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D.C. Council Passes Major Improvements to Medical Marijuana Program

On Nov. 1, the D.C. Council unanimously passed B21-0210, which includes many improvements to the medical marijuana program, such as: 1) independent laboratory testing will be required, to ensure patients know what they are purchasing; and 2) advanced practice registered nurses, physician assistants, dentists, and naturopathic physicians, in addition to M.D.s, will be able to recommend medical cannabis.
A few changes were made before the final vote on the bill. One of these was the adoption of Councilmember Grosso’s amendment (initially…

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Oklahoma Marijuana Policy Reforms Take Effect

Three bills taking small but positive steps forward took effect  November 1, 2016, in Oklahoma.
The first bill, HB 2835, allows adults to use low-THC cannabis oil (minors were already covered by existing law), and added “spasticity due to multiple sclerosis or due to paraplegia, intractable nausea and vomiting, and appetite stimulation with chronic wasting diseases” to the list of qualifying conditions, in addition to severe epilepsy. The governor signed this bill on May 13, 2016. While this is a step forward, Oklahoma law does not…

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First Retail Marijuana Store Opens in Alaska

Alaska reached yet another historic milestone on Saturday, October 29, when the state’s first marijuana retailer opened in Valdez. This week, Fairbanks’ first marijuana stores open, while Anchorage’s first store is expected to open in early November.ak-seal

Some supporters have wondered why it has taken nearly two years for retail marijuana to become available after 53.2% of Alaska voters approved the legalization initiative on Nov 4, 2014. But, considering the decades of fighting against marijuana prohibition, what has happened in the…

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Arkansas Supreme Court Disqualifies Medical Marijuana Initiative

Today, in a 5-2 ruling, the Arkansas Supreme Court granted a petition disqualifying Issue 7, the Arkansas Medical Cannabis Act, from the ballot. Meanwhile, early voting began on Monday in the state. Thus, the ruling robs the over 140,000 voters who have already cast their ballot of the opportunity to make a complete and informed decision. Despite the court’s ruling, Issue 7 will still physically appear on the ballot for the Tuesday, November 8 election. The campaign for Issue 7 urges Arkansans to vote yes on both Issues 6 and 7.ARCompassion logo

Issue 6…

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National Poll Shows Increasing Majority Support for Legal Marijuana

A new poll by the Pew Research Center shows that a majority of Americans think that marijuana should be legal, and support is increasing.

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(Pew Research Center)

Today, 57% of U.S. adults say the use of marijuana should be made legal, while 37% say it should be illegal. A decade ago, opinion on legalizing marijuana was nearly the reverse – just 32% favored legalization, while 60% were opposed.

The shift in public opinion on the legalization of marijuana has occurred during a time when many U.S. states are relaxing their restrictions on…

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Nevada Culinary Union Endorses Question 2

The Culinary Workers Union Local 226, Nevada’s largest union, has endorsed Question 2, the Initiative to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol!

The Culinary Union represents more than 57,000 workers in the state, so this endorsement gives a tremendous boost to our efforts to end marijuana prohibition. 

Local 226 knows, as we do, that it is time to stop punishing adults who choose to use marijuana. They also know that passage of Question 2 will take marijuana out of the criminal market and place it in regulated businesses that will create…

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New Connecticut Medical Marijuana Provisions Take Effect

This week, a new law that improves Connecticut’s medical marijuana program went into effect. Among other changes, for the first time, certain patients who are under 18 now qualify to use medical cannabis in the Constitution state. Previously, Connecticut had been the only medical marijuana state to completely exclude seriously ill minors from its program.Seal_of_Connecticut.svg
To participate in the Connecticut medical marijuana program, minors must have been diagnosed with terminal illness, an irreversible spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis,…

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Massachusetts Ads Featuring Former Cop Kick Off Final Weeks of Campaign

The Yes on 4 Campaign on October 3 began airing television ads featuring Merrimack College associate professor and former Boston Police Lieutenant Tom Nolan.

The ad features Nolan, program director of Merrimack’s criminology and criminal justice graduate program, standing in front of a residence and talking about Question 4, which would create a taxed commerce system under the control of state regulators and local authorities.

