NORML | May 4, 2017 LOWELL, MA — Subjects who consume cannabis are significantly less likely to suffer from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) as compared to those who do not, according to population-based case-control data published in the journal PLOS One. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is the most prevalent form of liver disease in […]
VANCOUVER, BC — Cannabis consumption is positively associated with the decreased use of crack cocaine, according to longitudinal data published in the journal Addictive Behaviors. Canadian investigators assessed the use patterns of cannabis and crack cocaine in a cohort of 122 subjects over a three-year period. They reported that participants subsequently reduced their frequency of […]
Paul Armentano | May 3, 2017 Adults often substitute cannabis for the use of prescription medications, according to data published in the Journal of Pain Research. Investigators from the Bastyr University Research Institute assessed the frequency of drug substitution among a self-selected national sample of 2,774 self-identified marijuana consumers. Just under half of respondents (46 […]
(Flickr/neetalparekh) NORML | April 27, 2017 IRVINE, CA — Reducing criminal penalties for marijuana offenses is associated with greater overall employment and higher wages, according to data compiled by economists at the University of California. Researchers at the Economic Self-Sufficiency Research Policy Institute at the University of California at Irvine assessed the relationship between statewide […]
West Virginia Governor Jim Justice (D) signs Senate Bill 386, the Medical Cannabis Act, on April 19, 2017. The Governor was joined for the bill signing by two of the initiative’s primary supporters, Senator Richard Ojeda (D-Logan) and Delegate Mike Pushkin (D-Kanawha), as well as Senator Mike Woelfel (D-Cabell) and Dr. Rahul Gupta the State […]
Approximately 8 million adults suffer from PTSD, including many military veterans. (WikiMedia Commons/USMC) TJ Baker | April 25, 2017 DENVER, CO — Lawmakers in the Colorado legislature have passed a measure to add post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, to the list of conditions that qualify for medical marijuana in the state. The measure, Senate Bill […]
Medical marijuana supporters outside the Texas capitol on Tuesday, April 25, 2017 (Heather Fazio) Marijuana Policy Project | April 25, 2017 AUSTIN, TX — A group of patients, caregivers, and medical professionals gathered at the Texas State Capitol on Tuesday to urge lawmakers to allow hearings on critical medical marijuana legislation. The group called on […]
TJ Baker | April 25, 2017 OLYMPIA, WA — Lawmakers in Washington state have sent a comprehensive marijuana reform bill to the desk of Governor Jay Inslee (D), making several changes to the state’s cannabis regulation policies. The bi-partisan Senate Bill 5131 was sponsored by Sens. Anna Rivers [R] Steven Conway [D], and received overwhelming support […]
HWN | April 24, 2017 ANNAPOLIS, MD — After lengthy delays, the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission has opened up the patient and caregiver registry for the state supervised medical marijuana program. Starting Monday April 24, open enrollment for all patients and caregivers is available on the agency’s website. The registry was opened in a three-phase […]
Justin Strekal | April 24, 2017 Since 2014, the Department of Justice has been prohibited from using taxpayers’ funds to enforce federal anti-marijuana laws in states that regulate its medical use. But that could all change this week as Congress decides how to fund the federal government for the remainder of this fiscal year. At […]
Marijuana Policy Project | April 21, 2017 MONTPELIER, VT — The Vermont Senate approved a bill on Friday that would regulate the production and sale of marijuana and eliminate penalties for personal possession and cultivation by adults 21 and older. The Senate amended H. 167, an unrelated House-approved bill, to replace it with a revised version […]
(Sonya Yruel/Drug Policy Alliance) Paul Armentano | April 21, 2017 Patients use fewer prescription drugs in states where access to medical cannabis is legally regulated, according to data published in the journal Health Affairs. Investigators at the University of Georgia assessed the association between medical cannabis regulations and the average number of prescriptions filled by […]
Paul Armentano | April 20, 2017 More than six in ten Americans believe that the social use of marijuana should be legal for adults, according to nationwide polling data provided by CBS News. The percentage marks a significant increase since 2013, when only 45 percent of respondents endorsed legalization, and it is among the highest […]
