Vermont Moves Closer to Legalizing Recreational Marijuana for Adults

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 of a marijuana regulation bill that passed last year in the Senate and failed in the House.

The Senate also amended H. 167 to include the same home cultivation…

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Uruguay Retail Cannabis Sales to Begin This July

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 in five-gram increments. The initial price per gram will be fixed at $1.30 per gram.

Customers must be enrolled in a government…

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Week in Review: West Virginia nears legalization, NV distribution plan & Johns Hopkins exits study

Week in Review: West Virginia nears legalization, NV distribution plan & Johns Hopkins exits study – Marijuana Business DailyWeek in Review: West Virginia nears legalization, NV distribution plan & Johns Hopkins exits study – Marijuana Business Daily

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California Gov. Moves to Align Medical and Recreational Marijuana Regulation

California Governor Jerry Brown

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.

The Adult Use of Marijuana Act, Proposition 64, was passed by California voters in 2016 with more than 57 percent of the vote, legalizing marijuana for adults 21…

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Legal Marijuana: The Sky is (Probably) Not Falling

Legal Marijuana: The Sky is (Probably) Not Falling | Phillip Smith

Barrels of ink have been spilled over the prospect that the Trump administration could attempt to turn back the clock when it comes to legal marijuana, but for all the wailing and gnashing of teeth out there, marijuana industry insiders, advocates, and activists don’t seem all that worried. “I don’t think there’s any more reason […]

Legal Marijuana: The Sky is (Probably) Not Falling | The Daily Chronic

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Washington: Marijuana Use By Young People Largely Unchanged Post-Legalization, Survey Says

OLYMPIA, WA — The percentage of young people consuming marijuana has not been adversely impacted by changes in state law regulating its adult use and distribution, according to 2016 data compiled by Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.

Results from the 2016 Healthy Youth Survey, which surveys over 230,000 students in grades 6 through 12, “rates of teen marijuana use have remained steady” post legalization. The Department issued similar findings…

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Vermont Marijuana Legalization Bill Advances; New Poll Shows Strong Public Support

MONTPELIER, VT — The Vermont House Judiciary Committee approved a bill 8-3 Wednesday that would make personal possession and cultivation of small amounts of marijuana legal for adults 21 and older.

“Today’s vote shows just how far this issue has advanced in just this past year,” said Matt Simon, New England political director for the Marijuana Policy Project. “Most Vermonters agree it makes no sense to continue punishing adults for consuming a…

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Jeff Sessions Won’t Rule Out Using Mafia Law to Go After Legal Marijuana

On conservative radio talker Hugh Hewitt’s program Thursday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions continued to bad mouth marijuana and suggested he might use laws enacted to go after the Mafia against the legal marijuana industry.

“I think it’s a more dangerous drug than a lot of people realize. I don’t think we’re going to be a better community if marijuana is sold in every corner grocery store,” the attorney general told Hewitt.

The conservative talker then helpfully…

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New Hampshire House Votes to Decriminalize Marijuana Possession

CONCORD, NH — The state House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to approve House Bill 640, bringing New Hampshire one step closer to becoming the final state in New England to decriminalize marijuana possession.

The bill, which was approved by a vote of 318-36 by the House, will now be considered by the Senate.

HB 640, sponsored by Rep. Renny Cushing (D-Hampton) and a bipartisan group of 10 co-sponsors, would reduce the penalty for possession of one…

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Five Reasons Trump Needs to Think Twice Before Waging War on Weed

Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Ottumwa, Iowa in January, 2016. (Flickr/Evan Guest)

White House press secretary Sean Spicer‘s comment last week that we “will see greater enforcement” of federal marijuana prohibition has set off tremors in the pot industry, but it should be setting off warning bells at the White House itself.

Any move against marijuana would be politically fraught, economically foolish, and counter to some of the Trump administration’s other…

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US Attorney General: “We Do Not Need To Be Legalizing Marijuana”

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) listens to a question during confirmation hearings on Tuesday, January 10, 2017.

