Last Week In Weed Issue 52
Published March 27th 2023
Welcome to the first new issue of Last Week In Weed, a weekly blog exploring the cannabis industry and culture. After a year off for various reasons, we’re officially back folks! In this new issue, we’ll be looking at the Taliban banning the cultivation of cannabis in Afghanistan, Zurich becoming the second Swiss city to conduct a ‘legalisation’ pilot scheme, and the insane Afroman lawsuit situation.
The Taliban Bans the Cultivation of Cannabis
Reports are coming out of Afghanistan that the Taliban has announced a total ban on the cultivation of cannabis. The current Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada recently decreed that the growing of cannabis for any reason is to be banned in the country.
In a statement released on Sunday 19th March 2023, the Taliban announced that “Cultivation in the whole country is completely banned and if anyone grows them, the plantation will be destroyed. The courts have also been ordered to punish the violators as per Sharia laws.”
Islamic scholars, leaders, and academics still debate whether cannabis is halal or haram. This makes it difficult to ascertain just what the punishment under the Taliban’s interpretation of Sharia would be for violating this proclamation.
This news may come as a surprise to anyone that read issues 47 and 50 of Last Week In Weed. In which we discussed the viral story about the Taliban conducting talks with German company Cpharm to produce cannabis for medicinal consumption in Afghanistan.
Cpharm first approached the US-backed Afghanistan government in 2017 before the dystopian withdrawal of the US military in August 2021. At the time a Cpharm spokesperson said that “In order to proceed with investments in medical cannabis facility, it is essential for the current government to receive approval from the United Nations’s International Narcotics Control Board (INCB)”
In 2001, under President Bush’s ‘Joint Resolution’ the US and UK unlawfully and brutally invaded Afghanistan. Over the two decades since many indigenous farmers have been increasingly forced into cultivating drug-producing plants like poppies and cannabis simply to sustain themselves financially while under occupation.
A recent UNODC report found that Afghanistan is the second largest producer and exporter of cannabis resin in the world, just behind the North African nation of Morocco. Given the reliance of the local population on cannabis to pay their bills, feed their families, and sustain their health. It is scary to think what this could mean for them and their hopes for a better future.
Interestingly the Taliban have not issued a statement about the production of opium poppies in Afghanistan. I wonder if that has anything to do with the UNODC Afghanistan report estimating that the region produced over $2 billion in 2021 alone.
Zurich launches limited ‘legalisation’ pilot scheme
Last Week Zurich was approved to become the second Swiss city to launch a limited adult-use cannabis access and consumption pilot scheme. When the country’s Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) approved the rolling out of the city’s cannabis trial.
The 3.5-year-long study will allow up to 2,100 of the city’s 400,000+ residents to be lawfully allowed to purchase, possess, and consume cannabis from authorised pharmacies, special dispensaries, and cannabis social clubs in the city. In exchange for access, the participants must complete a bi-yearly survey reporting their health, usage, and other observations.
The scheme known as ‘Züri Can – Cannabis with Responsibility’ is being conducted in partnership between Zurich City Council and University Hospital Zurich and is expected to begin in July 2023. It will limit participants' access to just 50g of cannabis flower per month and restrict the maximum level of THC in the cannabis provided to 20%. The government hopes to have 21 individual authorised access points up and running by August 2023.
Zurich will join Basel, the first Swiss city in the country to implement an adult-use trial. The pilot scheme in Basel known as ‘Weed Care’ is a similar 2.5-year-long study that began in the country’s most Northern city in January 2023. An estimated 370 residents currently have access to just four cultivars and two forms of hash available to purchase in pharmacies across Basel costing between €8 to €12 per gram.
“These studies will make it possible in particular to assess and document, in a scientific framework, its effects on the health of users and on consumption habits. But also to measure its impact on the local market for illicit drugs as well as on the protection of young people and on public security” - Swiss Government press release (31/03/23)
While this scheme is rather limited in its numbers it is the next rational step in the country’s path to ending cannabis prohibition. Switzerland ‘legalised’ the personal cultivation of cannabis cultivars containing less than 1% THC without a license in 1995 as part of reforming its low-THC cannabis (‘Hemp’) legislation.
