Venezuela opposition says shots fired at election campaign caravan

Venezuela's opposition said on Sunday shots were fired at one of its candidates' campaign caravan in a poor neighborhood of Caracas amid rising national tensions over next month's parliamentary election.

President Nicolas Maduro has said the Dec. 6 vote for a new National Assembly is the toughest election the ruling socialists have faced in their nearly 17-year government and polls show widespread voter anger at Venezuela's economic crisis.

The opposition Democratic Unity coalition believes the poll could mark the beginning of the end for "Chavismo," as the ruling movement is known for its founder Hugo Chavez.

Parliamentarian Miguel Pizarro, who is seeking re-election, said he and supporters were confronted by heavily-armed men who opened fire during a walkabout in Caracas' huge Petare slum.

"Neither their shots, nor their pistols, nor their threats can overcome the strength of a people who have decided to change," he said afterwards, adding that noone was injured.

Opposition leader Henrique Capriles published photos, allegedly from the incident, showing men dressed in red with the logo of the ruling Socialist Party apparently carrying pistols and even what looked like a machine gun.

There was no comment from the party or other authorities, and Reuters could not independently confirm the incident.

Two weeks away from the crucial vote, the South American OPEC member is immersed in a deep economic crisis, with the world's highest inflation, shrinking GDP and shortages of many basic foodstuffs and other products.

The opposition coalition says that is the result of failed socialist economics, while the government blames an "economic war" by political foes and the business elite. The plunge in oil prices has greatly exacerbated Venezuela's predicament.

Venezuela is awash with illegal guns, and politics have often sparked violence. Opposition street protests last year caused violence killing 43 people, including security officers, government supporters and anti-Maduro activists.

Read more at Reutershttp://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/22/us-venezuela-opposition-shots-idUSKBN0TB0ZM20151122#q8jwYT563B7Mrtb4.99

Another two Brazil dams 'at risk of collapsing'

Brazilian mining company Samarco says two dams it uses to hold waste water from iron production are damaged and at risk of collapsing.

One of the company's reservoirs burst earlier this month, flooding dozens of homes in the south-eastern state of Minas Gerais.

Eleven people were killed and 12 are missing presumed dead.

Emergency work to try to avoid another breach will begin immediately and will last up to 90 days, the company said.

The company initially said that two of its dams - Fundao and Germano - had burst on 5 November.

But it has now clarified that only the Fundao reservoir collapsed.

Germano and another nearby dam, Santarem, are still standing but are at risk, said Samarco's Infrastructure Director Kleber Terra.

'First instalment'

Samarco is owned by by mining giants Vale, from Brazil, and Anglo-Australian company BHP Billiton.

It agreed on Monday to pay the Brazilian government 1bn reais (£170m; $260m) compensation.

The money will be used to cover the initial clean-up and to offer some compensation to the victims and their families.

But the amount agreed is relatively small, prosecutors said.

It will be considered "only as a first instalment" to be paid by the company, state prosecutor Carlos Eduardo Ferreira Pinto told O Estado de Minas newspaper.

The Fundao dam breach caused rivers of mud to descend on nearby villages. Bento Rodrigues was totally destroyed. More than 500 people lost their homes there.

Last week, Brazilian environmental agency Ibama fined Samarco 250m reais.

Ibama described the dam burst as "the worst mining accident in Brazil's history".