WASHINGTON, DC — Speaking to a gathering of state Attorney Generals this week, newly sworn in US Attorney General Jeff Sessions blamed recreational drug use for an alleged increase in violent crime and urged officials to reject efforts to regulate the adult use of cannabis.

Sessions disputed scientific evidence that legal cannabis access is associated with lower rates…

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Nevada Lawmakers Moving Forward With Expedited Plan For Adult Use Marijuana Sales

CARSON CITY, NV — State officials in Nevada are holding firm on an expedited plan to begin adult use marijuana sales in July, despite comments from the Trump administration indicating a forthcoming crackdown in states that regulate its commercial production and sale.

Nevada Department of Taxation spokeswoman Stephanie Klapstein told the Associated Press that the agency is “moving forward” with plans to permit retail cannabis sales by this summer.

Fifty-five percent of…

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White House press secretary predicts ‘greater enforcement’ on recreational marijuana

By John Schroyer

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer on Thursday said there will likely be increased federal enforcement on recreational marijuana businesses.

“I do believe you will see greater enforcement of it,” Spicer said in response to a question about whether the Department of Justice will enforce federal marijuana laws.

It was the Trump administration’s first public comment on the nation’s marijuana industry, and it comes as a growing number of states have legalized both recreational and medical cannabis.

Spicer sought to…

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NORML Responds to Possible Federal Crack Down on Legal Marijuana

WASHINGTON, DC — White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer suggested this week that the Trump administration will step up enforcement of federal laws against recreational marijuana.

“I do believe that you’ll see greater enforcement,” Spicer said, and added that the exact policy is “a question for the Department of Justice.”

The Department of Justice is lead by Jeff Sessions, a renowned ardent marijuana prohibitionist.

“If the Trump administration goes through with a…

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White House Press Secretary Hints Federal Marijuana Crackdown May Be Forthcoming

WASHINGTON, DC — White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer on Thursday said that the Trump administration may engage in “greater” efforts to enforce federal anti-marijuana laws in jurisdictions that have legalized and regulated its adult use.

In response to a question regarding how the administration intends to address statewide marijuana legalization laws, Spicer indicated that the administration views the regulation of marijuana for medical purposes as distinct from laws governing…

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NORML Forms Multi-State Workplace Drug Testing Coalition

DENVER, CO — The fact that 190 million Americans now live in states where marijuana has been legalized to some degree is raising a number of questions and issues about how to integrate the American workforce and marijuana consumers rights in regards to drug testing.

With medical marijuana is legal in 29 states and recreational marijuana for adult use in 8 states and Washington DC, millions of responsible and otherwise law-abiding adults remain at risk of being excluded from the…

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Over 50 Vermont Attorneys Urge Legislature to End Marijuana Prohibition

MONTPELIER, VT — More than 50 Vermont attorneys have signed a letter urging the Legislature to “reform our state’s outdated and unjust policies towards cannabis by passing a bill to legalize and regulate its cultivation and sale for adult use in 2017.”

The letter will be presented to lawmakers at the House Judiciary Committee hearing on H. 170, which is scheduled for Thursday at 9 a.m. ET in Room 30 of the Vermont State House.

Hose Bill 170 is a bipartisan…

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New Hampshire Marijuana Bill Decriminalization Advances; Legalization Bill Killed

CONCORD, NH — New Hampshire won’t be joining neighboring states of Maine and Massachusetts in legalizing marijuana, but the Granite State could soon follow the rest of their New England neighbors in treating marijuana possession as a violation, rather than a crime that carries a penalty including the possibility of jail time.

Lawmakers in the New Hampshire House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee voted 14 to 2 on Tuesday to advance a bill to decriminalize marijuana…

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New Mexico Marijuana Legalization Bill Slowly Advancing

SANTA FE, NM — A proposal to legalize marijuana for adult use has advanced through the first of three committees it needs to clear before advancing to a floor vote.