In 2011 the country became one of the first European countries to allow the prescribing of Sativex. It would remain the only ‘medicinal cannabis’ product available in Switzerland for a decade until the country further ‘legalised’ access to ‘medicinal cannabis’ through prescription in August last year.
In 2012, cannabis possession up to 10g was decriminalised in Switzerland and the offence of possession was reduced to a civil infraction punishable by a relatively small fine. The personal cultivation of cannabis plants containing over 1% THC is still unlawful without a license, although the law is rarely enforced for a couple of plants.
The adult sale of so-called ‘cannabis-lite’ cigarettes containing up to 1% THC in the country’s tobacco shops has been lawful since 2017. Perhaps this goes some way to explaining how the country is now estimated to generate over a billion Swiss Francs (£880 million) from the consumption of an estimated 56 tons of cannabis annually.
Given the cultural, linguistical, and societal similarities with their ‘cousin economy’ Germany. This development is one to watch with interest – especially if the rumours coming from the continent surrounding the EU stalling the implementation of German ‘legalisation’ are to be believed.
Singer ‘Afroman’ Sued by Police For Violating Their Rights
The final story we’ll be looking at this week involves the ‘because I got high’ comedic rapper Afroman. The iconic cannabis culture rapper, whose real name is Joseph Edgar Foreman, was initially the victim of a botched drugs raid last August at his Ohio home.
The Adams County Sheriff involved in the raid stated that they had a ‘lawfully issued search warrant’ to investigate the property relating to drug possession, trafficking, and kidnapping charges. The police found nothing actionable or criminal during the raid and Afroman was ultimately released without charge.
Unfortunately, the American ‘justice’ system is as corrupt as our own and the rapper was left with the bill to repair the damage caused to his property by the Sheriffs. Afroman claimed that $400 was stolen from his home during the raid and not returned later in the year with other money and seized property. An investigation would ultimately find that police simply miscounted the money seized from the property.
Shortly after the failed raid, the rapper channelled his anger and frustration with the local police into a new album and two songs titled ‘Will you help me repair my door’ and the titular ‘Lemon Pound Cake’. The story of the raid went viral online with a lot of nostalgic fans downloading the new songs wanting to help the singer recoup the estimated $20,000 in collateral damage.
“A lot of people don't get harassed by the police, so they don't know what they're doing to people and civilians. There are so many people from Adams County sending me their own personal stories. I just don't have time to sit down and read them and everything. But from what I understand, these sheriff's officers in this county have been doing people dirty for a very long time and getting away with it. But nobody has the publicity or the eyeball that I can put on ‘em like me” - Afroman (06/01/23)
The music videos for the aforementioned songs contain actual footage from the raid captured by Afroman’s wife and the various CCTV cameras located around his Ohio property. In some of the footage, several officers' bodies and faces are visible and are presented unblurred in the Afroman music videos.
It is this footage that officers Shawn D Cooley, Justin Cooley, Michael D Estep, Shawn D Grooms, Brian Newland, Lisa Phillips and Randolph L Walters, Jr allege has caused them to be humiliated, embarrassed, and subject to ridicule from the public.
The officers stated that the actions of Afroman were “willful, wanton, malicious, and done with conscious or reckless disregard”. They are suing for damages claiming that Afroman and his record label have commercially profited from their likeness. The suit also alleges that the officers have suffered mental distress and a loss of reputation due to now since-deleted social media posts that highlighted the gross ignorance and incompetence of the officers.
Speaking to NPR Afroman responded to the lawsuit by saying that "Me laughing at them, making songs about them, is more powerful than their authority," he says. "It's more powerful than their assault rifles, it's more powerful than what they got because I got these big bad tough guys crying and whining about my songs, on my page, in my world."
"These guys are once again making me a bigger star, I don't want to pay these guys [Adams County Sheriff] nothing, but worst case scenario if I had to pay them, off the publicity and fame they gave me it might be fair just to shuffle them a few coins”
"I just want people to do the best they can, I want to see people look at me and say what a sport, what a good peaceful positive move to make under such bad circumstances."
We'll keep you informed with any updates in future issues of Last Week in Weed.
Written By Simpa For The Simpa Life