columbian farc rebel sentenced 27 years in prison

FARC rebel sentenced to 27 years in U.S. prison in Colombia hostage case

WASHINGTON | By Julia Harte

WASHINGTONA member of the Colombian FARC rebel group was sentenced to 27 years in U.S. federal prison on Tuesday for his role guarding three American hostages held captive in Colombia in the 2000s.Diego Alfonso Navarrete Beltran, 43, was extradited to the United States last year to face charges for the 2003 kidnapping of Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes and Keith Stansell, civilian contractors rescued by the Colombian military in 2008.
All three men testified at Navarrete Beltran's sentencing in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and celebrated it afterwards outside the courthouse.
With peace talks proceeding in Havana between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) group and the Colombian government, the three said they fear extraditions of other FARC leaders involved in their abduction may be delayed to facilitate the negotiations.
"Does justice stop because of the peace process?" asked Gonsalves in remarks to reporters.
One of the main FARC negotiators at the Havana talks, Dutch national Tanja Nijmeijer, was the first FARC rebel to tell Gonsalves, Howes, and Stansell that they would be executed if anyone attempted to rescue them, Gonsalves said.
"The peace process is not really legitimate," he said.
The three also expressed concern that the United States may release a FARC leader, who was convicted of helping oversee their abduction, so that he can participate in the talks. Simon Trinidad was sentenced to 60 years in U.S. federal prison in 2008 by U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth.
Lamberth also issued Navarrete Beltran's sentence on Tuesday, saying his crime was "most comparable" to that of Trinidad, but that he would not issue a longer sentence than the 27 years the U.S. government requested.
Navarrete Beltran guarded the men for 19 months. The former hostages said he mainly used them to get cigarettes and punished them by choking them with chains if they had none to give.
"You were cocky in the jungle, and you were nasty," said Stansell at the sentencing, pointing at Navarrete Beltran. "Even your fellow guards didn't really like you."
Navarrete Beltran addressed the judge in Spanish to beg the forgiveness of the former hostages. His life was also at risk during their captivity, he said, because the FARC executed any members who did not follow orders.

(Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Chris Reese)

Read more at Reutershttp://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/10/us-usa-justice-farc-idUSKCN0SZ2Z920151110#dODwRvQtH2cHtTXu.99

Mexico Legalizes Marijuana

Mexican Supreme Court opens door to legalizing marijuana

By Michael Martinez, CNN

Updated 0041 GMT (0841 HKT) November 5, 2015

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41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Dennis Peron takes notes during a phone interview while Gary Johnson lights up at the Proposition 215 headquarters in San Francisco on October 11, 1996. The ballot measure was approved when voters went to the polls in November, allowing medical marijuana in California.

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21 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

People in New York gather for a pro-cannabis rally on May 4, 2002. That same day, almost 200 similar events took place around the world to advocate for marijuana legalization. It was dubbed the "Million Marijuana March."

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22 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Different varieties of medical marijuana are seen at the Alternative Herbal Health Services cannabis dispensary in San Francisco on April 24, 2006. The Food and Drug Administration issued a controversial statement a week earlier rejecting the use of medical marijuana, declaring that there is no scientific evidence supporting use of the drug for medical treatment.

Hide Caption

23 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Medicinal marijuana patient Angel Raich wipes her eyes during a press conference on March 14, 2007, in Oakland, California. The 9th circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled that 41-year-old Raich, who used medicinal marijuana to curb pain from a brain tumor as well as other ailments, did not have the legal right to claim medical necessity to avoid the possibility of prosecution under federal drug laws.

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24 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Coffeeshop Blue Sky worker Jon Sarro, left, shows a customer different strains of medical marijuana on July 22, 2009, in Oakland, California. Voters in the city approved a measure during a vote-by-mail special election for a new tax on sales of medicinal marijuana at cannabis dispensaries.

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25 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

A patient prepares to smoke at home in Portland, Maine, on October 22, 2009, a decade after the state approved a medical marijuana referendum.

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26 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Sonja Gibbins walks through her growing warehouse in Fort Collins, Colorado, on April 19, 2010. Since the state approved medical marijuana in 2000, Colorado has seen a boom in marijuana dispensaries, trade shows and related businesses. So far 20 states and the District of Columbia have made smoking marijuana for medical purposes legal.

Hide Caption

27 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Marijuana activist Steve DeAngelo wears a "Yes on Prop 19" button as he speaks during a news conference in Oakland, California, on October 12, 2010, to bring attention to the state measure to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes in California. Voters rejected the proposal.

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28 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Nutrient products are placed on shelves in the weGrow marijuana cultivation supply store during its grand opening on March 30, 2012, in Washington, D.C. The store is a one-stop-shop for supplies and training to grow plants indoors, except for the actual marijuana plants or seeds. Legislation was enacted in 2010 authorizing the establishment of regulated medical marijuana dispensaries in the nation's capital.

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29 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

People light up near the Space Needle in Seattle after the law legalizing the recreational use of marijuana went into effect in Washington on December 6, 2012.