House Bill 89, the Cannabis Revenue and Freedom Act, is sponsored by Reps.  Bill McCamley (D-Las Cruces) and Javier Martinez (D-Albuquerque).

The bill was approved in January by the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee, and is currently awaiting review by the House Business and Industry Committee.  It would…

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Vermont Marijuana Legalization Hearings Start Thursday

MONTPELIER, VT — Lawmakers will start legislative hearings on a proposal to legalize marijuana in Vermont on Thursday.

The Vermont House Committee on Judiciary is slated to hear testimony on House Bill 170, which would legalize limited marijuana possession and personal cultivation for adults 21 or older.  The bill being considered is sponsored by the committee’s chairman, vice-chair, and ranking Republican.

If passed, HB 170 would eliminate all civil and criminal penalties for…

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Vermont Bill Filed to Legalize Adult Possession, Cultivation of Marijuana

MONTPELIER, VT — Lawmakers in Vermont have filed a bill that would legalize marijuana possession for adults 21 or older.

House Bill 170, sponsored by Reps. Maxine Grad (D), Charles Conquest (D), and Thomas Burditt (R).

If passed, the bill would eliminate all civil and criminal penalties for possession of up to two ounces of marijuana and up to ten grams of concentrates by adults.

Adults would be allowed to grow up to two mature and seven immature cannabis plants in a…

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Maryland Lawmakers to Consider Legalizing Marijuana

ANNAPOLIS, MD — State lawmakers are rolling out legislation Monday that would regulate and tax cannabis similarly to alcohol in Maryland.

The proposal consists of two bills — a regulation bill and a tax bill — that will each be filed in the Senate and the House.

The regulation bill, sponsored by Sen. Richard S. Madaleno Jr. (D-Montgomery) and Del. Curt Anderson (D-Baltimore City), would make possession and home cultivation of limited amounts of cannabis legal…

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New Hampshire Marijuana Legalization Bill to Receive Hearing Wednesday

CONCORD, NH — Lawmakers in the New Hampshire House will hold a hearing on a Republican-backed bill to legalize, tax and regulate marijuana for adults 21 and older on Wednesday.

The bill, House Bill 656, is sponsored by Reps. Glen Aldrich, Caleb Dyer, Brandon Phinney, and Nick Zaricki, all Republicans.  The proposal is not related to a similar measure filed in the Senate by Senate Minority Leader Jeff Woodburn (D).

Members of the House Committee on Criminal Justice and Public…

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Maryland Marijuana Legalization Bills to be Introudced Monday

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Lawmakers in the Maryland House of Delegates are expected to introduce a combination of bills Monday that would legalize marijuana for adults.

Two bills are expected to be introduced in each chamber.  One proposal would make marijuana legal for adults 21 and older and regulate its production and sale similarly to alcohol, according to the Washington, DC based Marijuana Policy Project.

The other bill would enact taxes on non-medical marijuana sold in…

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States with the best chance to legalize cannabis in 2017?

Marijuana legalization

By John Schroyer

After a landmark year in cannabis legalization, marijuana advocates have plenty of work left. And they’re not resting on their laurels.

The Marijuana Policy Project calculates a whopping 38 legalization bills for medical or recreational marijuana are likely to be introduced in 33 states and the District of Columbia in 2017.

“There’s more support for marijuana policy reform than ever before among the public, and that appears to be reflected in state lawmakers’ views as well,” said Mason Tvert, the advocacy group’s…

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Activists Renew Push to Legalize Marijuana in Vermont

MONTPELIER, VT — A renewed push to legalize marijuana in Vermont will kick off Wednesday at the State House.

Members of the Vermont Coalition to Regulate Marijuana, including representatives from Vermonters for Criminal Justice Reform, ACLU-VT, and the Marijuana Policy Project, say Vermont should join other New England states that are removing legal penalties for adult possession and home cultivation of small amounts of marijuana.