United States Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly Speaks at George Washington University on Tuesday, April 18, 2017. (DHS handout) Drug Policy Alliance | April 20, 2017 In a speech Tuesday, United States Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly announced that the Trump Administration would use marijuana possession as a reason for deporting immigrants. “ICE will […]
Oregon Governor Kate Brown NORML | April 19, 2017 SALEM, OR — Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed legislation into law this week limiting the ability of government officials to obtain data identifying customers who purchase marijuana at state-licensed retail facilities. Voters legalized the commercial production and retail sales of cannabis in November 2014. Retail sales of […]
NORML | April 19, 2017 OTTAWA, ON — Liberal Party members introduced legislation late last week to legalize and regulate the possession, use, and sale of cannabis by those age 18 and older. The legislation follows through on a 2015 campaign pledge by the Party, which has promised to regulate the marijuana market by mid-2018. The […]
West Virginia Governor Jim Justice (D) signs Senate Bill 386, the Medical Cannabis Act, on April 19, 2017. The Governor was joined for the bill signing by two of the initiative’s primary supporters, Senator Richard Ojeda (D-Logan) and Delegate Mike Pushkin (D-Kanawha), as well as Senator Mike Woelfel (D-Cabell) and Dr. Rahul Gupta the State […]
North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum (North Dakota Office of the Governor) NORML | April 19, 2017 BISMARK, ND — North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum (R) signed legislation on Tuesday amending provisions of the North Dakota Compassionate Care Act – a voter-initiated measure approved by 65 percent of voters last November. Senate Bill 2344 makes several […]
NORML | April 19, 2017 NASHVILLE, TN — Governor Bill Haslam signed legislation last week repealing municipal statutes in Memphis and Nashville that reduced local penalties for marijuana possession offenders. House Bill 173 nullifies both cities’ decriminalization ordinances and preempts any other city from enacting similar reforms. City council members in Nashville and Memphis both passed […]
NORML | April 19, 2017 MADISON, WI — Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker signed legislation, Senate Bill 10, this week amending the state’s 2014 cannabidiol (CBD) exemption law. Under the new law, patients may possess non psychoactive CBD products for any medical condition as long as the use of such products is recommended by a physician. Under […]
Maggie Ellinger-Locke | April 17, 2017 The Iowa Senate Appropriations Committee has introduced a bill to establish a comprehensive medical cannabis program in the state. The bill already received unanimous support by a subcommittee at a hearing last week, and may receive a full Senate vote as early as this week. The bill would allow patients […]
Republican Congressman Tom Marino, Pennsylvania 10th (Wikimedia Commons) Drug Policy Alliance | April 14, 2017 WASHINGTON, DC — President Trump is expected to soon nominate Rep. Tom Marino (R-PA/10th) to be Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (colloquially referred to as the “drug czar”). Marino, a former prosecutor with no background in […]
Donald Trump speaking with supporters at a campaign rally in February 2016. (Wikimedia/Gage Skidmore) Erik Altieri | April 14, 2017 The Trump Administration is widely expected to pick Representative Tom Marino for Drug Czar. Representative Marino is a longtime, rabid drug warrior who has a consistent record of voting against marijuana law reform legislation — […]
“Welcome to West Virginia” sign along westbound U.S. Route 48 and West Virginia Route 55 east of Wardensville in Hardy County, West Virginia (Wikimedia/Famartin) NORML | April 13, 2017 CHARLESTON, WV — Lawmakers in both chambers of the West Virginia legislature have approved a significantly amended version of Senate Bill 386, which seeks to establish […]
NORML | April 13, 2017 MONTEVIDEO — Pharmacies will begin selling cannabis in July to those age 18 or older, according to public statements made last week by government officials. Sixteen pharmacies are already registered to participate in the forthcoming program, which will dispense cannabis provided by state-licensed producers. Retailers will sell cannabis to customers […]
