west virginia
Keeler: Do Deion Sanders, CU Buffs have path to College Football Playoff? “They absolutely do”
BOULDER — Ralphie’s path to the College Football Playoff? Turn left at Texas Tech’s secondary, take a right past Isaac Wilson, do a U-turn at Arrowhead and pump the brakes on Ollie Gordon. “They do (have a way). They absolutely do,” Fox Sports college football analyst Geoff Schwartz told me Thursday. “Because the schedule dictates […]
Renck & File: Nuggets MVP Nikola Jokic has never ridden a horse. Wait, come again?
It took a camel for us to find out Nikola Jokic has never ridden a horse. The Nuggets spent this week in Abu Dhabi playing a pair of exhibition games against the world-champion Celtics. Many of the Nuggets staffers made the trip, including their media team. As the players experienced life abroad, a few boarded […]
AG Sessions wants to put more cops on the opioid beat. Experts say that won’t solve the problem.
If the opioid epidemic was simply a problem of supply – people being able to access drugs too easily – then a targeted new effort in Appalachia announced by Attorney General Jeff Sessions this week would be a huge stride toward combating the crisis.
Can marijuana rescue coal country?
According to the group NORML, which advocates for marijuana legalization, cannabis has already been West Virginia’s most valuable cash crop for 20 years.
Pennsylvania Senator Wants State to Regulate and Sell Legal Marijuana
Inaction by the federal government has been prompting states to alter their marijuana laws for over 15 years. Until November, state government officials and activists have mostly been discussing medical marijuana and decriminalization laws. With residents voting to legalize recreational marijuana in Colorado and Washington, the discussion has widened its scope.
Pennsylvania State State Senator Daylin Leach is seeking to have the state government regulate marijuana in the same way as alcohol. This would increase tax revenues and place a system of control that officials currently do not have in regards to regulating marijuana. As the idea of respecting state rights, individual freedoms, reducing incarcerations rates for non violent acts, and saving tax payer dollars grows in popularity, these proposals no longer seem so far fetched.
His plan to drastically update marijuana laws has certainly gained momentum. The voter initiated plans in Colorado and Washington seems to have prompted state lawmakers across the country to propose similar measures. Rhode Island lawmakers are also discussing a similar bill. Although a recent bill has stalled among lawmakers in Hawaii earlier this week, the momentum appears to be gaining. In West Virginia, a recent Marijuana Policy Project poll show that 53% of West Virginia residents support legalizing medical marijuana. An even greater number (63%) decided feel that marijuana was a safer choice than oxycontin for debilitating pain.
Senator Leach feels legalization is only a matter of time because the majority of younger Americans “have very little interest in continuing prohibition.” He also said the legislation was important because “There are other intoxicants that are far worse that we do not treat the same way. We do not accuse people of criminal offenses for consuming.” Senator Leach is hoping to save Pennsylvania over $500 million per year with a combination of law enforcement savings and tax revenue.