Massachusetts and

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Police Survey: Attitudes Toward Marijuana Legalization Shifting

WASHINGTON, DC — Nearly seven in ten police officers believe that marijuana ought to be legally regulated for either medicinal or recreational purposes, according to a Pew Research Center survey of nearly 8,000 law enforcement personnel.

Thirty-two percent of respondents supported legalizing the plant for adults, while another 37 percent agreed that marijuana ought to be regulated for medical purposes only. Thirty percent of police said that marijuana ought to continue…

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In Legal States, Marijuana Regulators Target Home Cultivation

Two cannabis plants being grown for personal use. (Wikimedia Commons)

Since its founding, NORML has advocated that statewide legalization efforts – whether through a ballot initiative or using the legislative process – should ideally include provisions that permit and protect the act of home cultivation by marijuana consumers. This advocacy has resulted in more than 16 states now allowing home cultivation, including in six of the eight voter-initiated measures passed in…

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New Hampshire Marijuana Legalization Study Commission Proposed

CONCORD, NH — A bi-partisan group of lawmakers in New Hampshire has filed a bill that would create a commission to study the legalization, taxation and regulation of marijuana in the Granite State.

House Bill 215 is sponsored in the House by Reps. Robert Cushing (D) and John O’Connor (R), and in the Senate by Sens. Dan Feltes (D) and John O’Connor (R).

If passed, the commission created by the legislation would “examine the possible impacts of changing state policy to treat…

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Most Police Want Marijuana Laws Reformed, Poll Finds

In a national poll of police officers conducted on a wide variety of topics, less than one third of those surveyed said marijuana should remain illegal.

According to the Behind the Badge survey of nearly 8,000 police officers conducted by the National Police Research Platform (NPRP), 68% of police support legalizing medical marijuana.

While 32 percent of police surveyed supported full legalization of marijuana for adults, the number is still lower than the national…

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Teen Marijuana Use Down in Colorado and Washington

DENVER, CO — The federal government quietly published new national survey data this week that shows rates of teen marijuana use in Colorado and Washington — the first two states to legalize and regulate marijuana for adult use — decreased more than the national average in 2014-2015. Fewer teens in the two states are reportedly using marijuana than in 2012-2013, just prior to the commencement of legal adult marijuana sales.    

The Substance…

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Marijuana Use Continues Rapid Decline Among Younger Teens

ANN ARBOR, MI — Self-reported marijuana use continues to fall among younger teens, according to nationwide survey data compiled by the University of Michigan.

Results from the 2016 edition of the Monitoring the Future survey find that marijuana use by 8th-graders and 10th-graders is declining year by year.

Further, a greater percentage of younger teens now say that their ability to obtain marijuana is more difficult than ever before. Among 12th graders,…

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New Hampshire Senate Minority Leader to File Marijuana Legalization Bill

CONCORD, NH — With two neighboring states having just legalized marijuana, a high-profile member of the New Hampshire Senate — where marijuana bills usually go to die — will push for the Granite State to follow suit when the legislature convenes in January.

Senate Minority Leader Jeff Woodburn (D-Dalton) told the Concord Monitor on Friday that he intends to file a bill to legalize marijuana in New Hampshire, the only New England state where marijuana possession remains a…

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Federal Survey (Once Again) Debunks the Myth that Marijuana Legalization Increases Youth Use

(Flickr/Martin Alonso)

WASHINGTON, DC — The results of an annual survey of U.S. middle and high school students released Tuesday once again invalidate claims that reforming marijuana laws and debating legalization will lead to increased marijuana use among teens.

According to the Monitoring the Future Survey sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA):

  • Among 8th-graders, the rate of past-year marijuana use dropped significantly from 11.8%…

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Week in Review: New life in Montana, rule tweaks in Oregon & obstacles in New England

weeklywrapupimage

By Bart Schaneman and Omar Sacirbey 

Montana’s medical marijuana industry is reactivated, Oregon adjusts its testing regulations, and New England’s adult-use industry encounters obstacles.