Port Elizabeth, South Africa (Wikimedia/Kay-Africa) NORML | April 13, 2017 JOHANNESBURG Federal provisions criminalizing the possession and use of cannabis in private have been determined to be unconstitutional in South Africa. The High Court decision determined that outlawing the private use of cannabis by adults is an unjustifiable infringement upon citizens’ right to privacy and dignity. […]
Republican Congressman Tom Marino, Pennsylvania 10th (Wikimedia Commons) Phillip Smith | April 13, 2017 President Trump will name Pennsylvania Congressman Tom Marino (R) to head the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP — the drug czar’s office), CBS News reported Tuesday. The White House gave no official comment, but sources told CBS that an […]
NORML | April 13, 2017 PHOENIX, AZ — An Arizona appellate court has ruled that a 2012 law amending the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act (AMMA) to prohibit the use of medical cannabis on college campuses is unconstitutional. “By enacting A.R.S. § 15-108(A), the Legislature modified the AMMA to re-criminalize cardholders’ marijuana possession on college and […]
NORML | April 13, 2017 SCRANTON, PA — Patients with legal access to medical cannabis decrease their use of opioids, anti-depressants, anti-anxiety drugs, and other medications, according to self-report data published online ahead of print in the Journal of Psychopharmacology. A team of investigators from five states surveyed the medical history of over 1,500 patient-members […]
(Flickr/Kristen Wall) Marijuana Policy Project | April 12, 2017 CHICAGO, IL — Sponsors of a proposal to regulate and tax marijuana for adult use in Illinois announced Wednesday that lawmakers will hold the first hearing on the bill next week in Chicago. The Senate and House Appropriations committees will hold a joint hearing on SB […]
Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control Hearing on Dangerous Synthetic Drugs Phillip Smith | April 12, 2017 The two octogenarian senior members of the Senate Judiciary Committee are up to one of their favorite pastimes again this year. Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) have reintroduced a perennial bill that would increase penalties […]
Republican Congressman Tom Marino, Pennsylvania 10th (Wikimedia Commons) Marijuana Policy Project | April 11, 2017 WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Tom Marino (R-PA) will be named the next director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), also known as the “drug czar,” according to multiple media reports. As a member of Congress, Marino […]
Paul Armentano | April 10, 2017 PHOENIX, AZ — An Arizona appellate court has ruled that a 2012 state law prohibiting the use of medical cannabis on college campuses is unconstitutional. Arizona voters in 2010 narrowly approved a statewide initiative, the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act (AMMA), permitting qualified patients to possess and use medicinal cannabis. […]
Drug Policy Alliance | April 7, 2017 SANTA FE, NM — New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez has vetoed House Bill 527, a measure that would have made improvements to the state’s medical cannabis program. The most significant provision in the legislation would have allowed New Mexicans diagnosed with opioid use disorder by a licensed practitioner to […]
“Welcome to West Virginia” sign along westbound U.S. Route 48 and West Virginia Route 55 east of Wardensville in Hardy County, West Virginia (Wikimedia/Famartin) Marijuana Policy Project | April 7, 2017 CHARLESTON, WV — A medical marijuana bill received final approval in the West Virginia Legislature on Thursday and is headed to the desk of Gov. […]
NORML | April 6, 2017 CHICAGO, IL — The percentage of Americans who “think the use of marijuana should be legal” has increased dramatically over the past ten years and now stands at a record high, according to polling data compiled by the University of Chicago’s General Social Survey. The survey has tracked adults’ opinions on […]
NORML | April 6, 2017 The use of marijuana alone does not place subjects at a higher risk of experiencing injuries requiring hospitalization, according to case-control data published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence. Investigators from the United States and Canada assessed the risk of injury in the hours immediately following subjects’ use of […]
Kansas City, MO (Flickr/Dean Hochman) NORML | April 6, 2017 KANSAS CITY, MO — Kansas City voters approved a municipal ballot measure on Tuesday decriminalizing marijuana possession offenses within the city’s limits. Nearly 75 percent of citywide voters decided ‘yes’ on Question 5, which reduces penalties for the possession of up to 35 grams of […]