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30 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

A man smokes a joint during the official opening night of Club 64, a marijuana social club in Denver, on New Year's Eve 2012. Voters in Colorado and Washington state passed referendums to legalize recreational marijuana on November 6, 2012.

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31 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Members of a crowd numbering tens of thousands smoke and listen to live music at the Denver 420 Rally on April 20, 2013. Annual festivals celebrating marijuana are held around the world on April 20, a counterculture holiday.

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32 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Sean Azzariti, an Iraq war veteran and marijuana activist, becomes the first person to legally purchase recreational marijuana in Colorado on January 1, 2014. Colorado was the first state in the nation to allow retail pot shops. "It's huge," Azzariti said. "It hasn't even sunk in how big this is yet."

Hide Caption

33 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

In April 2014, Maryland became the 18th state to decriminalize marijuana possession. Research published by the Pew Research Center in February showed 54% of Americans support legalization of marijuana.

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34 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Matt Figi's 7-year-old daughter, Charlotte, was once severely ill. But a special strain of medical marijuana known as Charlotte's Web, which was named after the girl early in her treatment, has significantly reduced her seizures. In July 2014, Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pennsylvania, introduced a three-page bill that would amend the Controlled Substances Act -- the federal law that criminalizes marijuana -- to exempt plants like Charlotte's Web that have an extremely low percentage of THC, the chemical that makes users high.

Hide Caption

35 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

In July 2014, the New York Times published "High Time: An Editorial Series on Marijuana Legalization," which called for the federal government to repeal its ban on marijuana.

Hide Caption

36 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Alaska Cannabis Club CEO Charlo Greene prepares to roll a joint at the medical marijuana dispensary in Anchorage on February 20. Several days later, Alaska became the third state in the nation to allow recreational marijuana.

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37 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

A woman smokes pot at her home in Washington on February 26, the first day it was legal to possess marijuana for recreational purposes in the nation's capital. Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser defied threats from Congress by implementing a voter-approved initiative, making the city the only place east of the Mississippi River where people can legally grow and share marijuana in private.

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38 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Employees make last-minute preparations before the grand opening of the Cannabis Corner in North Bonneville, Washington, on March 7. The pot shop is the first city-owned recreational marijuana store in the country.

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39 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Georgia Rep. Allen Peake celebrates with Kristi Baggarly, holding her daughter Kimber, after the state Senate approved Peake's medical marijuana bill March 24 in Atlanta. The bill will legalize possession of cannabis oil for treatment of certain medical conditions, such as the seizures suffered by Baggarly's daughter Kendle.

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40 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

An employee at Kaya Shack, a Portland, Oregon, medical marijuana dispensary, showcases three types of marijuana sold at the shop on June 26. Oregon legalized recreational marijuana use on July 1.

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41 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Public perceptions about pot have come a long way, from the dire warnings of "Reefer Madness" to growing acceptance of medical marijuana and the legalization of recreational use.

Hide Caption

1 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Harry Anslinger was named commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics when it was established in 1930. While arguing for marijuana prohibition, he played on Americans' fear of crime and foreigners. He spun tales of people driven to insanity or murder after ingesting the drug and spoke of the 2 to 3 tons of grass being produced in Mexico. "This, the Mexicans make into cigarettes, which they sell at two for 25 cents, mostly to white high school students," Anslinger told Congress.

Hide Caption

2 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

A poster advertises the 1936 scare film "Reefer Madness," which described marijuana as a "violent narcotic" that first renders "sudden, violent, uncontrollable laughter" on its users before "dangerous hallucinations" and then "acts of shocking violence ... ending often in incurable insanity."

Hide Caption

3 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Marijuana cigarettes are hidden in a book circa 1940. Congress passed the Marijuana Tax Act in 1937, effectively criminalizing the drug.

Hide Caption

4 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Even after Congress cracked down on marijuana in 1937, farmers were encouraged to grow the crop for rope, sails and parachutes during World War II. The "Hemp for Victory" film was released in 1942 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Hide Caption

5 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

A woman buys ready-rolled marijuana cigarettes from a dealer at her door circa 1955.

Hide Caption

6 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Members of the Grateful Dead talk with reporters from their home in San Francisco on October 5, 1967. The band was protesting being arrested for marijuana possession.