Here’s a closer look at some notable developments in the marijuana industry over the past week.

Back from the dead

Medical marijuana dispensaries in Montana will be flipping their closed signs to open after a state judge gave the industry a new lease on life.

“We’re elated,” said Bob Devine, who owns a dispensary in Bozeman and is president of…

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Nevada Lawmaker Wants Recreational Marijuana Sales to Start ASAP

Nevada State Senator Tick Segerblom (D-Las Vegas)

Nevada State Senator Tick Segerblom (D-Las Vegas)

LAS VEGAS, NV — Voters in Nevada legalized marijuana on election day by passing Question 2,  allowing adults 21 and older to possess limited amounts of marijuana starting January 1, 2017.

But under the measure, a state regulated recreational cannabis market wouldn’t open until 2018, giving state officials time to craft the rules and regulations to oversee the newly created industry. So unless you’re a registered medical…

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Arizona Prosecutor Wants Trump to “End the Charade” of Marijuana Legalization

Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery

PHOENIX, AZ — Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery, a prominent Republican who helped lead the opposition to a failed ballot measure that would have legalizde marijuana in Arizona, said this week that he expects the Trump Administration to crack down on medical marijuana laws nationwide and to “end the charade” of marijuana legalization in the states that have done so.

At a press conference Wednesday, Montgomery, a staunch opponent to all things marijuana, said that he…

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Map: The post-election U.S. marijuana landscape

cotw-11-14-16-revised-2

By Eli McVey

Nearly 60% of the U.S. population now lives in states that have legalized some form of marijuana use and sales, illustrating the rising acceptance of cannabis nationwide and highlighting the industry’s immense potential for future growth.

Rewind just 10 years and the map was essentially the inverse of where it is now, with pockets of light green dotting a largely white landscape.


Conference Deadline Approaching
Last week, three new states joined the marijuana club: Arkansas, Florida and North Dakota, which legalized medical cannabis. Four others that…

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Voters In Eight States Approve Marijuana Law Reform In Unprecedented Election Victories

election-2016-results-257

WASHINGTON, DC — Millions of Americans cast votes on Election Day in favor of sweeping statewide marijuana law reforms.

Voters in four states: California, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada approved ballot measures legalizing the adult use of cannabis and licensing its commercial production and retail sale. Voters in four additional states: Arkansas, Florida, Montana, and North Dakota approved initiatives legalizing and/or expanding the use and dispensing of cannabis for therapeutic…

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Regulation Works: Marijuana Retailers Not Selling To Youth, Study Finds

cannabis-shopping-medical-patient_1866

GOLDEN, CO — Licensed marijuana retailers are complying with regulations that forbid businesses from selling to minors, according to data published in the Journal of Studies of Alcohol and Drugs.

A team of investigators from California, Colorado, and New Mexico assessed whether licensed retail cannabis facilities would sell to pseudo-underage buyers who failed to show proof of age.

Authors reported:

“Compliance with laws restricting marijuana sales to individuals…

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An $8 billion night: 7 states legalize medical, recreational cannabis in historic election

2016electioncoverage-square_c

By Marijuana Business Daily staff

The cannabis industry scored a landslide victory Tuesday as four states legalized recreational marijuana and another three approved medical use, cementing the 2016 election’s place in the history books.

The developments could lead to $7 billion-$8 billion in additional annual retail cannabis sales, according to Marijuana Business Daily’s preliminary estimates.

California, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada voted to legalize recreational marijuana, while Arkansas, Florida and North Dakota approved medical…

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Four States End Marijuana Prohibition, Three Adopt Medical Marijuana Laws in Historic Election

Election-2016

WASHINGTON — California, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada voted to end marijuana prohibition and Arkansas, Florida, and North Dakota adopted medical marijuana laws Tuesday in the most momentous election to date for marijuana policy reform.

Montana approved an initiative to re-establish patients’ access to medical marijuana providers, which was hindered by state lawmakers, and create a more regulated system of medical marijuana production and distribution.

