‘This week in weed news’ is highlighted by the first ever legal marijuana plant being planted in Jamaica, and a FOX News poll showing that the majority of Americans are now in favor of legalizing marijuana.
The end of worldwide marijuana prohibition is near, it’s so close you can almost smell that sticky icky wafting in through your windows at all hours of the day, or maybe that’s just the neighbors who are listening to Cypress Hill’s ‘Hits From The Bong’ on repeat. But back to the topic at hand: the worldwide shift towards marijuana legalization took some huge strides this week when the first ever legal marijuana plant was planted at the University of the West Indies Mona campus on Monday as part of a medical research program. Meanwhile, a recent FOX News poll showed that a majority (51%) of Americans are IN FAVOR of legalizing marijuana. The globe is coming together on the top of weed, and the future of legalization looks very bright.
Weed News: Legalization Updates Across The Globe
The Caribbean Journal was on hand Monday at the University of the West Indies as ground was broken on the first ever ‘legal marijuana plant in Jamaica’. The plant will grow up to be part of a new medical marijuana research program in Jamaica, and marks the beginning of the end for Marijuana Prohibition in Jamaica.
The first legal cannabis plant in the country was planted on the grounds of the University of the West Indies Mona campus on Monday.
The University has been accorded an order by the government to cultivate marijuana for medical research and to “set the pace for the development of a legal cannabis industry.”
That follows the passage of the Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Act 2015, which recently became effective and provides for the development of a medical marijuana industry in the country.
“I want to know when you start to do the experimentation, and what is found in the plant,” Science Minister Philip Paulwell told researchers. “We have to start this way, so that we can set the stage for full commercialization.”
Justice Minister Mark Golding, who was also on hand for the ceremony, said the university had a “fine team of scientists across different scientific disciplines.”
“Now that they can actually cultivate for research purposes, we can expect that the outcomes of the endeavors will be more profound, and with the economic opportunities that this will bring, we see this as part of what, I hope, will be a transformational industry for Jamaica,” he said.
This all comes on the heels of Jamaica finally decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana. A recently passed amendment in Jamaica has made it legal for individuals to possess up to 2 ounces of weed, as well as keep up to 5 plants at home. So the tiny island nation that’s long been synonymous with ganja is finally takings steps towards complete legalization.
WEED NEWS: FOX News Reports Majority Of American’s Favor Marijuana Legalization
In other news, FOX News (no, seriously, I’m talking about THAT FOX News) put out an interactive poll with questions regarding everything from the upcoming Presidential Election, to abortion, to the legalization of marijuana.
51% of respondents said they were in favor of legalization, 44% oppose legalization, and 5% ‘don’t know’. What’s interesting is that FOX News failed to specify whether they were talking about the nationwide legalization of recreational marijuana or simply the legalization of medical marijuana. The question was written as: “Do you favor or oppose legalizing marijuana?”
This is all encouraging news though, as back in 2001 less than 30% of the American population favored legalizing marijuana, and just five years (201) ago barely over 40% of U.S. citizens were in favor of legalization.
WEED NEWS: Weed Tourism Just Got A Whole Lot Easier
The first ever luxury travel site designed specifically for ‘Weed Tourism has launched: The Travel Joint.
With a rise in the number of states that have legalized recreational marijuana use, with more likely on the way in 2016, cannabis tourism is becoming an important but mostly untalked about market segment. To help bring this market out of the shadows, The Travel Joint has launched a new website that is a one-stop shop for booking cannabis travel.
The Travel Joint allows medical and recreational cannabis users to book every aspect of their travel itineary, including hotels, flights, concert tickets, cannabis tours and more. The Travel Joint’s concierge team is also able to arrange for over-the-top luxury experiences like private jet travel and top of the line suites in destinations like Colorado, Washington and Nevada.
It was only a matter of time until a side came along that tried to corner the market on Weed Tourism, so ‘grats to the folks behind ‘The Travel Joint’ for getting in there before the market’s waaaayyyyyy too saturated.
So there you have it, today’s most pertinent weed news. I’m thinking if this ‘Weed News’ feature does well then I might make it a regular feature here on BroBible, putting together a Weed News round up every few days whenever important stories are making headlines. If a bi-weekly round up of all the most pressing weed news is something you’d be interested in reading, shoot me a message down below in the comments so I know if it’ll be worth doing again.