Lascell Malcolm, 63, was given the bottle of Bounty Rum by a friend, Antoinette Corlis, after declining payment for a lift home after her Caribbean holiday. She had been given the bottle by a friend, Michael Lawrence, who was carrying it to the UK from St Lucia for acquaintance Martin Newman, Croydon crown court heard.

Only Newman, 50, knew there was 246g (8.7oz) of pure cocaine dissolved into the alcohol, the court in south London was told.

guardian.co.uk

This country's move to decriminalize illicit substances-Europe's most liberal drug legislation-turns 10 years old this month amid new scrutiny and plaudits.

Portugal's decriminalization regime has caught the eye of regulators in Europe and beyond since it was implemented in 2001. Proponents credit the program for stanching one of Europe's worst drug epidemics. Critics associate it with higher crime and murder rates. Approaching a decade in force, it is providing a real-world model of one way to address an issue that is a social and economic drag on countries world-wide.

Norway's government formed a committee to look at better strategies for dealing with drug abuse and sent two delegates to Portugal in early May. Danish politicians have also talked of moving toward full decriminalization. In March, Danish parliamentarian Mette Frederiksen of the opposition Social Democrats praised the Portuguese model.

"For us, this is about the addicts leading a more dignified life," she told Danish daily Berlingske. "We want to lower the death rates, the secondary symptoms and the criminality, so we look keenly to Portugal."

wsj.com
Photos: Portugal's Fight Against Drugs
via mapinc.org

Im Volkspark Hasenheide floriert das Geschäft mit Cannabis. Gut versteckt im Unterholz lagern die Dealer ihre Ware und warten auf Kundschaft.

welt.de

Der Schweizer Hanfbauer Bernard Rappaz aus Saxon im Kanton Wallis ist einer der Hanfpioniere der Schweiz. Sein Unternehmen produzierte Hanfduftkissen, was er im Sommer 1996 der Kantonspolizei mitteilte. Der Anbau, Besitz und Handel mit Hanf war seinerzeit in der Schweiz nicht illegal. Man inspizierte seinen Betrieb, schritt aber nicht ein. Dann im Dezember 1996 wurde er doch verhaftet. Er ging für 42 Tage in einen Hungerstreik, bevor er aus der Haft entlassen wurde. Im November 1997 nahm Rappaz mit seiner Züchtung »Walliser Queen« am Cannabis Cup der US-Zeitschrift »High Times« in Amsterdam teil. Im Januar 1999 gewann er damit den ersten Preis beim »Canna Swiss Cup« in Bern. Rappaz ist Gründer und Geschäftsführer der Hanf-Kooperative Valchanvre (deutsch: Hanftal). Über 100 Polizeibeamte führten in der Kooperative eine Razzia durch und konfiszierten 50 Tonnen Cannabis. Rappaz wird beschuldigt, Hanf anzubauen, das mehr als die erlaubten 0,3 % THC enthält.

taz.de
old zack

Advocates of drug law reform had reason to celebrate today after public statements by senior figures in the medical and legal community suggested the argument was turning in their favour.

The chair of the Bar Council argued in his most recent report that decriminalising drug use would have substantial public benefits, while the editor of the British Medical Journal (BMJ), the UK's most well-respected medical publication, came out publicly in support of drug law reform.

The twin developments come at an exciting time for those calling for a more liberal drug policy. Both deputy prime minister Nick Clegg and prime minister David Cameron are on record questioning the effectiveness of Britain's drug laws. Activists hope reform might be in the pipeline.

politics.co.uk