As of 4:30…

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Nevada Voters Say ‘YES’ on Question 2 to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol

election-2016-nevada-legalizes

LAS VEGAS, NV — This evening, by a current margin of  53% – 46%, the voters of Nevada approved Question 2, the Initiative to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol. Nevada now joins Colorado, Washington, Alaska, and Oregon as states with laws making the possession of marijuana legal and establishing regulated systems for marijuana cultivation and distribution. Similar measures are being considered today in Arizona, California, Maine, and Massachusetts.

Following passage of…

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Prop 64 Passes, California Legalizes Marijuana

election-2016-california-passess-amendment-64

California voters approved the Prop 64 marijuana legalization initiative Tuesday, more than tripling the number of Americans who live in weed-legal states. Although four other states had legalized marijuana before this year’s election, legalization in the nation’s most populous state will provide momentum for nationwide legalization like never before.

“This is the most important moment in the history of the marijuana legalization movement,” said Tom Angell, chairman of

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Marijuana Wins Big on Election Night

election-2016-results-257

This Election Day was a watershed moment for the movement to end marijuana prohibition, with the results expected to accelerate efforts to legalize marijuana in states across the U.S., at the federal level, and internationally.  Overall, legalization initiatives prevailed in four out of five states, and medical marijuana initiatives prevailed in all four states this year.

Votes are still being counted for legalization initiatives in Maine and Arizona, as well as for a medical…

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Nevada Joins California and Massachusetts by Approving Marijuana Legalization

election-2016-nevada-legalizes

Nevada has joined California and Massachusetts by legalizing marijuana on Election Day.  Florida, Arkansas, and North Dakota also approved medical marijuana.  Votes are still being counted for a medical marijuana measure in Montana and a legalization initiative in Maine.

“It’s great to see that the power and money of Sheldon Adelson were not sufficient to dissuade Nevadans from doing the right thing,” said Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy…

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California Voters Overwhelmingly Approve Marijuana Legalization

California flag flying

California voters have approved Proposition 64, legalizing marijuana in the nation’s largest state.     The new law focuses on undoing the most egregious harms of marijuana prohibition, which have disproportionately impacted communities of color; restoring and protecting public lands and waterways that have been damaged by the lack of statewide regulation under current law; and protecting youth by preventing access to marijuana. It enacts across-the-board retroactive…

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Handful of businesses and individuals donate $21M for, against marijuana measures

top-donations-to-ballot-committees-revised

By Eli McVey and John Schroyer

The nine cannabis-related measures on ballots across the nation have drawn immense attention, most notably in the form of tens of millions of dollars in political contributions.

Campaign finance data shows that 20 businesses and individuals account for a whopping $20.8 million in donations on both sides.

Of that total, $13.7 million has come from 10 individuals and more than $7 million from 10 businesses.

Financial support has come hot and heavy on both sides of the legalization debate.

All told, billionaire Sean…

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Latest Polling Information for the 2016 Marijuana Related Ballot Proposals

Election-2016

On Tuesday, November 8, nine states will be voting on marijuana related ballot proposals potentially doubling the number of states that allow the recreational use of marijuana and expanding the therapeutic benefits of marijuana use to millions of Americans. Here’s where these measures stand in the latest polls.

Arizona: According to an October Arizona Republic/Morrison/Cronkite poll, 50 percent of registered voters in Arizona favor Proposition 205 and 42 percent oppose it. The…

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Reforming Marijuana Laws Doesn’t Increase Youth Usage, Two Studies Find

lighting a smoking joint

Changes in marijuana’s legal status under state law is not associated with increased cannabis use or access by young people, according to pair of recently published studies.

In the first study, published online in the journal Substance Use & Misuse, researchers at Columbia University in New York surveyed the marijuana use habits of a national sampling of 1,310 adolescents over a two-year period. Investigators assessed whether respondents from states with liberalized cannabis…

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