Since the drug remains a controlled substance at the national level, everyone involved is still technically breaking the law of the land.

The classification makes it difficult for businesses in the marijuana industry to access banking services, stops federal funding for medical marijuana research and prevents interstate commerce as well as federal regulation on best practices and protocols for marijuana.

A reclassification would also allow companies to deduct their operating expenses from their taxes, which is currently prohibited.

Thursday’s decision “will unlock important research on the medical efficacy of cannabis and bring about real change for legal operators,” Curaleaf CEO Matt Darin said in a statement to AFP.

On Wall Street, industry shares rose, with Curaleaf gaining 1.07 percent and Verano Holdings .69 percent.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

A person holds a banner during a demonstration in favor of the complete legalization of cannabis, in Leipzig, Germany, on April 1, 2024. Marijuana campaigners in Germany lit celebratory joints on Monday as the country liberalized rules on cannabis to allow possession of small amounts.
| Photo Credit: AP

Cannabis aficionados lit up in Germany on April 1, as the country became the largest EU nation to legalise recreational use, despite fierce objections from opposition politicians and medical associations.

Under the first step in the much-debated new law, adults over 18 are now allowed to carry 25 grams of dried cannabis and cultivate up to three marijuana plants at home.

Also read | The rocky vista of medicinal cannabis research is bringing into view

The changes leave Germany with some of the most liberal cannabis laws in Europe, alongside Malta and Luxembourg, which legalised recreational use in 2021 and 2023, respectively.

The Netherlands, known for its permissive attitude to the drug, has in recent years taken a stricter approach to counter cannabis tourism.

As the law took effect at midnight, some 1,500 people cheered in central Berlin by the Brandenburg Gate, according to police, with some lighting up joints in celebration.

Legalisation was “a bit of extra freedom”, 25-year-old Niyazi said at the gathering. “You do not feel as under pressure now”.

Cannabis consumption has been brought out of the “taboo zone”, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said on X, formerly Twitter.

The new law was “better for real addiction help, prevention for children and young people and for combating the black market,” Lauterbach said, responding in part to criticisms levelled against legalisation.

‘Disaster’

As the next step in the legal reform, from July 1 it will be possible to legally obtain weed through “cannabis clubs” in the country.

These regulated associations will be allowed to have up to 500 members each, and will be able to distribute up to 50 grams of cannabis per person per month.

Until then, “consumers must not tell the police where they bought their cannabis” in the event of a street check, Georg Wurth, director of the German Cannabis Association, said.

Initial plans for cannabis to be sold via licensed shops were ditched due to EU opposition, though a second law is in the pipeline to trial the sale of the drug in shops in pilot regions.

Medical groups have raised concerns that legalisation could lead to an increase in use among young people, who face the highest health risks.

Cannabis use among young people can affect the development of the central nervous system, leading to an increased risk of developing psychosis and schizophrenia, experts have warned.

“From our point of view, the law as it is written is a disaster,” Katja Seidel, a therapist at a cannabis addiction centre for young people in Berlin, said.

Even Lauterbach, a doctor, has said that cannabis consumption can be “dangerous”, especially for young people.

But the government has promised a widespread information campaign to raise awareness of the risks and to boost support programmes.

It has also stressed that cannabis will remain banned for under-18s and within 100 metres of schools, kindergartens and playgrounds.

‘Responsible’

The law has likewise drawn criticism from police, who fear it will be difficult to enforce.

“From April 1, our colleagues will find themselves in situations of conflict with citizens, as uncertainty reigns on both sides,” said Alexander Poitz, vice-president of the GdP police union.

Another potential issue is the implementation of a retroactive amnesty on cannabis-related offences, which could create an administrative headache for the legal system.

According to the German Judges’ Association, the pardon could apply to more than 200,000 cases that would need to be checked and processed.

Justice Minister Marco Buschmann said the rule change would mean a “one-off increase in workload” for law enforcement during the initial transition phase.

In the long-term however “the burden on the police and judiciary will be relieved”, Buschmann told the RND media group.

Conservative opposition leader Friedrich Merz has said he would “immediately” repeal the law if he and his party formed a government following nationwide elections in 2025.

On the other side of the debate, Torsten Dietrich, the head of the Cannabis Social Club lobby group, told AFP the legalisation law “could go a lot further”.

The move did however mean the “decriminalisation of several million people in Germany who have been senselessly discriminated against”, Dietrich said at Monday’s rally.

New Delhi:

New medical research has revealed an increased risk of cardiovascular problems, including heart attacks and strokes, among individuals grappling with marijuana addiction. The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal ‘Addiction’, reported a 60% higher risk of experiencing their initial cardiovascular event for adults misusing cannabis, as per The New York Post. 

The study shows that Canadians dealing with cannabis use disorders face a substantially elevated risk of cardiovascular issues compared to those without such disorders, although it doesn’t definitively establish a causal link. The research, which includes an eight-year analysis of data from roughly 60,000 Canadians, indicates a potential under-diagnosis of this addiction. Lead author Dr. Anees Bahji was quoted by The New York Post as saying, “Our study doesn’t provide enough information to say that cannabis use disorder causes adverse cardiovascular disease events, but we can go so far as to say that Canadians with cannabis use disorder appear to have a much higher risk of cardiovascular disease than people without the disorder.” 

Between January 2012 and December 2019, the study found that 2.4 per cent of people with the disorder experienced their first cardiovascular disease event, in contrast to only 1.5 per cent in the control group. These events encompassed peripheral vascular disease, heart attacks, and strokes. 

Even individuals initially considered as healthy due to the absence of known medical conditions, prescriptions, and infrequent doctor visits still faced a 1.4-fold higher risk of developing heart issues. This heightened risk may be attributed to these participants’ self-perceived health, potentially causing them to overlook early signs of declining cardiovascular well-being. 

This study aligns with existing research highlighting potential health risks associated with frequent cannabis use. Research presented to the American College of Cardiology earlier this year also indicated that regular marijuana use is linked to an increased risk of heart disease. Additionally, individuals who use marijuana regularly have a greater likelihood of developing coronary artery disease compared to non-users. 

Following the legalisation of recreational marijuana in 2021, an estimated 2.7 million New Yorkers were reported to use it at least once a month. Several specialists advise individuals using marijuana to disclose this information to their healthcare providers. 

Heart disease is a global leading cause of death, responsible for roughly one in every five fatalities in the United States, with someone succumbing to it approximately every 33 seconds, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.