Hide Caption

7 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

U.S. Customs agents track the nationwide marijuana market during Operation Intercept, an anti-drug measure announced by President Nixon in 1969. The initiative intended to keep Mexican marijuana from entering the United States.

Hide Caption

8 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Research scientist Dr. Reese T. Jones, right, adjusts the electrodes monitoring a volunteer's brain response to sound during an experiment in 1969 that used a controlled dosage of marijuana. The tests were conducted at the Langley Porter Institute at the University of California, San Francisco.

Hide Caption

9 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Marijuana use became more widespread in the 1960s, reflecting the rising counterculture movement.

Hide Caption

10 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

People share a joint during a 1969 concert in Portland, Oregon. In 1973, Oregon became the first state to decriminalize cannabis.

Hide Caption

11 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Police dogs trained to smell out hidden marijuana examine U.S. soldiers' luggage at the airport during the Vietnam War in 1969. Drug use was widespread during the war.

Hide Caption

12 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Marijuana reform was the Life magazine cover story in October 1969. The banner read: "At least 12 million Americans have now tried it. Are penalties too severe? Should it be legalized?"

Hide Caption

13 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Protesters wade in the Reflecting Pool at the National Mall in Washington during the "Honor America Day Smoke-In" thrown by marijuana activists in response to the official "Honor America Day" rally organized by President Nixon supporters at the Lincoln Memorial on July 4, 1970.

Hide Caption

14 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Panel members of the National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse attend a hearing In Denver on January 10, 1972. From left, Dr. J. Thomas Ungerleider, psychiatrist; Michael R. Sonnenreich, commission executive director; Raymond P. Shafer, commission chairman; Mitchell Ware, Chicago attorney; Charles O. Galvin, Dallas law school dean. The commission's findings favored ending marijuana prohibition and adopting other methods to discourage use, but the Nixon administration refused to implement its recommendations.

Hide Caption

15 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

President Jimmy Carter, with his special assistant for health issues, Dr. Peter Bourne, beside him, talks to reporters at the White House about his drug abuse control message to Congress on August 2, 1977. Among other things, he called for the elimination of all federal criminal penalties for the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana.

Hide Caption

16 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

First lady Nancy Reagan participates in a drug education class at Island Park Elementary School on Mercer Island, Washington, on February 14, 1984. She later recalled, "A little girl raised her hand and said, 'Mrs. Reagan, what do you do if somebody offers you drugs?' And I said, 'Well, you just say no.' And there it was born." She became known for her involvement in the "Just Say No" campaign.

Hide Caption

17 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Robert Randall smokes marijuana that was prescribed to treat his glaucoma in 1988. He became the first legal medical marijuana patient in modern America after winning a landmark case in 1976.

Hide Caption

18 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

President George H. Bush holds up a copy of the National Drug Control Strategy during a meeting in the Oval Office on September 5, 1989. In a televised address to the nation, Bush asked Americans to join the war on drugs.

Hide Caption

19 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

A television ad aired in 1996 by Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole's campaign included footage from a 1992 MTV interview of a laughing President Clinton saying he would inhale marijuana if given the chance to relive his college days.

Hide Caption

20 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Dennis Peron takes notes during a phone interview while Gary Johnson lights up at the Proposition 215 headquarters in San Francisco on October 11, 1996. The ballot measure was approved when voters went to the polls in November, allowing medical marijuana in California.

Hide Caption

21 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

People in New York gather for a pro-cannabis rally on May 4, 2002. That same day, almost 200 similar events took place around the world to advocate for marijuana legalization. It was dubbed the "Million Marijuana March."

Hide Caption

22 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Different varieties of medical marijuana are seen at the Alternative Herbal Health Services cannabis dispensary in San Francisco on April 24, 2006. The Food and Drug Administration issued a controversial statement a week earlier rejecting the use of medical marijuana, declaring that there is no scientific evidence supporting use of the drug for medical treatment.

Hide Caption

23 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Medicinal marijuana patient Angel Raich wipes her eyes during a press conference on March 14, 2007, in Oakland, California. The 9th circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled that 41-year-old Raich, who used medicinal marijuana to curb pain from a brain tumor as well as other ailments, did not have the legal right to claim medical necessity to avoid the possibility of prosecution under federal drug laws.