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Arizona Democratic Party Backs Legalization

The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol announced a wide variety of political endorsements for Prop. 205, including several progressive, conservative, and libertarian individuals and organizations, at a news conference in front of the Arizona State Capitol on Wednesday.azdemlogo

The Arizona Democratic Party officially endorsed Prop. 205, and U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva (AZ-3) became the second member of Arizona’s congressional delegation to throw his support behind the measure, joining Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-7). Prop. 205 also received…

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California Campaign Ramps Up Support With New Ad Campaign

On Tuesday, the campaign supporting the initiative to tax and regulate marijuana in California began running ads throughout the state urging voters to back Proposition 64.logo

Yes on 64 announced the ads in a press release this week:

The ads — in a straightforward, fact-based way – highlight for California voters Proposition 64’s comprehensive approach to marijuana decriminalization, its toughest-in the-nation safeguards for families and local communities and its funding of important youth and job training programs.

To view the new ads,…

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Question 2 Ads Highlight Benefits for Nevada Veterans

An ad featuring a Marine Corps veteran who used marijuana in place of pharmaceutical painkillers to alleviate pain associated with fractures in his leg began airing recently across Nevada to promote Question 2, which would regulate marijuana like alcohol for adults. The theme of the ad will also be incorporated into billboards appearing across the Las Vegas metro area.nv-vets-ad

The television ad, which can be viewed here, shows Brian Eberhart, a Marine Corps veteran, discussing his experience after being injured while serving.

The Coalition to…

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Arizona Legalization Supporters Unveil New Ads

On Monday, the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Arizona (Yes on 205) unveiled a new billboard in downtown Phoenix in support of Prop. 205. This billboard is designed to address the opposition’s campaign, Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy (No on 205), which aims to vilify marijuana and prevent sensible reform.

The billboard features a television that reads: “No on 205: Paid For With Profits from Opioid Sales,” referring to the contributions made to Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy by pharmaceutical company,…

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Former Maine Sheriff Supports Question 1 in New TV Ad

The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Maine, joined by volunteers and supports, held a news conference on October 4 to announce the final push before the election, including the first TV ad for the campaign.

The ad features former Cumberland County Sheriff Mark Dion, who has spent 32 years in law enforcement.

 

“Question 1 will allow law enforcement to focus on serious and violent crime, while generating millions in new revenue for our state,” said campaign manager David Boyer.  “Mark Dion has decades of law…

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Florida Medical Marijuana Initiative Appears Likely to Pass

A Saint Leo University poll released in lateSeptember indicated public support for an amendment that would legalize the use of medical marijuana in Florida. Amendment 2 will allow Florida doctors to legally recommend medical marijuana to their patients with debilitating illnesses.hb-yes_on_2

Passage of Amendment 2 also authorizes the Department of Health to issue identification cards to patients and caregivers who qualify, as well as register and regulate facilities to produce and distribute marijuana for medical purposes.

Although a Florida…

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Denver Democrats, State Lawmakers Support Limited Social Consumption Ordinance

Backers of Initiated Ordinance 300 (I-300), a Denver ballot measure intended to permit cannabis consumption in certain private places in order to reduce it in public spaces, announced Tuesday that it had received several major political endorsements. The Democratic Party of Denver, New Era Colorado, State Sen. Irene Aguilar of Denver, and State Rep. Jonathan Singer have joined more than 100 local businesses and organizations that are encouraging Denver residents to vote “YES” on 300 to establish a Neighborhood-Supported…

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MPP Announces Oct. 5 Money Bomb to End Marijuana Prohibition in Five States This Election Day

This week, we are announcing our “5 on 5” money bomb campaign to see all five recreational marijuana initiatives pass this Election Day.

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On one side of the scale: Marijuana prohibition contributes to a racist criminal justice system, creates massive profits for drug cartels, and prevents police from investigating real crimes.

On the other side of the scale: Ending marijuana prohibition will create millions in tax revenues for local communities, thousands of new jobs, and greater access for veterans and other medical marijuana…

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Next New Hampshire Governor Will Support Decriminalization

MPP’s endorsed candidates for New Hampshire governor did not win their primaries this week, but overall, the results bode well for the future of marijuana policy reform.Seal_of_New_Hampshire.svg

For the first time in the state’s history, both major parties’ nominees for governor, Executive Councilors Colin Van Ostern (D) and Chris Sununu (R), are clearly on record in favor of decriminalizing marijuana possession. It now appears virtually certain that MPP and its allies will finally be able to pass a decriminalization bill in 2017.