Jeff Sessions speaking at the Values Voter Summit in Washington, DC. (Flickr/Gage Skidmore) Erik Altieri | April 6, 2017 This week, Attorney General Jeff “Marijuana Consumers Aren’t Good People” Sessions issued a memo outlining a requested task force inquiry into a number of public safety issues, one of which being the enforcement of federal marijuana […]
NORML | April 6, 2017 OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — The state Supreme Court of Oklahoma has ruled in favor of the proponents of a forthcoming statewide ballot measure to regulate medical cannabis access. In a 7 to 1 ruling, justices rejected the state attorney general’s rewording of the initiative’s ballot title and ordered that the […]
NORML | April 6, 2017 RICHMOND, VA — Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe has signed legislation into law amending the state’s mandatory driver’s suspension law. Under existing law, defendants convicted of a marijuana violation lose their driving privileges for six months, even in instances where the offense was not driving related. Under the new legislation, SB […]
NORML | April 5, 2017 WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) with Representatives Amash (R-MI), Jeffries (D-NY), Sensenbrenner (R-WI), Nadler (D-NY), and Love (R-UT) have introduced The Better Drive Act, legislation removing the federal mandate that demands states to suspend the driver’s license of individuals with a marijuana possession conviction. Under current law, any drug […]
The United States Capitol in Washington, DC (Wikimedia/David Maiolo) Drug Policy Alliance | April 5, 2017 WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Representative Beto O’Rourke (D-TX-16) has introduced bipartisan legislation with Representatives Justin Amash (R-MI-3), Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY-8), Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI-5), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-10), and Mia Love (R-UT-4) that would repeal a 26-year-old federal law that mandates […]
California Governor Jerry Brown Drug Policy Alliance | April 5, 2017 SACRAMENTO, CA — Late Tuesday afternoon, Governor Jerry Brown released his proposal to align medical marijuana regulations passed by the Legislature in 2015 and the 2016 Adult Use of Marijuana Act, both of which call for commercial licensing and regulation to begin in January 2018. […]
Justin Strekal | April 5, 2017 KANSAS CITY, MO — In a blowout victory for sensible criminal justice policy, the voters of Kansas City, Missouri have decided to approve Question 5 and decriminalize marijuana to direct their law enforcement officers to no longer target citizens for possession of the plant and would replace current criminal penalties […]
“Welcome to West Virginia” sign along westbound U.S. Route 48 and West Virginia Route 55 east of Wardensville in Hardy County, West Virginia (Wikimedia/Famartin) Marijuana Policy Project | April 4, 2017 CHARLESTON, WV — A bill that would allow patients with certain debilitating conditions to access medical marijuana if their doctors recommend it was approved by […]
Marijuana Policy Project | April 3, 2017 AUSTIN, TX — A proposal to reduce penalties for marijuana possession in Texas received bipartisan approval from the House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee on Monday and will soon be scheduled for a full vote in the House. The measure passed by a vote of 4-2, receiving support from two […]
“Welcome to West Virginia” sign along westbound U.S. Route 48 and West Virginia Route 55 east of Wardensville in Hardy County, West Virginia (Wikimedia/Famartin) CHARLESTON, WV — The state Senate approved legislation Wednesday evening (28-6) that would allow patients with certain debilitating conditions to access medical marijuana if their doctors recommend it. SB 386, the West […]
The United States Capitol in Washington, DC (Wikimedia/David Maiolo) Phillip Smith | March 30, 2017 The Congressional Cannabis Caucus flexed its muscles Thursday as members of Congress filed a package of bills aimed at creating a “path to marijuana reform” at the federal level and protecting and preserving marijuana laws in states where it is […]
NORML | March 30, 2017 WASHINGTON, DC — Senator Ron Wyden and Representatives Earl Blumenauer and Jared Polis have introduced legislation in the House and Senate — to permit states to establish their own marijuana regulatory policies free from federal interference. In addition to removing marijuana from the United States Controlled Substances Act, this legislation […]