News Brief

An unintended consequence of last summer's war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon is a steep spike in hashish prices paid by Israeli consumers due to increased border security.

In a debate last week, Massachusetts Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deval Patrick said he could support marijuana legalization, and in the next breath, vowed to veto a marijuana decriminalization bill if it crossed his desk.

A Virginia sheriff and most of his department goes down for reselling seized drug and guns, a Border Patrol guard gets caught turning a blind eye in exchange for sex and cash, dope is missing from the Boston Police evidence warehouse, a small town police chief pleads guilty to protecting crack dealers, and two cops are going to prison for dealing drugs.

Faced with falling commodity prices, Swazi farmers are turning to marijuana as a cash crop. Now there's talk of growing hemp.

Canada's Supreme Court on Thursday threw out the conviction of medical marijuana activist Grant Krieger because of a judge's overreaching jury instructions.

Europe's nascent Cannabis Social Club movement gained a prominent new face this week when a Belgian Member of Parliament signed on.

A battle over a bill to criminalize the possession of bongs, has led part of the Israeli Justice Department to call for an end to the persecution of marijuana and hashish users.

Florida has an asset forfeiture law that provides for legal recourse, but that's too much bother for one Sunshine State police department.

More crooked cops trying to rip-off drug dealers, another one trying to rip-off his own department, and, of course, yet another prison guard trying to earn a few bucks on the side.

A medical marijuana activist group in the Spanish Basque country has announced the first aboveground "Cannabis Pharmacy," and the Spanish health ministry is not happy.