That wasn’t the only…

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MPP Endorses Maryland Delegate David Moon for State Senate

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Del. David Moon

The Marijuana Policy Project announced Wednesday that it is endorsing Del. David Moon for the Maryland Senate in District 20. The Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee is expected to appoint a successor to Sen. Jamie Raskin, who is running for Congress.

As a member of the Judiciary Committee in the House of Delegates, David Moon has been an impassioned leader and a continuous advocate for marijuana policy reform, including acting as an important sponsor of legislation to tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol….

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National Crime Data Shows Marijuana Arrests Dropping, Still Happen More Than Once a Minute

The FBI just released its annual Crime in the United States report, detailing national crime data for 2015. According to the report, marijuana arrests are at a two decade low. This is definitely a good sign, but even one marijuana arrest is too many, and more than one marijuana arrest occurs every minute.fbi

Huffington Post reports:

…authorities in the U.S. made 643,000 arrests for marijuana-related charges in 2015 ― or about one every 49 seconds. Charges related to the drug accounted for 5.9 percent of all arrests, and about 43.2 percent…

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Big Pharma Opiate Profiteer Throws Big Money Against Arizona Campaign to Regulate Marijuana

While there is a long history of opposition to sensible marijuana policy reform from some big pharmaceutical companies, September saw the biggest financial donation from such a company against a legalization ballot initiative to date, and their motives couldn’t be more blatant.

According to campaign finance reports, the committee formed to oppose Prop. 205, Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy, received a $500,000 contribution on August 31 from Insys Therapeutics, Inc. According to a CNBC investigative piece about the Chandler-based…

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Michigan Lawmakers Adopt Regulatory System for Medical Marijuana, Allow Extracts

The Michigan Legislature passed a series of bills this month that overhaul the state’s medical marijuana program. This is the culmination of a multi-year debate on how, and whether, the state should allow and regulate medical marijuana businesses. It is a major — and controversial — milestone for patients and those who serve them. The bills now head to the governor, who is expected to sign them.mi-seal

For many years, federal and state law enforcement authorities obtained warrants, raided locations, arrested compassionate business owners,…

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Chris Christie Approves PTSD As Qualifying Condition for Medical Marijuana

Thank you to all of you who contacted your legislators and Gov. Christie — and to DPA’s Compassionate Use Campaign — for making this victory possible. We at MPP are thrilled that patients with PTSD, a devastating mental health condition, will be able to seek relief from medical marijuana where conventional treatments have failed. In addition, the New Jersey Department of Health is currently considering petitions to add additional qualifying conditions to the state’s program.

This law takes effect immediately, and you can find

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Alaska Issues First Marijuana Business License

The Alaska Marijuana Control Board issued the state’s first retail business license on September 9, reaching yet another milestone in the rollout of the voter-approved program. Frozen Budz, which plans to make cannabis-infused products in Fairbanks, received Alaska’s first retail license.ak-seal

Many other applications remain under consideration, and the review process for other retail businesses continues, if slower than many expected.

In addition, despite the board’s assurances earlier this year, it has not adopted rules or considered…

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Arizona Initiative Cleared for Ballot After Language Challenges

After a court ruling rejected a challenge from prohibitionists to13925181_550967435082980_8533437240301629316_n keep the initiative to legalize marijuana in Arizona off the ballot, opponents of the measure made a last-ditch effort to deprive voters of their right to choose by alleging that the ballot language summary was misleading and the initiative should be invalidated.

On August 31, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that the initiative summary was accurate and comprehensive enough to comply with state law, allowing it to proceed.

Unfortunately, a Maricopa County judge removed a…

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Nevada’s ‘Yes On 2’ Campaign Runs Voter Education Ads

The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Nevada unveiled a series of television ads and a  “Schools vs. Cartels” billboard in August in support of Question 2, a ballot measure that would end marijuana prohibition in Nevada. The ads are part of a campaign aimed at encouraging voters to take marijuana out of the illicit market and place it into a regulated system of production and sales, and focus law enforcement resources on violent crime.
You can view all the ads here.

