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National Group Launches Ohio Medical Marijuana Effort
A major national organization has announced it will attempt to put a medical marijuana initiative on Ohio’s 2016 ballot. The move comes just days after a separate group behind 2015’s failed attempt to pass a measure legalizing marijuana in the state announced that it would not try again in 2016, and would instead defer to the legislature to take action on medical […]
Canada’s Conservative Opposition Comes to Terms With Marijuana Legalization
Canada’s new Liberal prime minister plans to legalize marijuana, and the country’s Conservative opposition knows there’s very little they can do to stop it. “The new government will legalize marijuana,” Rona Ambrose, interim leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, said in a radio interview on Wednesday. “We know that.” Ambrose, who served as minister […]
Governors Raise Concerns About Marijuana Edibles
Colorado’s John Hickenlooper on Thursday became the third state governor in a week to raise serious concerns about marijuana edibles. “Back in the day, candy cigarettes desensitized kids to the dangers of tobacco – and today, pot-infused gummy bears send the wrong message to our kids about marijuana,” he said in his annual State of the […]
Poll: Most Americans Support Legalizing Marijuana
A new poll released Friday finds that 52 percent of Americans support legalizing marijuana. The results are in line with other recent surveys showing that most people in the U.S. want to end cannabis prohibition. The new poll, from YouGov, found that only a third of Americans — 34 percent — oppose legalization. Among Democrats, […]
Vermont Governor Calls for Legalizing Marijuana in State of the State Address
Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin used his annual State of the State speech on Thursday to call on lawmakers to pass legislation legalizing and regulating marijuana. “I will work with you to craft the right bill that thoughtfully and carefully eliminates the era of prohibition that is currently failing us so miserably,” Shumlin told legislators. “I believe […]
Sons of Two State Chief Justices Face Drug Charges
In a strange drug war coincidence, the sons of the top judicial officials in two states are both facing marijuana charges. In North Carolina, Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark D. Martin’s son was charged late last month with possessing cannabis as well as a water bong, knife and various small empty bags allegedly used to package marijuana. It is at […]
Mexico City Mayor: Legal Marijuana Would Hurt Cartels, Is Issue of Freedom
Legalizing marijuana is an issue of personal freedom and would take money away from violent drug cartels, the mayor of Mexico City says in a new interview. “My position is always the defense of freedoms,” Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera told El Universal. “I do support legalization.” Under legalization, the marijuana trade “would not be attractive for purposes of drug […]
Surgeon General Announces Review of Federal Drug Policies
The U.S. surgeon general is preparing a first-of-its-kind report “presenting the state of the science on substance use, addiction and health,” the federal government has announced. The report from Vivek Murthy, the nation’s top public health official, will “outline potential future direction” for drug policies and “educate, encourage and call upon all Americans to take action,” according to a […]
A Look Back at 2015; and Ahead to 2016
The end of the year is a natural time to review our progress advancing legalization over the past 12 months, and to look ahead to what we hope to achieve in the coming year. Looking Back at 2015 Compared to our recent dramatic electoral victories in 2012 and again in 2014, 2015 was a slow year. […]
Obama’s Drug Czar Lies to Congress About Drug War Budget
Federal drug policy officials in recent years have done everything they can to send the message that they have a balanced, health-focused strategy that acknowledges drug abuse is a medical problem we can’t arrest our way out of. While Obama administration officials often use fuzzy math or artful language to obscure the fact that most […]