Mediame.guru

By Chris Bovey

2019 was another year where the world showed much promise in moving towards the ending of the prohibition of cannabis.

As predicted by Feed The Birds, the minor changes to UK law on medicinal cannabis the British government were shamed into announcing in 2018 didn’t provide anybody legal access, asides from perhaps a handful of people who could afford a few grand a month for a private prescription.

The fight goes on in the UK. Hopefully, it will be more than a few people sparking up a joint in a park once a year, while the authorities kindly turn a blind eye. Bigger and better things are planned for 420 in 2020. Watch this space for news of street parties on 420 this year.

2019 saw the loss of Labour Paul Flynn MP who had campaigned for decades for the legalisation of cannabis, as well as the sad death of coffeeshop entrepreneur, Nol Van Schaik, who has written for Feed The Birds and NORML UK in the past.

Tide is turning for legalisation throughout the world

In the rest of the world, there was more positive news. The start of the year saw California, the biggest economy of all US states, legalised recreational cannabis for adults. Justin Trudeau was re-elected Prime Minister of Canada as the nation didn’t collapse after he legalised weed.

As predicted, the legalisation of marijuana in California would see more states follow suit. Illinois passed a bill that comes in to force on 1^st January 2020 to legalise recreational cannabis for adults. The Illinois legislation is particularly groundbreaking as it seeks to address the injustices to the victims of the war on drugs and give a helping hand to poorer areas to get a foot into the booming marijuana industry.

States where marijuana is legal recreationally and medicinally in the USA.

Legislation to decriminalise was passed in 2019 in Hawaii, New Mexico, New York and a number of other states increased access to medical MJ.

In Europe, the tiny Duchy of Luxembourg announced it would fully legalise cannabis following the re-election of Liberal Prime Minister, Xavier Bettel. This will make Luxembourg the first country in Europe where cannabis is officially legal, as while it’s been legally available to buy in The Netherlands since the 1970s, it is still technically not legal over there.

The New Zealand government announced it would hold a referendum on legalising cannabis which is almost certain to pass and the Australian territory of Canberra also announced plans to fully legalise.

Canada and California legalising were always going to be a gamechanger. These are not tiny countries like Uruguay, which was the first country to officially legalise. Canada is a G7 country and California is one of the largest economies in the world in its own right. They have survived legalisation, it has not led to increased abuse, but instead proven that a regulated market is the safest way to control and also it raises a lot of money in taxes for public services.

Studies have even shown that cannabis usage in teens has gone down in states that have legalised.

The UK remains corrupt

Cannabis will likely remain illegal in the UK, although after a decade of Tory cuts to the police service, it is not a priority for many forces. The British Conservatives who were exposed as having more interest in white powders to go up their noses than the herb were re-elected. Theresa May, who expressed sympathy for upgrading skunk to a Class A drug, while her family and Ministers profited from it, has gone.

May has been replaced by Bo Jo the Clown, who prefers the Bolivian Marching Powder. I cannot see him relaxing the laws as the Tories will still be more interested in protecting the monopoly of legal cannabis grows in the UK that have dodgy connections to the Conservative Party. Although, you never know, when the Brexit mess kicks in and tax revenue to the Exchequer is so badly damaged due to diminished GDP, they’ll be looking for all sorts of new ways to collect taxes.

Cannabis is good for depression, so more people might need it with the prospect of the Tory monsters in charge for another five years delivering us their shitty Brexit that the majority of the country voted against in the only two national elections held in 2019 in Great Britain.