When New Jersey lawmakers debated earlier this year whether to legalize recreational use of marijuana, the Garden State’s police organizations were adamantly against it. The cops said that legal weed might lead to an explosion in the numbers of impaired drivers operating under the influence. And the police would be caught flatfooted trying to tell whether […]
marijuana legalization
Mexico May Be Just Weeks Away From Legalizing Marijuana
Last year, we saw marijuana history made many times over. Canada became the first industrialized country in the world to legalize recreational marijuana nearly one year ago, while the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved its very first cannabis-derived drug. The latter is a pretty big deal, considering that marijuana remains a Schedule I (i.e., illicit) […]
Does Legalizing Cannabis Increase Crime Rates? It Hasn’t In Colorado Or Washington, A Study Has Shown
A study analyzing crime rates in Colorado and Washington suggests legalizing recreational marijuana has a minimal effect on crime rates, if any. One argument for legalizing marijuana is the assumption that it would lead to lower crime rates—decriminalizing the drug, so the theory goes, removes illegal trade and the criminal activities that go along with […]
Gov. Wolf Is Finally Chill About Legalizing Marijuana In Pennsylvania
Gov. Tom Wolf has finally opened his mind to the idea of legalizing recreational weed use in Pennsylvania … after Lt. Gov. John Fetterman shined a little light on the matter. Wolf, who has taken years to warm up to the notion, came out in support of the move on Wednesday. His statement follows Fetterman’s recent statewide “recreational marijuana tour” — which was, […]
In a First for Australia, the Capital Legalizes Recreational Marijuana
Australia’s capital on Wednesday became the first jurisdiction in the country to legalize the recreational possession and cultivation of marijuana, a move that runs counter to federal laws that can carry prison terms for personal use of the drug. Passage of the measure, which came after months of debate over policy, legal and health issues, […]
O’Rourke unveils plan to legalize marijuana, end war on drugs
President hopeful Beto O’Rourke on Thursday unveiled a plan to legalize marijuana and end the war on drugs. The former Texas congressman would grant clemency to those currently serving sentences for marijuana possession, establish a model for marijuana legalization and give grants to those affected by the war on drugs to help them benefit from the new industry. The “Drug War Justice […]
Weed Is Way Stronger Than It Used to Be. That’s Why It Should Be Legal
The headline might have seemed a bit ominous. “A More Potent Marijuana Is Stirring Fresh Debates.” Certainly, the story didn’t disappoint: “Most marijuana now being sold throughout the United States is three to 10 times more potent than the marijuana that was sold two years ago,” the New York Times wrote. It was 1978, Jimmy Carter was president, and […]
Where the 2020 Democratic candidates for president stand on marijuana legalization
The Democrats running for president have thoughts on marijuana legalization. Here they are. The Democrats seeking the 2020 presidential nomination all share a commitment to reducing the penalties for using and possessing marijuana, which remains illegal at the federal level. Many of them support full legalization — as permitted in 11 states and the District of […]
UK advised by Massachusetts Commissioner to recruit former drug dealers if marijuana is legalised
Former drug dealers should be recruited and trained to produce safe, legal cannabis if the UK decides to legalise marijuana, the head of an American programme overseeing the sale of the narcotic has urged. The Commissioner in charge of legal cannabis sales in Massachusetts has said Britain should follow her state’s example of recruiting ex-drug dealers and […]
What legalizing recreational marijuana would mean for Florida
A bigger marijuana industry could be headed toward Florida, drawing consumers one day with a larger selection of pot products and services. That’s if the Sunshine State becomes the latest in the U.S. to legalize adults’ recreational use of weed. Two proposed constitutional amendments now aim to legalize recreational or “adult-use” marijuana in Florida. And […]
Fate of legalized marijuana in Connecticut remains hazy
After coming close this year, Connecticut lawmakers have yet to decide when to make another attempt at legalizing and taxing recreational marijuana. Legislators acknowledge it’s doubtful there will be a vote this summer or fall. And despite a desire by proponents to revisit the issue when the General Assembly reconvenes in February, it’s unclear whether […]
Maryland lawmakers have a lot to learn on legalizing marijuana
As Maryland’s lawmakers delve into the nuances of whether to legalize marijuana for recreational use, they’re learning that they have a lot of details to figure out. A joint House of Delegates-Senate work group on legalization met Monday for the second time, as members build up their knowledge of the drug before recommending whether — […]
Bernie Sanders says he would legalize marijuana by executive order
Legalizing marijuana has long been part of Bernie Sanders’ policy platform: The Democratic presidential candidate has called for an end to the “destructive ‘war on drugs” as part of his racial justice and criminal justice reform policies—along with eliminating private prisons, the death penalty, cash bail and mandatory minimum sentencing. But in a recent interview, Sanders got specific, pledging […]
Lawyer John Morgan wants to make recreational marijuana legal in Florida next year
Orlando lawyer John Morgan on Tuesday backed a campaign to legalize recreational marijuana in Florida through a constitutional amendment in 2020, declaring that “I am too old to care” about opposition to the proposal. “I believe that #marijuana should be legal!!” Morgan wrote on his Twitter account. “I think we have time and I think […]
With Petition Milestone, Recreational Marijuana Is One Step Closer in Florida
For years, Floridians have watched from the sidelines as states such as Colorado, California, and even Michigan have legalized recreational marijuana. But with activists pushing to get recreational weed on the 2020 ballot in Florida, the possibility of legalization now seems likelier than ever. Yesterday the advocacy group Regulate Florida announced its petition to legalize […]
Indiana ignores marijuana as neighbors legalize it
Illinois joined 11 states in legalizing recreational marijuana this year, joining Michigan as the second state in the Midwest to legalize the substance. In Indiana, nine bills related to marijuana died without a committee hearing in 2019, bucking the national trend. Over 30 states allow marijuana prescriptions for medical conditions, such as seizures and chronic […]
7 Reasons Marijuana Has Virtually No Chance of Being Legalized in the U.S. Before 2021
No green flag for cannabis in the U.S., at least at the federal level, anytime soon. If investors were to look around, they’d probably find a number of fast-growing trends, such as blockchain, cloud computing, and gene therapy in the healthcare sector. But there’s perhaps no industry with a more impressive growth rate at the […]
Florida has ‘all-time high’ support for recreational pot, but will it be on the ballot?
With medical marijuana dispensaries becoming commonplace in Florida, will recreational pot soon be on the shelves, too? The people behind the effort to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot say yes. That optimism is reflected in the 65 percent of Florida voters polled recently by Quinnipiac University who support the idea, a number the […]
