Global Ganja Report

The US Supreme Court ruled on May 23 to uphold an order requiring California to release up to 46,000 prisoners to remedy overcrowding in the state's prisons. The ruling in Brown v. Plata calls on California to reduce its prison population from more than 200% of design capacity to 137.5% of capacity within two years. The 5-4 decision written by Justice Anthony Kennedy finds that the extreme overcrowding of the California prison system is causing inmates to receive inadequate medical care in violation of the Eighth Amendment.

Prohibited from holding a "March for Marijuana," cannabis advocates in São Paulo had agreed with police to instead hold a generic protest in defense of freedom of expression. But minutes after the march began May 21, the Military Police attacked the some 1,000 unarmed demonstrators with stun bombs, tear gas and rubber bullets.  Television images showed riot troops charging toward the protesters when they tried to march down the busy Paulista Avenue. By-standers and journalists covering the event as well as protesters were caught up in the violence, reports Último Segundo.

A combined unit of the Guatemalan army and national police arrested a presumed leader of the Zetas narco-paramilitary network May 18, who authorities believe to be commander of the assassination squad that carried out this week's grisly massacre of 27 farmworkers at a ranch in the northern jungle department of Petén. The detained man is named as Hugo Álvaro Gómez Vásquez, who also goes by "Comandante Bruja" or simply "La Bruja" (The Witch).

California's Fresno County has banned outdoor medical marijuana growing following the case of Phayvanh Dydouanghphan, who shot to death an intruder who tried to steal his crop. Dydouangphan, a licensed medical grower, was sentenced to life in prison for the crime, AP informs us May 16. County Judge Arlan Harrell, imposing the sentence, said that Dydouangphan "apparently valued his pot more than human life," in AP's paraphrase. A story from Sept. 8 of last year on Fresno's KFSN provides more details on the case:

On May 10, two Montana medical cannabis providers—Montana Caregivers Association and MCM Caregivers—filed suit against the federal Department of Justice, Attorney General Eric Holder, and the US Attorney for Montana Michael Cotter in US District Court in Missoula. At issue are the federal raids that occurred across the state in March. The plaintiffs say the feds both violated their constitutional rights in the raids, and attempted to improperly abrogate Montana's medical marijuana law. "The federal government has made clear its intent to threaten and eventually eliminate any business or enterprise related to the medical use of marijuana," they charged in a prepared statement. (420 Times, AP, May 12)

Delaware became the 16th state to approve cannabis for medical use May 13 as a Senate Bill 17 was signed into law by Democratic Gov. Jack Markell. The state senate passed the measure two days earler by 17-4. The new law allows patients who certify a serious medical condition such as cancer to possess up to six ounces, or 170 grams. State-licensed centers will be able to grow the cannabis and dispense it to patients 18 and older. (Reuters, 420 Times, May 13)

The Cancare Collective in North Hollywood, one of seven targeted for closure by the city of Los Angeles, shut down May 11 rather than wage a costly legal fight. The city charges the seven dispensaries with zoning code violations. The decision to close came after a judge issued an injunction barring the dispensary from operating in North Hollywood or any other location. City lawsuits to close dispensaries on grounds they were violating California law by selling cannabis have been successful, but municipal authorities say the new zoning violation suits move through the courts more quickly. (AP, May 12)

Tens of thousands of people participated in a silent "March for Peace With Justice and Dignity" in Mexico City on May 8 to call for an end to the US-backed militarization of Mexico's fight against drug trafficking. Protesters, most of them dressed in white, carried signs reading: "No more blood," "Justice," "Peace," "Let's stop the bullets," "Life isn't trash" and, above all, "We've had it up to here" (estamos hasta la madre). More than 35,000 Mexicans have died in drug-related violence since President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa sent troops into the streets soon after taking office in December 2006.