New Jersey lawmakers may still be working out details on just how to legalize marijuana. But one thing is for certain: The majority of the state’s residents are for it, according to a new poll. Results of a Monmouth University poll, released Monday morning, show 62 percent of adults in the Garden State support a […]
marijuana legalization
Wisconsin governor calls for decriminalization of recreational marijuana use
Gov. Tony Evers wants to allow Wisconsin residents to carry or sell small amounts of marijuana and legalize its use for medical reasons, aides said Sunday. Evers will propose in his first state budget proposal to decriminalize marijuana if its users, manufacturers and distributors handle 25 grams or fewer and create Wisconsin’s first medical marijuana program that would […]
Bipartisan backing for marijuana legalization in New Mexico
For years, most New Mexico Republicans have steadfastly opposed proposals to legalize recreational marijuana use. But with an increasing number of states moving toward cannabis legalization, three Senate Republicans have teamed up with three Democratic colleagues on a bipartisan bill, filed Thursday, that would allow for the sale of marijuana through state-run stores. “Marijuana is […]
Up to 3 ounces would be legal under marijuana possession bill reintroduced in NC Senate
A Forsyth County legislator reintroduced Wednesday a Senate bill that would make it legal to possess up to 3 ounces of marijuana for personal use. However, Senate Bill 58 would allow individuals to be charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor if they exceed 3 ounces of marijuana. The bill would go into effect July 1, if signed […]
‘It gives a lot of people joy’: Kamala Harris and the evolution of marijuana and politics
President Bill Clinton admitted to smoking marijuana but famously said he never inhaled. President George W. Bush is believed to have partaken in illicit drugs in his youth, though he always played coy about it. President Barack Obama wrote candidly about his past marijuana and cocaine use but was never a strong supporter of pot […]
Dem senator introduces S. 420 bill that would legalize marijuana
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) on Friday introduced legislation that would legalize marijuana at the federal level, designating the measure S. 420 in a nod to cannabis culture. The bill, known as the Marijuana Revenue and Regulation Act, would “responsibly legalize, tax and regulate marijuana at the federal level,” according to the Democratic side of the Senate Finance Committee, […]
Why so many Americans now support legalizing marijuana
American views on marijuana have shifted incredibly rapidly. Thirty years ago, marijuana legalization seemed like a lost cause. In 1988, only 24 percent of Americans supported legalization. But steadily, the nation began to liberalize. By 2018, 66 percent of U.S. residents offered their approval, transforming marijuana legalization from a libertarian fantasy into a mainstream cause. Many state […]
Medical marijuana advocates file ballot initiative with Nebraska secretary of state
State Sens. Anna Wishart and Adam Morfeld filed a proposed constitutional ballot initiative Tuesday for official review with the Secretary of State’s office on behalf of Nebraskans for Sensible Marijuana Laws. The filing shows the group’s intention to place an initiative on the November 2020 ballot. The initiative would give the people of Nebraska the right, if […]
New York assembly speaker casts doubt on quick marijuana legalization
New York’s Democratic lawmakers and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo may not be able to hammer out a deal on legalizing adult-use marijuana in the next two months, according to Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie. In remarks Thursday following a criminal justice event in Manhattan, the speaker discounted the possibility of legislative leaders agreeing to a framework […]
Latest bill to legalize marijuana gains momentum in New Mexico Legislature
Recreational marijuana would become legal for people 21 or older in New Mexico and the state could tax marijuana sold in licensed stores under a bill introduced Thursday by state Rep. Javier Martínez, D-Albuquerque. House Bill 356 would establish a licensing system that supporters say favors small businesses and institute a 9 percent tax on […]
Philippine medical marijuana bill approved on second reading
Endorsed by a former president and by a reigning Miss Universe, the medical marijuana bill rose from deep slumber and approved on second reading in the House of Representatives Wednesday. House Bill No. 6517 or the Philippine Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act is expected to be passed on third and final reading next week. This will […]
Connecticut legislators have introduced the first legal marijuana bill of 2019. Here’s what it would do.
More than 40 House Democrats have introduced Connecticut’s first marijuana legalization bill, laying out a plan for the state’s medical marijuana dispensaries to begin selling the drug to all customers. Previous recreational marijuana bills have failed, but lawmakers have an increased sense of urgency this year with bigger Democratic margins in the General Assembly, a […]
Signs of maturity: Facts and figures for Oregon’s marijuana market, three years in
Oregon’s marijuana market is reaching maturity, more than three years into the state’s grand experiment. The once-illegal drug already has brought in more tax money to Oregon than expected. A robust industry has sprouted in Lane County. And marijuana production has led to jobs, hundreds of them in Lane County. These numbers help put pot’s […]
Now you can get cannabis delivered to you anywhere in California, even in cities that ban pot
Until now, companies trying to deliver weed to doorsteps around the state – the companies trying to follow the letter of the law, anyway – have faced a daunting patchwork of local regulations. Buying cannabis is legal in California, but cities and counties can still choose to regulate or ban the trade as they please. […]
How long can Congress keep pretending marijuana legalization isn’t becoming the norm?
It’s only January, but 2019 could be the year that a Green Wave of marijuana legalization sweeps across the country. Will it finally hit Washington, D.C., and force Congress to reform the nation’s woefully outdated marijuana laws? New York and Rhode Island are on the cusp of making recreational marijuana legal under their states’ laws […]
Cities, towns could opt-out under Andrew Cuomo’s New York marijuana plan
Cities and towns in New York would still be able to ban marijuana sales under Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s soon-to-be-released plan to legalize the drug statewide. Cuomo, a Democrat, is expected to unveil his full recreational marijuana proposal Tuesday as part of his budget plan and State of the State address, which is set for 2 p.m. But […]
Medical marijuana hits the Ohio market this week
The long wait is almost over for supporters of medical marijuana in Ohio. After months of delays, the first batches of medical cannabis are expected to be sold this week to approved patients. The state initially wanted marijuana products available in dispensaries by September. But thanks to delays, the state’s cannabis growers didn’t get started […]
Rhode Island governor to propose legalizing recreational marijuana
Facing the “inevitable” prospect of being encircled by states that have legalized recreational marijuana, Gov. Gina Raimondo will propose this week that Rhode Island do the same. “I will say, I do this with reluctance,” she told The Journal last week. “I have resisted this for the four years I’ve been governor. … Now, however, […]
