|
UVSS HEMPOLOGY 101 CLUB LESSON #3 : CANNABIS AROUND THE WORLD - Part 1 |
|
|
Every country has a different cannabis culture, with citizens growing in at least 172 countries. In countries like Canada the use of the herb and enforcement of the law can vary between areas in the same province. With improvements in indoor growing techniques and seeds available on-line, there is no major city in the world where cannabis or hashish is not available. In Japan the use of cannabis is strictly prohibited, though it is available. Other countries like Malaysia and Indonesia are also very tough on drug users in general. China has a large hemp industry, producing hemp fibre board and massive amounts of hemp cloth and twine, while enforcing the prohibition laws aggressively. While very little cannabis is imported into China, it is grown for local use in some provinces. India hasn’t prohibited its citizens from using cannabis, though tourists can still expect to be harassed by authorities if caught using in public. Hashish is commonly used throughout the Middle East, though most religious groups frown upon the use of any intoxicant. However, there is an ancient history of the use of hashish in the lower and middle classes of many of these peoples that continues in countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan, Morocco and Egypt. There are pygmies in Africa that believe they have smoked cannabis since the beginning of time. Most countries in Africa have been growing cannabis for local consumption since the 1500’s. Most of Africa has been forced to put resources into the prohibition of cannabis by international laws and trade. European countries have a range of positions, though there is a general movement towards less enforcement of the laws. In France, hemp has been grown for rolling and cigarette papers for years while the laws are tightly enforced. In Britain there has been a slight loosening of the enforcement of the cannabis laws in some areas and while the medical uses seems to be widely accepted, there are no compassion clubs. In fact, there are very few medical clubs in Europe. Amsterdam stands out in the world as the most open cannabis city, followed by San Francisco, California and Nimbin, Australia, which has an annual festival in which cannabis plays a central part. The Hempfest in Seattle usually draws over 50,000 people and deserves some mention, too. In 2006, San Francisco created a moratorium on the creation of new medical clubs because with 37 in operation already, city officials thought no more were needed. Recently DEA officers have raided dozens of medical clubs in California, though hundreds still operate. With over 750,000 arrested for simple possession last year, the US is the world’s largest consumer and producer of cannabis. Jamaica seems to be reconsidering the cannabis laws. Many countries in Central and South America are telling the US to stop exporting the drug war, though the Columbian government is still working close with Washington. In 2006 Mexico almost legalized the possession of small amounts of all drugs until the US administration pressured them into dropping the proposed changes in law. |
In a report released by the UN in 2007 the countries with the
highest rates of cannabis consumption are Papua New Guinea (29.5%),
Micronesia (29.1%), Ghana (21.5%), Zambia (17.7%), Canada (16.8%), Sierre
Leone (16.1%), Cyprus (14.1%) and New Zealand (13.4%), with the
Netherlands at 6.4%. Lowest rates include Brazil (1.0%), China
(0.7%), Japan (0.1%), Singapore (0.004%) and Korea (0.002%). About
3.8% of the adults in the world consume cannabis.
|
| International Hempology 101
Society www.hempology.ca |
Cannabis Buyers' Clubs of Canada www.cbc-canada.ca |