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MPP and Institute for Justice Fight for Free Speech in Alabama

Recently when attempting to lobby for marijuana policy reform in Alabama, MPP legislative counsel Maggie Ellinger-Locke discovered that she would have to travel to the Yellowhammer State and take an ethics class before she could speak with any lawmakers on the subject. This is a clear violation of free speech, and Institute for Justice is helping us fight back.IJ logo

Alabama Today reports:

Virginia-based public interest law firm Institute for Justice filed a new federal lawsuit on behalf of Maggie Ellinger-Locke and the Marijuana Policy Project…

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Majority of Montana Medical Marijuana Patients to Lose Access

The state of Montana’s nearly 12-year history with medical marijuana takes a turn for the worse on September 1, when most medical marijuana patients are expected lose legal access. After years of court challenges which delayed implementation, most of the state’s 2011 law will be in effect, severely limiting the number of people available to provide medical marijuana to patients.2000px-Montana-StateSeal.svg

Under the newly-enforced law, providers may only serve three patients — a change that state agency officials estimate could leave as many as 10,000…

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Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Draft Business Rules Released

Since Pennsylvania’s Medical Marijuana Act (Act 16) went into effect on May 17, 2016, the Department of Health has been working to implement the new law. Thus far, it has created regulations regarding — and accepted applications for — the safe harbor letter program, which provides legal protections for those caring for minor patients when they administer medical marijuana. The department recently announced that 53 caregivers have received a letter.PA Seal
On August 18, the department released draft temporary regulations regarding growers…

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Medical Marijuana Laws Associated with Decrease in Reported Sick Days

A new study published in Health Economics revealed an unexpected association between states that have medical marijuana laws and the number of sick days reported in those states.

Washington Post reports:

Darin F. Ullman, an economist who recently received his PhD from the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, wanted to know what effect, if any, the enactment of medical marijuana laws has had on employee absentee rates.

A fair amount of research has been done on the aggregate impact of illicit marijuana use on workplace productivity….

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Top Legislative Victories of 2016

Now that most state legislative sessions are over for the year, MPP’s Rob Kampia has published a list of the biggest victories in what is already the biggest year on record for marijuana policy reformers!Rating_Badge_JO

On July 29, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) signed a bill removing the threat of arrest for small amounts of marijuana, capping a record year of legislative and administrative marijuana policy reforms throughout the country.

Two states, Pennsylvania and Ohio, enacted effective medical marijuana laws via their legislatures, making them…

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Federal Court Ruling Gives Hope to Medical Marijuana Patients and Providers

In a decision released on August 16, a federal court ruled that the Department of Justice cannot spend funds to prosecute medical marijuana patients and providers who are in compliance with state law.2000px-US-CourtOfAppeals-9thCircuit-Seal.svg

Time Magazine reports:

The ruling comes after a 2014 Congressional law that prohibited the DOJ from interfering in state implementation of marijuana laws. That law led people being prosecuted by the federal government to seek the dismissal of their charges, arguing they were in compliance with state law. On Tuesday, the 9th Circuit Court of…

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DEA Fails to Reschedule Marijuana, but Opens Path for More Research

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has decided that marijuana will remain classified as a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act. The decision to keep marijuana in the category reserved for drugs with no accepted medical uses and a high potential for abuse was, according to the DEA, based on consultation with the Department of Health and Human Services. According to DEA administrator Chuck Rosenberg, “If the scientific understanding about marijuana changes — and it could change — then the decision could…

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Initiative to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Arizona Qualifies for November Ballot as Prop. 205

On Thursday, state officials informed the supporters of The Initiative to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Arizona that the initiative has qualified for this November’s ballot as Proposition 205. In less than three months, the people of Arizona will determine whether to end marijuana prohibition and regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol.13925181_550967435082980_8533437240301629316_n

Eighty-three years ago, Arizona voters approved a ballot measure to repeal the failed policy of alcohol prohibition,” said J.P. Holyoak, chairman of the Yes on 205 campaign. “This…

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Arizona Judge Rejects Initiative Opposition Lawsuit

On August 19, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by opponents of Proposition 205 who want to keep the measure off the November ballot.Yes_on_205_Header

Arizona Republic reports:

Foes argued in court last week that supporters of legalization are deceiving voters with their pitch of the measure. An attorney argued a 100-word summary of the initiative failed to adequately summarize the measure’s impact on laws affecting motorists, child custody, workplaces and licensing of certain professions.

