Big Donors Give Boost To Washington Marijuana Legalization Initiative

 Posted by at 2:57 PM on November 2, 2011  Ending Marijuana Prohibition  3 Responses »
Nov 022011
 
Big Donors Give Boost To Washington Marijuana Legalization Initiative

By Gene Johnson A campaign to legalize and tax marijuana for recreational use in Washington state is getting a big cash boost with two months left to collect signatures. New Approach Washington said Tuesday it received $100,000 from Harriet Bullitt, a philanthropist and environmentalist from one of the state’s most prominent families. And by the end of next week it expects to have $200,000 more from Progressive Insurance Chairman and Peter Lewis, who already has given $50,000 to date. “In financial terms, it means we’ll have what we need,” campaign [Continue Reading]

Leading Drug Policy Reformers To Be Honored At 2011 Drug Policy Reform Conference

 Posted by at 11:40 PM on November 1, 2011  Ending Marijuana Prohibition  No Responses »
Nov 012011
 
Leading Drug Policy Reformers To Be Honored At 2011 Drug Policy Reform Conference

Awardees Recognized for Groundbreaking Work Promoting Sensible Alternatives to the Drug War Leading advocates for alternatives to the war on drugs will be honored at an awards ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011 at the International Drug Policy Reform Conference in Los Angeles. The conference is being organized by the Drug Policy Alliance, the nation’s leading organization promoting alternatives to the drug war, and is co-sponsored by dozens of other reform organizations. For a complete list, visit: www.reformconference.org. “Every political movement for freedom and justice has its heroes, yet only [Continue Reading]

Retirees Could Benefit Most From Marijuana Legalization

 Posted by at 9:41 PM on November 1, 2011  Ending Marijuana Prohibition  1 Response »
Nov 012011
 
Retirees Could Benefit Most From Marijuana Legalization

By Steve Elliott of Toke of the Town What if I told you there is a secret weapon that, if understood and utilized by the cannabis reform community, could fairly quickly and very decisively decide the issue of marijuana legalization once and for all? Everybody knows that cannabis legalization is very, very near the tipping point in the United States. Even the folks at Gallup, not exactly known for wild-eyed political statements, said this month after examining their latest poll results — which showed that a record-high 50 percent of [Continue Reading]

Alcohol Is “More Than Twice As Harmful As Cannabis” According To New Study

 Posted by at 9:08 PM on November 1, 2011  Ending Marijuana Prohibition  3 Responses »
Nov 012011
 
Alcohol Is “More Than Twice As Harmful As Cannabis” According To New Study

By Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director Alcohol consumption causes far greater harms to the individual user and to society than does the use of cannabis, according to a new review published online in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, the journal of the British Association of Psychopharmacology. Investigators at the Imperial College of London assessed “the relative physical, psychological, and social harms of cannabis and alcohol.” Authors reported that cannabis inhalation, particularly long-term, contributes to some potential adverse health effects, including harms to the lungs, circulatory system, as well as the exacerbation [Continue Reading]

San Francisco’s Progressive Drug Policy Paying Off With Reduction In Violent Crime

 Posted by at 8:50 PM on October 31, 2011  Ending Marijuana Prohibition  No Responses »
Oct 312011
 
San Francisco's Progressive Drug Policy Paying Off With Reduction In Violent Crime

by Phillip Smith Drug arrests in San Francisco have declined dramatically over the past two years without causing a spike in violent crime, calling into question the link traditionally made by law enforcement between drug law enforcement and reducing violent crime. According to figures compiled by the San Francisco Examiner, San Francisco police made 9,505 drug arrests in 2009, but that number dropped dramatically to 5,834 last year. As of October 15, there had been only 3,751 drug arrests this year, leaving the city on pace to end the year [Continue Reading]

Canadian Doctors Won’t Authorize Medical Cannabis, Leaving Patients In Pain

 Posted by at 4:17 PM on October 31, 2011  Medical Marijuana Policy  1 Response »
Oct 312011
 
Canadian Doctors Won't Authorize Medical Cannabis, Leaving Patients In Pain

By Steve Elliott of Toke of the Town A full decade after Canada legalized medical marijuana, most doctors in the Great White North are still refusing to sign the forms that patients need to get access to cannabis — meaning patients in pain risk jail if they use what works best to help keep them functional. Far from improving, the predicament seems likely to get worse because of proposed changes to how Health Canada regulates access to marijuana, reports Sharon Kirkey of Postmedia News. To the casual observer, it may [Continue Reading]

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition: Marijuana Legalization More Popular Than Obama

 Posted by at 11:46 AM on October 31, 2011  Ending Marijuana Prohibition  1 Response »
Oct 312011
 
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition: Marijuana Legalization More Popular Than Obama

Late Friday night the White House issued a typical evasive rejection of the several marijuana legalization petitions that collected more signatures than any other issue on its “We the People” website. Even though recent polls show that more voters support marijuana legalization than approve of President Obama’s job performance, the White House categorically dismissed the notion of reforming any laws, focusing its response on the possible harms of marijuana use instead of addressing the many harms of prohibition detailed in the petitions. One of the popular petitions, submitted by retired [Continue Reading]

California Marijuana Regulation Advocates Approved To Begin Signature Campaign

 Posted by at 8:41 PM on October 30, 2011  Ending Marijuana Prohibition  5 Responses »
Oct 302011
 
California Marijuana Regulation Advocates Approved To Begin Signature Campaign

Marijuana Law reform advocates in California can now get to work after an announcement made this weekend by the California Secretary of State Debra Stevens that proponents of marijuana decriminalization can begin collecting petition signatures for next November’s ballot. Proponents of the potential ballot measure told NBC San Diego it’s based on making the jobs of law enforcement easier all while benefiting the state. “It’s a campaign that’s completely different from past efforts,” said proponent, Steve Kubby. “It represents a compromise. Officials have seen that the drug war is causing [Continue Reading]

Members Of Congress Urge President Obama To Reschedule Cannabis

 Posted by at 6:26 PM on October 30, 2011  Medical Marijuana Policy  3 Responses »
Oct 302011
 
Members Of Congress Urge President Obama To Reschedule Cannabis

In a joint effort between Congressional Representatives and Americans for Safe Access, several members of Congress sent a letter to President Obama expressing “concern with the recent activity by the Department of Justice against legitimate medical cannabis dispensaries in California that are operating legally under state law.” The letter, headlined by Representatives Sam Farr (D-CA) and Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) and signed by Representatives Mike Thompson (D-CA), Jared Polis (D-CO), Pete Stark (D-CA), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), and Bob Filner (D-CA), noted that California was only [Continue Reading]

Montel Williams Calls Israel Leader In Medical Marijuana Policy

 Posted by at 6:08 PM on October 30, 2011  Medical Marijuana Policy  3 Responses »
Oct 302011
 
Montel Williams Calls Israel Leader In Medical Marijuana Policy

Emmy Award-winning television personality and patient activist Montel Williams said Sunday he was impressed with Israel’s liberal attitude toward medical marijuana, and he believes the U.S. could learn a thing or two from the Jewish state. Williams was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1999 and he has since been an outspoken advocate of medical marijuana to relieve pain caused by the disease. The former host of the popular long-running talk show “The Montel Williams Show” is in Israel on a fact-finding mission to learn about its medicinal cannabis practices. He [Continue Reading]

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