Hide Caption

24 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Coffeeshop Blue Sky worker Jon Sarro, left, shows a customer different strains of medical marijuana on July 22, 2009, in Oakland, California. Voters in the city approved a measure during a vote-by-mail special election for a new tax on sales of medicinal marijuana at cannabis dispensaries.

Hide Caption

25 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

A patient prepares to smoke at home in Portland, Maine, on October 22, 2009, a decade after the state approved a medical marijuana referendum.

Hide Caption

26 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Sonja Gibbins walks through her growing warehouse in Fort Collins, Colorado, on April 19, 2010. Since the state approved medical marijuana in 2000, Colorado has seen a boom in marijuana dispensaries, trade shows and related businesses. So far 20 states and the District of Columbia have made smoking marijuana for medical purposes legal.

Hide Caption

27 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Marijuana activist Steve DeAngelo wears a "Yes on Prop 19" button as he speaks during a news conference in Oakland, California, on October 12, 2010, to bring attention to the state measure to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes in California. Voters rejected the proposal.

Hide Caption

28 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Nutrient products are placed on shelves in the weGrow marijuana cultivation supply store during its grand opening on March 30, 2012, in Washington, D.C. The store is a one-stop-shop for supplies and training to grow plants indoors, except for the actual marijuana plants or seeds. Legislation was enacted in 2010 authorizing the establishment of regulated medical marijuana dispensaries in the nation's capital.

Hide Caption

29 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

People light up near the Space Needle in Seattle after the law legalizing the recreational use of marijuana went into effect in Washington on December 6, 2012.

Hide Caption

30 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

A man smokes a joint during the official opening night of Club 64, a marijuana social club in Denver, on New Year's Eve 2012. Voters in Colorado and Washington state passed referendums to legalize recreational marijuana on November 6, 2012.

Hide Caption

31 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Members of a crowd numbering tens of thousands smoke and listen to live music at the Denver 420 Rally on April 20, 2013. Annual festivals celebrating marijuana are held around the world on April 20, a counterculture holiday.

Hide Caption

32 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Sean Azzariti, an Iraq war veteran and marijuana activist, becomes the first person to legally purchase recreational marijuana in Colorado on January 1, 2014. Colorado was the first state in the nation to allow retail pot shops. "It's huge," Azzariti said. "It hasn't even sunk in how big this is yet."

Hide Caption

33 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

In April 2014, Maryland became the 18th state to decriminalize marijuana possession. Research published by the Pew Research Center in February showed 54% of Americans support legalization of marijuana.

Hide Caption

34 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Matt Figi's 7-year-old daughter, Charlotte, was once severely ill. But a special strain of medical marijuana known as Charlotte's Web, which was named after the girl early in her treatment, has significantly reduced her seizures. In July 2014, Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pennsylvania, introduced a three-page bill that would amend the Controlled Substances Act -- the federal law that criminalizes marijuana -- to exempt plants like Charlotte's Web that have an extremely low percentage of THC, the chemical that makes users high.

Hide Caption

35 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

In July 2014, the New York Times published "High Time: An Editorial Series on Marijuana Legalization," which called for the federal government to repeal its ban on marijuana.

Hide Caption

36 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Alaska Cannabis Club CEO Charlo Greene prepares to roll a joint at the medical marijuana dispensary in Anchorage on February 20. Several days later, Alaska became the third state in the nation to allow recreational marijuana.

Hide Caption

37 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

A woman smokes pot at her home in Washington on February 26, the first day it was legal to possess marijuana for recreational purposes in the nation's capital. Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser defied threats from Congress by implementing a voter-approved initiative, making the city the only place east of the Mississippi River where people can legally grow and share marijuana in private.

Hide Caption

38 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Employees make last-minute preparations before the grand opening of the Cannabis Corner in North Bonneville, Washington, on March 7. The pot shop is the first city-owned recreational marijuana store in the country.