In her decision, [Judge]…

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MPP’s Rob Kampia Weighs in on DEA Scheduling

In response to the recent decision by the DEA not to move marijuana out of Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, MPP’s Rob Kampia offered the following analysis of the situation, and what the best course of action would be:

In the wake of the DEA’s decision against rescheduling marijuana, the super-majority of the American people who support legalizing medical marijuana might properly wonder, “How bad is this news?”

As the leader of the largest marijuana-policy-reform organization in the nation, my answer might surprise…

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Chronic Pain Added as Qualifying Condition in Minnesota

Pain patients in Minnesota can now find hope, as they are now able to access the state’s year-old medical marijuana program. Supporters of this move believe it will provide thousands of patients with a safer alternative to prescription opioids and allow them to prevent or overcome dependency on prescription-based painkillers.

Minnesota legalized meSeal_of_Minnesota-altdical marijuana in 2014, allowing smoke-free forms of the substance to be consumed by those with doctors’ recommendations. The medical marijuana program took effect in 2015, and starting July…

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Illinois Governor Signs Bill Decriminalizing Marijuana Possession

Illinois Gov. Rauner just signed SB 2228, which removes criminal penalties for the possession of up to 10 grams of marijuana everywhere in Land of Lincoln. The change in the law is effective immediately.

Illinoisans or visitors found in possession of marijuana are no longer subject to arrest or jail time.IL_decrim The change also removes the possibility of a harmful criminal record for cannabis possession, which can last a lifetime. Instead, those found in possession would face a simple fine of between $100 and $200.

Previously in Illinois,…

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Northern Mariana Islands May Vote to End Marijuana Prohibition

2000px-Seal_of_the_Northern_Mariana_Islands.svgSixto Igisomar, a senator serving in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CMNI), a territory of the United States, has pre-filed a measure that would allow residents in CMNI to vote to end marijuana prohibition on November 8. If the referendum is successful, it would establish a law similar to those in Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington — implementing a taxed and regulated market for recreational marijuana consumers 21 and older and a medical marijuana program for patients with doctors’ recommendations. It would also…

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DNC Approves Marijuana Platform

This week at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, the Democratic Party approved a platform that would dismantle marijuana prohibition. Calling for “a reasoned pathway for future legalizat6262125702_a086dd49f1_bion,” the Democrats’ platform endorses the removal of marijuana from the list of Schedule I drugs, a category reserved for substances with a high potential for abuse and without medical benefit. It also calls for states to decide their own marijuana laws and for medical marijuana states to provide safe access for patients without…

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Can Marijuana Treat Alzheimer’s?

 

recent study conducted at Salk Institute for Biological Studies showed that medical marijuana might be a potentially effective treatment for patients with Alzheimer’s disease. According to the study, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) “stimulates the removal of toxic plaque in the brain, a common

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feature of the disease” and treats inflammation, preventing neuron damage in the brain.

While Keith Fargo of the Alzheimer’s Association has expressed optimism about the study, referring to marijuana as a “legitimate avenue of…

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Florida Dispensaries to Open in Florida, but Most Patients Still Left Behind

The first dispensary in Florida to offer low-THC medical marijuana products is expected to open in Tallahassee on Tuesday. Unfortunately, there are still huge flaws in Florida’s law. Dispensaries may be opening up, but for most patients, the doors are still shut.YesOn2Florida

First, only low-THC marijuana will be available, and only patients with cancer, seizures, or severe and persistent muscle spasms will qualify, leaving many patients behind. Although cannabis with more THC will eventually be available, it will only be for terminally ill…

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New Study: Alcohol Increases Aggression, Marijuana Doesn’t

The results of a recent study in the Netherlands confirmed the long-held claim by supporters of marijuana policy reform that marijuana is much safer than alcohol, specifically as itNMBarScene relates to violent behavior. According to the findings, alcohol users demonstrated more aggressive tendencies while intoxicated than while sober, while marijuana users became less aggressive while under the influence.

