The Global Marijuana March has taken place this weekend as cannabis supporters from around the world gathered in 829 cities in 72 countries to put pressure on their governments to legalize the drug.

CANBERRA, Australia — Australian lawmakers committed on Wednesday to legalize the growing of marijuana for medical use within a part of the world renowned for zero-tolerance and harsh penalties for illegal drugs.

Over 17 million of France's 66 million-strong population have tried cannabis, according to France's National Observatory of Drugs and Drug Abuse.

Canada's Liberal government will introduce a law in spring 2017 to legalize recreational marijuana, it said on Wednesday, fulfilling an election pledge and following several U.S. states in permitting easy access to the drug.

Canada will push the United States to change a border policy that has banned Canadians who admit to having used marijuana from travel to the United States, given Canada’s plans to legalize pot, a government spokesman said on Friday.

The business of pot started in this country with medical marijuana, and demand for it is taking off.

The Liberal government will announce legislation next month that will legalize marijuana in Canada by July 1, 2018.

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has not yet fulfilled his promise to legalize marijuana in Canada, but the country’s Federal Court ruled Wednesday that prescription holders could grow their own supply.

Indian Himalayas, India - Torn between a widespread tradition and an internationally imposed prohibition, thousands of villages scattered on the Indian Himalayas survive on the production of charas, hashish produced in India.

Study calls for Britain to follow lead of some US states and allow the sale of cannabis to over-18s in licensed retail stores.

BOGOTÁ — Colombia granted its first production and export license for cannabis derivatives to a Canadian-Colombian company, as the country known for cocaine trafficking looks to marijuana to generate rural employment.

Businesses in Colombia like PharmaCielo believe they can establish a foothold in the drug industry, just as their illegal counterparts did in past years.

Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan is pushing for the legalization of cannabis and other personal drugs. However, he said in a recent article, regulations must be put in place by governments to curtail abuse.

The German parliament has voted to allow consumption of the drug for medical purposes. The issue had been a point of heated discussion in the country for a long time.

(CNN) Germany will legalize medical marijuana next year, the country's health minister said.

A cannabis company is poised to become the first marijuana producer with a joint listing in Europe and the US as it seeks to take advantage of shifting attitudes to the drug that are spawning a new industry.

In July, Italy's parliament will begin debating historic changes to cannabis laws that could see the drug legalized.

For those who want to legally grow huge amounts of cannabis in Austria, business is booming — but not yet blooming.

With its government’s approval, Israel has been a pioneer in medical cannabis research and development for more than 50 years.

Pot enthusiasts lined up around the block in the cold temperatures right until closing time at several newly opened marijuana shops in Montreal Thursday.

According to a new report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) Icelanders are one of the world's biggest users of cannabis, with over 8% of Icelanders using the drug.

The Startup Nation’s Tel Aviv hub opened its doors on Monday to Israel’s first ever international conference on innovation in the medical cannabis industry.

Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan announces support for new policy for enforcing marijuana use, which favors fines and educational initiatives, with criminal prosecution only as a last resort.

First-time offenders will face $270 fine if caught using marijuana in a public place, but criminal charges will only be brought if person re-offends four times.

Israel could be just six months away from allowing general practitioners to prescribe cannabis, Health Minister Yaakov Litzman said Wednesday.

Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel on Sunday announced that Israel would begin exporting medical marijuana abroad, weeks after the government approved measures to make medical cannabis more easily accessible to patients in Israel.

Israel’s Health Ministry is moving ahead on a comprehensive plan on medical cannabis that would lift many restrictions that currently make life difficult for patients, doctors, growers and marketers of the plant.

On Monday, July 25, Italy’s Chamber of Deputies is scheduled to discuss the possibility of legalizing marijuana.

The Jamaican government is considering ousting Queen Elizabeth II as their official head of state, in addition to legalizing marijuana, the government revealed Thursday.

Having watched states like Colorado and California generate billions of dollars from marijuana, Jamaica has decided to embrace its herbaceous brand.

NEGRIL, Westmoreland -- President of the Westmoreland Hemp and Ganja Farmers Association Ras Iyah is urging the Government to "align" with other countries to secure a slice of the international marijuana market.

When you think of the legal marijuana industry, you think of Colorado and California. But marijuana is not uniquely American, nor is the legalization movement.

Marijuana, a divisive issue that normally resurfaces in Europe during election campaigns, has come home to France's hotly-contested presidential race.

Gol, or flower, as marijuana is called here, can be found everywhere in and around the capital.

(CNN) - The Australian Parliament passed a measure Wednesday legalizing medical marijuana. The amendments to the Narcotic Drugs Act will allow cannabis to be legally grown for medical and scientific purposes for the first time in Australia.

Mexico's Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill on Tuesday that would allow for the use of medical marijuana, in a further step toward outright legalization in a country long wracked by warring drug cartels.

Mexico City (AFP) - Mexico opened on Tuesday a national debate on prohibitionist marijuana laws, as the government appeared open to legalizing medical cannabis use.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, who has proposed liberalizing his country's drug laws, privately asked California lawmakers visiting Mexico about a state measure to legalize recreational marijuana, a state legislator said on Thursday.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, who has proposed liberalizing his country's drug laws, privately asked California lawmakers visiting Mexico about a state measure to legalize recreational marijuana, a state legislator said on Thursday.

It's a highly charged issue, and when it comes to medicinal cannabis, New Zealand - like many countries - is grappling with what to do about it.

For once, there’s a bigger problem in New Zealand than its flag being confused with Australia’s: a chronic shortage of marijuana.

Two weeks after many cities celebrated 4/20, people in cities around the world will take to the streets on Saturday for the 2017 Global Marijuana March (GMM, in some places known as the Million Marijuana March) as a protest to end cannabis prohibition in each of the countries where the march takes place.

(CNN) In 2016, more countries legalized the use of marijuana for medicinal or recreational purposes.

OTTAWA — Fulfilling a campaign pledge, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau introduced legislation on Thursday to legalize the recreational use of marijuana in Canada.

More are questioning the effectiveness of the government’s protracted battle against drug cartels; small steps to allow medical marijuana.

While the expanding legal marijuana market is a novice of modern economy, cannabis is no new commodity.

If you go by United Nation figures, Icelanders consume the most cannabis as a percentage of the national population. However, if you take a closer look at the numbers, that doesn’t mean much.

Branson’s firsthand exposure to cannabis-funded drug abuse treatment in Colorado is significant, state officials and marijuana industry representatives agree.

It is an unorthodox experiment by Colombia, one that underscores the region’s changing attitudes toward drugs after decades of fighting them.