Hide Caption

39 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Georgia Rep. Allen Peake celebrates with Kristi Baggarly, holding her daughter Kimber, after the state Senate approved Peake's medical marijuana bill March 24 in Atlanta. The bill will legalize possession of cannabis oil for treatment of certain medical conditions, such as the seizures suffered by Baggarly's daughter Kendle.

Hide Caption

40 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

An employee at Kaya Shack, a Portland, Oregon, medical marijuana dispensary, showcases three types of marijuana sold at the shop on June 26. Oregon legalized recreational marijuana use on July 1.

Hide Caption

41 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Public perceptions about pot have come a long way, from the dire warnings of "Reefer Madness" to growing acceptance of medical marijuana and the legalization of recreational use.

Hide Caption

1 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Harry Anslinger was named commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics when it was established in 1930. While arguing for marijuana prohibition, he played on Americans' fear of crime and foreigners. He spun tales of people driven to insanity or murder after ingesting the drug and spoke of the 2 to 3 tons of grass being produced in Mexico. "This, the Mexicans make into cigarettes, which they sell at two for 25 cents, mostly to white high school students," Anslinger told Congress.

Hide Caption

2 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

A poster advertises the 1936 scare film "Reefer Madness," which described marijuana as a "violent narcotic" that first renders "sudden, violent, uncontrollable laughter" on its users before "dangerous hallucinations" and then "acts of shocking violence ... ending often in incurable insanity."

Hide Caption

3 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Marijuana cigarettes are hidden in a book circa 1940. Congress passed the Marijuana Tax Act in 1937, effectively criminalizing the drug.

Hide Caption

4 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Even after Congress cracked down on marijuana in 1937, farmers were encouraged to grow the crop for rope, sails and parachutes during World War II. The "Hemp for Victory" film was released in 1942 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Hide Caption

5 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

A woman buys ready-rolled marijuana cigarettes from a dealer at her door circa 1955.

Hide Caption

6 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Members of the Grateful Dead talk with reporters from their home in San Francisco on October 5, 1967. The band was protesting being arrested for marijuana possession.

Hide Caption

7 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

U.S. Customs agents track the nationwide marijuana market during Operation Intercept, an anti-drug measure announced by President Nixon in 1969. The initiative intended to keep Mexican marijuana from entering the United States.

Hide Caption

8 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Research scientist Dr. Reese T. Jones, right, adjusts the electrodes monitoring a volunteer's brain response to sound during an experiment in 1969 that used a controlled dosage of marijuana. The tests were conducted at the Langley Porter Institute at the University of California, San Francisco.

Hide Caption

9 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Marijuana use became more widespread in the 1960s, reflecting the rising counterculture movement.

Hide Caption

10 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

People share a joint during a 1969 concert in Portland, Oregon. In 1973, Oregon became the first state to decriminalize cannabis.

Hide Caption

11 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Police dogs trained to smell out hidden marijuana examine U.S. soldiers' luggage at the airport during the Vietnam War in 1969. Drug use was widespread during the war.

Hide Caption

12 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Marijuana reform was the Life magazine cover story in October 1969. The banner read: "At least 12 million Americans have now tried it. Are penalties too severe? Should it be legalized?"

Hide Caption

13 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Protesters wade in the Reflecting Pool at the National Mall in Washington during the "Honor America Day Smoke-In" thrown by marijuana activists in response to the official "Honor America Day" rally organized by President Nixon supporters at the Lincoln Memorial on July 4, 1970.

Hide Caption

14 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Panel members of the National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse attend a hearing In Denver on January 10, 1972. From left, Dr. J. Thomas Ungerleider, psychiatrist; Michael R. Sonnenreich, commission executive director; Raymond P. Shafer, commission chairman; Mitchell Ware, Chicago attorney; Charles O. Galvin, Dallas law school dean. The commission's findings favored ending marijuana prohibition and adopting other methods to discourage use, but the Nixon administration refused to implement its recommendations.

Hide Caption

15 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

President Jimmy Carter, with his special assistant for health issues, Dr. Peter Bourne, beside him, talks to reporters at the White House about his drug abuse control message to Congress on August 2, 1977. Among other things, he called for the elimination of all federal criminal penalties for the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana.

