Going out with a bong
In considering the decriminalisation of marijuana, Canada's outgoing prime minister may make a hash of US relations, writes Anne McIlroy

Prime Minister Jean Chrétien seems prepared to risk the ire of the United States and decriminalise the use of marijuana. [read more]

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Medicinal cannabis may be available within two years
Pharmaceutical companies invest millions to develop new painkillers as Medical Research Council tests enter their final phase

The world's oldest euphoric drug is poised to make a return to the medicine cabinet. Cannabis, reputedly taken by Queen Victoria to quell her period pains but banished from Britain's schedule of medicinal drugs in 1971, is on the point of winning scientific backing for its role in easing the symptoms of chronic disease. [read more]