The Washington Post reports:

They found, first of all, that “alcohol intoxication increased subjective aggression in the alcohol group.”…

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Poll: Majority of NH Voters Support Regulating Marijuana

Seal_of_New_Hampshire.svgThe findings of the latest WMUR Granite State Poll conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center show that a majority of likely New Hampshire voters support making marijuana legal and regulated for adults. According to the survey, “61% support legalizing marijuana for recreational use (39% strongly and 22% somewhat), 32% oppose (22% strongly and 10% somewhat), and 7% are neutral or unsure.” If marijuana were legalized in New Hampshire, 69% said they would support taxing and regulating it like alcohol, while 26% said they…

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Kentucky Nurses Association Supports Medical Marijuana

On July , the Interim Joint Committee on Licensing and Occupations held a public hearing to consider testimony on the medical use of marijuana. At a press conference prior to the hearing, patients received a strong endorsement from the Kentucky Nurses Association, which announced its support for the proposed reform.Kentucky_Nurses_Association_Logo

“I hope that folks are going to see that when registered nurses say this is an important access to care issue, that folks are going to look at it as the medical and patient care issue that it is and not as a social…

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Marijuana Question Officially on Massachusetts Ballot

On Monday July 11, Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin announced the four measures that have qualified for the November ballot, including the initiative entitled “Legalization, Regulation, and Taxation of Marijuana,” which will appear as Question 4 on the ballot.

The initiative would allow persons aged 21 and older to purchase, possess, use, and transfer marijuana and products containing marijuana concentrates, including edible products.  It would also allow a taxed and regulated marijuana market in the state.

This is…

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Arkansas Medical Marijuana Initiative Qualifies for November Ballot

On July 7, the Arkansas Secretary of State announced that Arkansans for Compassionate Care’s (ACC’s) medical marijuana initiative qualified for this November’s ballot. The measure, the Arkansas Medical Cannabis Act, would allow seriously ill patients who have a certification from their doctor to obtain medical cannabis from nonprofit compassion centers. In addition, patients – or their licensed caregivers – could cultivate up to 10 cannabis plants at home provided they take steps to ensure it is secure. For a complete summary,

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Marijuana Rescheduling No-Decision Met With Challenge From Congress

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Earlier this year, the DEA had announced that they hope to have a decision regarding the rescheduling of marijuana within the first half of 2016. That time has now come and gone with the DEA failing to deliver.

A bipartisan coalition of Senators and Representatives has signed a letter to head of the DEA, Chuck Rosenberg, urging the federal agency to remove marijuana and THC from Schedule I, its current status under the Controlled Substances Act.  Schedule I is the most restrictive drug classification that, according to the DEA, is…

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Initiative to End Marijuana Prohibition in Arizona Poised to Appear on November Ballot

11244927_391839010995824_4059922082424127714_nAt 10:30 AM on Thursday June 30 in Phoenix, Arizona, the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol (CRMLA) submitted petitions with 258,582 signatures to state officials in order to place an initiative to tax and regulate marijuana on the November ballot.  Their total submission far exceeded the required number of 150,642 signatures.

The ballot initiative would “allow adults 21 and older to possess limited amounts of marijuana; establish a system in which marijuana is regulated similarly to alcohol; and enact a 15 percent tax on…

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Initiative to End Marijuana Prohibition in California Qualifies for November Ballot

13051785_1561302290867287_3261976781645789533_nCalifornia voters will soon have the opportunity to vote on an initiative that would end marijuana prohibition in the state and replace it with a system in which marijuana is legal and regulated for adult use.

The Los Angeles Times reported this morning:

The Secretary of State’s Office certified that a random sample showed sufficient signatures among the 600,000 turned in to qualify the measure. The initiative is backed by a coalition that includes former Facebook President Sean Parker and Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom.

“Today marks a…

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D.C. Department of Health Recommends Regulating Marijuana Like Alcohol

In an exciting new development, the District of Columbia Department of Health issued a report that, in its conclusion, recommends the legalization of the sale of marijuana within D.C.  The 32-page report calls on the District to “[i]mpose state taxes on production, distribution, and sales alonFlag_Map_of_Washington_DCg with a licensed market participation, age restriction, and prohibitions on advertising and marketing to minors” and to “[u]se current regulatory models for tobacco and alcohol to base legislation to enact effective marijuana controls under…

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