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Germany to legalise cannabis from Monday
The authority of Germany is set to partially legalise cannabis from Monday, implementing a flagship pledge of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition government.
However, access to the drug will not be straightforward.
Here is a run-down of the new rules:
Home cultivation will also be allowed, with a limit of up to three plants per adult and 50 grams of dried cannabis.
However, it will remain prohibited to smoke the drug within a 100-metre radius of schools, kindergartens, playgrounds and public sports facilities.
Smoking will also be banned in pedestrian zones between 7:00 am and 8:00 pm.
– ‘Cannabis clubs’ –
From July 1, Germany is planning to set up regulated cannabis cultivation associations to enable people to obtain the drug legally.
These so-called cannabis clubs will have up to 500 members each and will be able to sell a maximum of 50 grams of dried cannabis per month to each member.
Adults under 21 will be limited to 30 grams of cannabis per month containing no more than 10 percent of the psychoactive substance tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
Meeting and consuming cannabis at the clubs will not be allowed and membership will be limited to one club at a time.
The only legal way to obtain cannabis will be to either cultivate it at home or obtain it through the cannabis clubs, with both options limited to people who have been resident in Germany for at least six months.
The restrictions are intended to allay fears from opposition parties, especially the conservative CDU-CSU alliance, that the new law could encourage “drug tourism”.
The government of Scholz’s Social Democrats, the Greens and the pro-business FDP had originally pledged to go further and allow cannabis to be sold in shops, a move that was slapped down by the EU.
A second law is now in the pipeline to trial the drug’s sale in shops or pharmacies in certain regions.
The government insists the new law will reduce the health risks associated with cannabis because it will tackle the problem of contaminated substances on the black market.
But the law has been widely criticised by medical associations and health groups.
It has also led to complaints from regional authorities, charged with overseeing its implementation.
They fear they will be saddled with extra bureaucracy because they will have to reverse prison sentences and fines already imposed for offences that are no longer punishable under the new law.
Friedrich Merz, the leader of the opposition conservatives, has already warned that if his party were to return to power after the 2025 elections, it would “cancel the law immediately”.(Vanguard)
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Air Force Begins Moving Electoral Materials For Edo Guber Election
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has began airlifting the sensitive election materials for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to Benin, Edo State, ahead of the upcoming governorship election scheduled for September 21, 2024.
This was disclosed on Wednesday by the Deputy Director, Public Relations and Information, Group Captain Kabiru Ali.
The operation is part of the NAF’s efforts to ensure the timely and secure delivery of materials necessary for a smooth electoral process.
This development reinforces the collaboration between NAF and INEC to facilitate logistics and ensure a peaceful election in Edo State.
The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, had previously reiterated NAF’s commitment to providing airlift support for the swift movement of electoral materials during a meeting with INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu.
This airlift operation is a crucial aspect of NAF’s constitutional responsibility to provide Military Aid to Civil Authority, underscoring the force’s dedication to supporting democratic processes in Nigeria. With the election just days away, the NAF’s timely intervention will help ensure the successful conduct of the governorship elections in Edo State.
Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State had earlier accused the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, of working with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to hunt the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members and supporters in the state and force them into hiding ahead of September 21 governorship election.
Obaseki, who made the allegation when a delegation led by the former Head of State, Abdusalam Abubakar, met with him to get the governor and his party to sign peace accord, said that the IGP had made nonsense of his (Obaseki’s) role as the chief security officer of the state.
The governor had said that the police chief obtained a warrant to arrest 60 members and supporters of PDP in Edo and that the IGP sent an armed “gang” of policemen who invaded the state, attacked PDP members, shot at a local government chairman and arrested 10 persons who are currently being detained in Abuja without charges.
Asked by the former head of state if his party would sign the peace accord, Obaseki said, “The person who is supposed to enforce the peace accord is now an active participant in creating a destructive environment.
“We are now in a situation where from the Inspector General’s office, there are armed gang policemen who came into Edo State, invaded, arrested and took away PDP members.
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“Dancing gives me abundant joy and peace of mind”-Gov Adeleke
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, has given reasons why he loves dancing.
The ‘Dancing Governor’, as he is fondly called, revealed this on Wednesday while responding to a tweet on X.
An X user, @Iwogoke, while praising the governor, stated that Adeleke has been busy fulfilling his electoral promises to the people of Osun State, while his political opponents believe he is only good at dancing.
Iwogoke tweeted, “I’m not flattering you, Your Excellency, your opponents think you can only dance but while they are busy shouting and calling you ‘Dancing Governor’, you are busy fulfilling your electoral promises to the people.”
Responding to the tweet via his verified X account, Adeleke explained that he loves dancing because it brings him joy.
Speaking further on his love for dancing, Adeleke highlighted that while dancing brings him immense happiness, his greater fulfilment comes from delivering the dividends of democracy to the people of Osun.
Outlining his administration’s efforts to enhance the state’s infrastructure, he noted that primary health centre rehabilitation is underway in at least 200 out of the 332 wards across Osun State, adding that road construction projects are also progressing in every local government area.
He wrote, “Dancing gives me joy, but delivering on my electoral promises and providing the dividends of democracy to the good people of Osun gives me even greater joy. Rehabilitation of primary health centers is ongoing in at least 200 out of 332 wards, and road construction is progressing in every Local Government!”
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