Legalization of recreational cannabis as a way for Illinois-based companies to question drug testing policies
Amazon stopped random drug testing in Illinois and is treating cannabis now as alcohol. Other business are also slowly starting to change their cannabis testing policies. Since the legal market for recreational cannabis in Illinois flourished during the pandemic, people are refusing to work in a company prohibiting them from smoking during the weekends. Companies are desperately seeking for workers and find themselves ready for a change. (Source: https://hops.org.mk/8097-2/).
Working group on cannabis defines terms decriminalization, legalization and de-penalization
The Working Group on developing amendments to the legislation on decriminalization, legalization and exploiting the medical, social and economic gains of cannabis held a second session in the Government.
During the session, the Working Group adopted the definition on decriminalization, legalization and de-penalization as relating to the status of cannabis use, terms applied to better understand the degrees of legal cannabis use in institutions’ working processes as well as to inform and educate the public on the different aspects of cannabis use (Source: https://hops.org.mk/rabotnata-grupa-za-kanabis/).
States which legalized cannabis generate 8 billion dollars in tax revenues since beginning of recreational sale
States which legalized cannabis use for adults have collectively charged tax revenues from cannabis sale of almost 8 billion dollars since it became legal in 2014 according to the new report of the Marijuana Policy Project.
The analysis examined the tax structure and revenue stream in all 18 states that have legalized recreational cannabis even though sales have still not started in seven of these states. Generally, this illustrates that introducing regulated cannabis markets provides states with a constant and generally growing revenue source allocated as a support for different programs and services.
Only last year these states collected 2.7 billion dollars in taxes from cannabis sales, a trend expected to grow in the future as well (Source: https://hops.org.mk/drzhavite-koi-ja-legalizirale-marihuanata-generirale-skoro-8-milijardi-dolari-danochni-prihodi-od-pochetokot-na-rekreativnata-prodazhba/).
European Court fines Serbia for police violence against cannabis suspect
The European Court of Human Rights ruled that the Serbian citizen Aleksandar Zlicic was subjected to inhumane and degrading treatment at a Novi Sad police station after he and a friend were arrested in 2014 for alleged possession of cannabis.
In the case Zlicic vs Serbia, Zlicic claimed that after the arrest he was beaten in custody and was forced to sign a document that he possessed a small plastic bag of cannabis found by the police near a bench on which he and his friend were sitting on (Source: https://hops.org.mk/evropskiot-sud-ja-kazni-srbija-za-politsisko-nasilstvo-vrz-osomnichen-za-kanabis/).
United Nations confirms medicinal value of cannabis
Following the suggestion of the World Health Organization, the United Nations finally recognized the medicinal value of cannabis. After a historic vote, cannabis was removed from Schedule IV – substances with small or no therapeutic benefits.
Healthy Options Project Skopje – HOPS, a participant in the work of the UN for many years via different bodies and drug commissions welcomes the decision with the belief that this will help improve the health of many people, and also significantly expedite all clinical trials on cannabis healing potential (Source: https://hops.org.mk/obedinetite-nacii-ja-potvrdija-medicinskata-vrednost-na-kanabisot/).
5th European Harm Reduction Conference
More than 400 professionals and community activists gathered in Prague to attend the 5th European Harm Reduction Conference.
Despite the deterioration with the COVID-19 situation, the European harm reduction movement finally met offline after a long break. The event organized by Correlation European Harm Reduction Network, Eurasian Harm Reduction Association – EHRA and SANANIM provided a platform for many necessary social interactions among researchers, decision makers, service providers, people who use drugs and sex workers.
Look at the video made by Drugreporter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-E0q9PJWqw