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Articles on Marijuana legalization

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During the pandemic Americans turned to CBD, which purports to have calming effects. Catherine Falls Commercial/Getty Images

CBD, marijuana and hemp: What is the difference among these cannabis products, and which are legal?

Hemp, CBD and marijuana are all forms of cannabis – but they are different in significant ways, from form and legality to their potential uses as treatment for various health conditions.
Mexico’s militarized war on drugs – and, often, drug users – has killed at least 150,000 people over the past 15 years. Jair Cabrera Torres/picture alliance via Getty Images

Mexico moves to legalize cannabis use, a modest step toward de-escalating drug war

Mexico would not fully legalize cannabis; its new regulation plan makes recreational use legal. However modest, that would be a symbolic milestone for a country immersed in a long, deadly drug war.
Activists wave flags in front of the U.S. Capitol to demand that Congress pass cannabis reform legislation on Oct. 8, 2019. Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

Legalizing marijuana, once a pipe dream on Capitol Hill, takes an important step forward

A cannabis decriminalization bill approved by the House is a sign from Congress that sentiment around the drug is evolving, but it misses a chance to regulate marijuana for the good of all Americans.
Cannabis edibles like sour candy straws are now available for purchase and consumption, but the risks from overdosing are quite high. (Shutterstock)

Cannabis edibles pose serious risks to our kids

As cannabis candies and chocolates become widely available, sweeter edibles may be more appealing to youth. We need to work to minimize the potential health impacts.
Evidence suggests that Muslim men in France have been disproportionately arrested and jailed for cannabis-related crimes since the drug became illegal in 1970. Francisco Osorio/flickr

French cannabis legalization debate ignores race, religion and the mass incarceration of Muslims

Muslims make up 9% of France’s population and half of all its prisoners – many convicted on drug charges. But social justice isn’t part of the country’s growing debate on legalization.
Utah residents show support for a ballot initiative that would legalize medical marijuana in the state. AP Photo/Rick Bowmer

Marijuana is on the ballot in four states, but legalization may soon stall, researchers say

Midterm voters in Utah, Missouri, Michigan and North Dakota will decide whether to join the 31 US states that have some form of legal marijuana. But ballot initiatives can only take pot so far.
In less than a month, marijuana can be legally purchased from private retailers in Ontario and some other places across Canada. Are we ready for it? THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Are we really ready for privatized pot sales?

As marijuana legalization looms and we we contemplate the future of cannabis sales in Canada, there are still lots of questions for both the public and government to consider.
Vic Fedeli, Ontario’s finance minister, and Attorney General Caroline Mulroney talk to the media after announcing Ontario’s cannabis retail model on Aug. 13. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov

Ontario uproots its plans for selling weed

Ontario’s change to private sector cannabis stores will give consumers more convenience. That will mean stronger competition against the black market, but potentially higher consumption too.
A parade of bar men protest Prohibition along Yonge Street in Toronto in 1916. Library and Archives Canada

Want cannabis stores banned in your town? Read this first

History has shown that prohibiting popular intoxicants spurs illegal and sometimes excessive use. Ontario municipalities taking up Doug Ford’s offer to ban local retail weed sales should take note.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford arrives for the buck-a-beer plan announcement at Barley Days brewery in Picton, Ont., on Aug. 7, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Lars Hagberg

Why Doug Ford should think twice about changing booze and weed laws

Ontario Premier Doug Ford is loosening the province’s liquor laws. Before dismantling a system, it’s a good idea to know why it was established in the first place.
Lack of clear evidence on impairment from cannabis use has led to vastly different workplace policies. Police officers in Ottawa and Vancouver face no restrictions on their off-work use of cannabis as long as they are fit for duty, officers in Calgary have been banned from use and in Toronto they face a 28-day abstinence period. (Shutterstock)

Cannabis in the workplace: We need an accurate measure of impairment

Will offices, construction sites and medical clinics become less safe now that marijuana is legal in Canada? Our experts review the evidence, or lack of it.

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