You might think the issue of marijuana legalization had been settled, at least as far as Coloradans were concerned. Turns out some people aren’t so sure, and one of them is former Rhode Island Congressman Patrick Kennedy.
America’s war on drugs got a lot more interesting Tuesday night as Colorado and Washington each voted to legalize marijuana use and possession by adults. Marijuana advocates promptly called the two measures “the beginning of the end” of marijuana prohibition in the United States.
Washington and Oregon both have measures similar to Colorado’s Amendment 64 on the ballot this year. It is unknown how the federal government will respond if any or all of them pass. The feds could respect the decision of voters, they could try to block implementation of some parts of the law, or they could shut down dispensaries and arrest people involved in the wholesale and retail ends of the business.
An amendment to the U.S. House Appropriations Bill that would have required the Department of Justice to stand down in pursuing cases against the medical marijuana industry failed Wednesday night on a mostly party line vote. Colorado’s seven-member delegation split on the amendment, with Democrats voting in favor and Republicans voting against.
The national Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) announced today that it is contributing at least $694,000 to the Initiative to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, also known as Amendment 64.
In a case that has implications for Colorado and other medical marijuana states, Montana legislator Diane Sands has come under investigation by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, but she doesn’t know why. She suspects the investigation is related to her advocacy of liberalized marijuana laws.
Would you like some irony with that baggie of medical marijuana? Well, like it or not, you’re getting some. Medical marijuana has been legal for a decade or so in various U.S. states but it wasn’t until the Ogden memo of 2009 that it really took off. Today, another memo from the same agency has marijuana providers and regulators looking over their shoulders.
A few months ago, Congressman Jared Polis told the Colorado Independent that he thought it would take a majority of states legalizing medical marijuana or otherwise liberalizing their laws before Congress would be likely to do anything at the federal level.
When states debate medical marijuana laws, one of the issues sure to come up is whether legalizing marijuana for medical uses sends the wrong message to young people. Does legalizing medical marijuana create an atmosphere of permissiveness regarding marijuana? Does legalizing medical marijuana make it easier for kids to get their hands on dope?
Today is April 20th, or 4/20, the so-called High Holiday organized to advance legalization of marijuana in the U.S.
The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) hosted a forum at the University of Colorado Boulder this weekend and is following with the annual “smoke out” on Norlin Quadrangle at 4:20 p.m. today, which is expected to draw thousands.
Do you know where to vote on Election Day? Do you know what to bring with you? Get comprehensive voter information for your state here.
rss