SAN FRANCISCO – The push to put California among the states where marijuana can be sold to and legally used by adults for recreation took a major step forward on Monday as ballot language backed by Napster co-founder Sean Parker, other wealthy entrepreneurs who support pot legalization and leading advocacy groups was filed with the state.

The proposed legalization initiative is one of more than a dozen that has been submitted in California for the November 2016 election. Because of the deep pockets, political connections and professional credibility of its supporters, however, observers think the so-called Adult Use of Marijuana Act is the vehicle with the greatest chance of success.

Germany's government has plans to set up a pharmaceutical agency to regulate the cultivation of cannabis for medicinal purposes, according to a media report. Such a step could make the drug more accessible to ill people.

A so-called cannabis agency has been proposed in draft legislation put forward by the federal health ministry, the "Welt am Sonntag" newspaper reported on Sunday.

The bill was reportedly awaiting approval from the office of Chancellor Angela Merkel. As outlined in the draft, the new state-owned body would be tasked with regulating the price of medicinal hemp and making sure the drug was grown and sold purely for pharmaceutical purposes. Patients in need of pain relief would not be allowed to grow their own cannabis plants.

Cannabis should be on prescription soon - at least for pain patients. This emerges from a bill of the Federal Health Ministry, which is to audit the Federal Chancellery. As the "Welt am Sonntag" reported to regulate the cultivation and trafficking of cannabis for pain therapy in Germany, a State cannabis agency.

To avoid supply bottlenecks from the Netherlands, marijuana is to be produced in the state. Already at the beginning of the Drug Commissioner of the Federal Government, Marlene Mortler had demanded from the CSU, dispense the drug on prescription to chronically ill patients in pain. Cultivation for themselves remains still prohibited to patients.

Johannesburg - The so-called "dagga couple" are asking people to take a deep breath and help raise funds to bring international experts to testify in a possible landmark case on laws relating to the plant. 

Julian Stobbs and Myrtle Clarke are looking to reach an $80 000 (R1.1m) goal on theIndiegogo platform to bring cannabis experts to testify in what they call the "Trial of the Plant" at the High Court in Pretoria in March next year. 

More than $4 000 (R55 280) had been raised by Friday evening, four days after the couple started the campaign, and there were only 39 days left to raise the amount. 

In a draft bill, the health ministry recommends regulating the drug's cultivation and distribution by the state, German media reports

Let's face it, 2016 is going to be a monumental year when it comes to the election process. In 2016 we'll be electing a new president, potentially changing the make-up of Congress, and more than a half-dozen states may be deciding on the medicinal or recreational approval of marijuana.

Voters are about to weigh in on marijuana
Marijuana has been a hot-button issue for consumers this decade, with three national polls (Gallup, General Social Survey, and Pew Research) all showing that a slim majority of respondents have a favorable opinion of the currently federally-illicit drug. Focusing solely on medicinal marijuana, the perception of favorability shoots even higher.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — As a member of the International Cannabinoid Research Society, a collector of antique marijuana apothecary jars, the founder of an industrial hemp business and “a pot smoker consistently for 47 years,” Don Wirtshafter, an Ohio lawyer, has fought for decades to make marijuana legal, calling it “my life’s work.”

But when Ohio voters go to the polls Tuesday to consider a constitutional amendment to allow marijuana for both medical and personal use, Mr. Wirtshafter will vote against it.

On Wednesday night, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders announced a proposal to dramatically shift marijuana policy in the United States. At a campaign stop in Virginia, Sen. Sanders announced he would be proposing new legislation in the coming weeks to remove cannabis from the list of Controlled Substances—a move many call “descheduling.” In many ways, this would be the most aggressive change—short of national legalization—that Congress could make, and Sanders is the most prominent official in the United States to support such a move. There is a bit we know about what this proposal could mean, and there is much we don’t quite yet know. Let’s break down each.

What do we know about Sanders’ descheduling proposal?