Hide Caption

16 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

First lady Nancy Reagan participates in a drug education class at Island Park Elementary School on Mercer Island, Washington, on February 14, 1984. She later recalled, "A little girl raised her hand and said, 'Mrs. Reagan, what do you do if somebody offers you drugs?' And I said, 'Well, you just say no.' And there it was born." She became known for her involvement in the "Just Say No" campaign.

Hide Caption

17 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Robert Randall smokes marijuana that was prescribed to treat his glaucoma in 1988. He became the first legal medical marijuana patient in modern America after winning a landmark case in 1976.

Hide Caption

18 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

President George H. Bush holds up a copy of the National Drug Control Strategy during a meeting in the Oval Office on September 5, 1989. In a televised address to the nation, Bush asked Americans to join the war on drugs.

Hide Caption

19 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

A television ad aired in 1996 by Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole's campaign included footage from a 1992 MTV interview of a laughing President Clinton saying he would inhale marijuana if given the chance to relive his college days.

Hide Caption

20 of 41

41 photos: History of marijuana in America

Dennis Peron takes notes during a phone interview while Gary Johnson lights up at the Proposition 215 headquarters in San Francisco on October 11, 1996. The ballot measure was approved when voters went to the polls in November, allowing medical marijuana in California.

Hide Caption

21 of 41

Story highlights

• Mexican Supreme Court allows four people to use and grow recreational marijuana
• President Enrique Peña Nieto recognizes and respects court ruling
• "This vote by Mexico's Supreme Court is extraordinary," U.S.-based group says

(CNN)The Mexican Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled to allow a small group to use recreational marijuana legally, opening the door to nationwide legalization and a potential new front in a drug war whose violence has devastated the country.

The 4-1 decision allows four representatives of a group to plant, transport and smoke marijuana for recreational use and declared unconstitutional five articles of a health act that banned the use and cultivation of the drug.

The group, known as Smart by its Spanish acronym, argued before the court that the current drug policy has been ineffective and regressive, and it also interferes with the private lives of individuals.

The group also argued that there's no evidence that regulation of legalized pot would increase drug use and violence. In fact, the opposite may occur, the group argued.

The court ruling, which applies only to the four individuals seeking protection, said the prohibition of recreational marijuana can affect personal freedom. Those individuals are Josefina Ricaño, Armando Santacruz, José Pablo Girault and Juan Francisco Torres Landa Ruffo, all of the Sociedad Mexicana de Autoconsumo Responsable y Tolerante (Smart), or the Mexican Society for Responsible and Tolerant Consumption.

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The Supreme Court ruling sets a precedent and puts the issue before the legislative and executive branches for further study, said Lisa Sanchez, director of the nongovernmental organization Mexico United Against Crime, whose members helped form Smart.

The ruling shows there "exists an excessive, intrusive and unnecessary prohibition" against recreational marijuana, Sanchez said.

"It's a paradigm shift with newly expanded liberties and rights," Sanchez told CNN en Español.

President Enrique Peña Nieto has opposed the legalization of drugs. His country has waged war against drugs and drug-dealing cartels that have left tens of thousands of people dead or missing. The United States has long backed the Mexican government's battle against drug cartels, whose illegal product ends up for sale and consumption on American streets.

But on Wednesday, the Mexican President took to Twitter, saying he respected and recognized the court decision on recreational marijuana and added the court ruling opens a debate on what is the best form of regulation to inhibit drug use.

"Mexico has promoted in international forums, including the U.N., a broad discussion to address the global challenge of drugs," Peña tweeted.

Mexico recently decriminalized the possession of up to 5 grams of marijuana and a half gram of cocaine, but their production and distribution has remained illegal.

The U.S.-based Drug Policy Alliance, which asserts the drug war does more harm than good, called the Mexican court ruling "a landmark case" that could lead to the legalization of marijuana in Mexico if legislation is passed.

"This vote by Mexico's Supreme Court is extraordinary for two reasons: It is being argued on human rights grounds and it is taking place in one of the countries that has suffered the most from the war on drugs," Hannah Hetzer, a senior policy manager at the alliance, said in a statement.

According to the alliance, Uruguay became the first country in the world to legally regulate marijuana in December 2013, and Canada's new Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberal Party have promised to legalize marijuana. Medical marijuana legalization bills are being debated in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Mexico, the group said