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A judge in the Netherlands has approved a government plan to prevent foreigners from entering cannabis cafes. Anna Holligan is a reporter for our partner the BBC.

Nathan Lents, associate professor of molecular biology and deputy chair at John Jay College of Criminal Justice at the City University of New York, explains the difference between marijuana and synthetic cannabis. State legislators are considering a bill to criminalize the synthetic drug.

Public defenders in the Bronx said more than 40 percent of the marijuana arrests they investigated in their borough between May and October 2011 show violations of constitutional rights and problems with evidence.  Many of these unlawful arrests, defense lawyers said, were made after an internal NYPD order was issued directing all officers to follow the law when making marijuana arrests.

New York State is banning a group of substances sold legally as incense, but often smoked for their marijuana-like effect.

Last year, New York City police officers made the greatest number of marijuana arrests in more than a decade, according to new state records.

Marijuana arrests in New York City are still high, but slowing down slightly. Still, the dip in such arrests hasn’t stopped allegations that police officers are still making improper arrests by illegally searching and mischarging people.

Governors Christine Gregoire of Washington and Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island have petitioned the federal government to reclassify marijuana as a drug with accepted medical uses. Rhode Island and Washington state have already decriminalized medical marijuana in their states. But marijuana is currently classified by the federal government as a Schedule I controlled substance — the same category as heroin and LSD. It's a confusing distinction for many medical marijuana patients in those states. Governors Gregoire and Chafee say the federal government should reclassify marijuana as a Schedule II controlled substance in order to cut down confusion for medial marijuana patients.

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly says he had heard multiple allegations that his officers were skirting the law when charging people for misdemeanor marijuana possession — but he says he doesn't know if they are true.

WNYC reporter Ailsa Chang, talks about Police Commissioner Ray Kelly's "clarification" of NYPD policy regarding marijuana arrests and her earlier reporting on the controversy. And Eugene O'Donnell, professor of law and police science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice discusses police chief Ray Kelly's 60 Minutes revelation that the NYPD can shoot down planes.

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly has issued an internal order to the New York City Police Department commanding officers to stop arresting people for small amounts of marijuana possession, if the marijuana was never in public view.  The directive comes at a time when the NYPD is taking increasing heat about alleged improper marijuana arrests.

This week we’ve been asking listeners to suggest big ideas on how to fix the economy, and you've given us a huge response. We’ve talked about raising inflation, boosting housing prices, capping total compensation for CEOs, taxing the rich, and the potential financial impact of legalizing pot. We received over 200 responses, and noticed some interesting trends. One in six of those who responded suggested reforming the tax code. The second most popular idea was to cut military spending.

Some City Council members are calling for Albany to pass a bill that would de-criminalize having small amounts of marijuana in public view.

This week we’ve been asking listeners to suggest big ideas on how to fix the economy. We’ve discussed raising inflation, boosting housing prices, and capping total compensation for CEOs at $5 million. A few Takeaway listeners called in to offer one of their own: legalizing marijuana. Some say the government would save billions of dollars a year by not policing and prosecuting marijuana crimes, and that legalizing and taxing pot would bring in billions of dollars.

Representatives Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and Ron Paul (R-Texas) introduced a bill Thursday that would end federal prohibition of marijuana production, distribution and possession.

State legislators have introduced a bill decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana in public view. The bill comes on the heels of a WNYC investigation about alleged illegal searches during marijuana arrests.

New Jersey Democrats want the Christie Administration to re-write the rules on dispensing medical marijuana.

WNYC reporter Ailsa Chang joins us to discuss part two of her report on the way NYPD's stop-and-frisk policy results in high numbers of low-level marijuana arrests.

One hundred and forty people are arrested for minor drug offenses every day in New York City. WNYC reporter Ailsa Chang reports on a WNYC investigation into whether the high rate of marijuana arrests could be connected to the City's stop-and-frisk policy - and to illegal searches by the police. 

See a map below of Stop and Frisk arrests.

Police arrest 140 people every day in New York City for possessing small amounts of marijuana. It's now by far the most common misdemeanor charge in the city, and thousands of these arrests take place when police stop-and-frisk young men in the poorest neighborhoods. Police say these stop-and-frisks are a way to find guns, what they find more often is a bag of marijuana.

Danny Danko, senior cultivation editor of High Times Magazine, discusses where the pot in NYC comes from and if pot smokers should feel complicit in the Mexican drug war.

Listeners: Do you think pot smokers should feel complicit in the Mexican drug war? Or should anyone who consumes any illegal drug question the morality of their consumption for any other reason? Call us up or comment here!