Global Ganja Report

Much media hype anticipates an imminent cannabis boom in Africa, and foreign investment is indeed pouring into a few key countries on the continent. But some dreams have also come to naught—and a few initiatives have displayed some of the worst tendencies of corporate agribusiness in the developing world.

2019 saw advances for cannabis freedom on both the national and global stage—but also some near-misses, from New York state to Mexico, which have left activists frustrated if no less determined. As advocates prepare to carry the fight into 2020, here's a review of what was achieved—or almost achieved—over the past 12 months.

The percentage of military veterans facing challenges from PTSD is staggering, but the Department of Veterans Affairs remains intransigent on allowing access to cannabis—the only treatment that provides relief for many. And there has been little progress on efforts in Congress to remedy the situation.

A ground-breaking study is set to begin in Australia, to determine if cannabis can improve the quality of life of those suffering from dementia. Elderly care facilities are watching closely, hoping cannabis will prove a key to help those they look after lead happier lives, with less medication.

There has been significant progress toward cannabis legalization in the United States and globally over the past years, but pockets persist of the most repressive and reactionary prohibition. What are the prospects for expanding cannabis freedom in the coming year?

The East African nation of Uganda is preparing to become the continent's next big commercial cannabis producer. But after the Agriculture Ministry approved cultivation licenses, other cabinet ministers demanded that legality be clarified before planting commences. International investors are anxiously awaiting a resolution.

Two Israeli ex-prime ministers are now involved in the cannabis industry, and legalization became a key issue in this month's elections. But in a case of strange bedfellows, legalization was aggressively taken up as a campaign plank by the far right.

As a commercial cannabis industry is established in Jamaica, more Caribbean nations are moving toward decriminalization and establishing medical marijuana programs. Saint Vincent & the Grenadines was the latest to take this move, and it looks like Saint Kitts & Nevis will be next. Dominica and Grenada are studying such proposals, and cannabis tourism is anticipated.