Oregon came relatively close to legalizing marijuana in 2012. Measure 80, which would have allowed licensed commercial sales and unlicensed personal cultivation, had very little financial backing and no support from major legalization groups, yet nevertheless garnered 46.5 percent of the vote.
What would happen if Oregon legalization advocates had the financial and policy support that went into Colorado and Washington? According to the Marijuana Policy Project’s Steve Fox, we may find out in 2016: . . . Read Complete Report
Representative Joseph Souki, Chair of the Hawaiian House Committee on Transportation and House Speaker Emeritus, hasintroduced legislation that would make Hawaii the third state to legalize and regulate the adult use of marijuana.
House Bill 150 would legalize the possession of up to an ounce or less of marijuana by adults over the age of 21, in addition to allowing for the licensing and regulation of marijuana retail stores, as well as cultivation and manufacturing centers.
Polling conducted this month by the ACLU of Hawaii found that 57% of Hawaiians support taxing and regulating marijuana and only 39% were opposed. . . . Read Complete Report
Mexico, which has fought a long war against drug cartels that supply U.S. users, is rethinking its marijuana policy after Colorado and Washington approved legalization.
MEXICO CITY — Forgive the Mexicans for trying to get this straight:
So now the United States, which has spent decades battling Mexican marijuana, is on a legalization bender?
The same United States that long viewed cannabis as a menace, funding crop-poisoning programs, tearing up auto bodies at the border, and deploying sniffer dogs, fiber-optic scopes and backscatter X-ray machines to detect the lowly weed? . . . Read Complete Report
At least four state legislatures will consider replacing marijuana prohibition with regulation
On Election Day, voters in the states of Colorado and Washington approved ballot initiatives to remove criminal penalties for adult marijuana use and regulate the substance in a manner similar to alcohol. State legislators from Rhode Island and Maine on Thursday will join the Marijuana Policy Project on a teleconference press call to announce that they are introducing similar bills to tax and regulate marijuana in their state legislatures. . . . Read Complete Report
he campaign to legalize recreational marijuana has received two new boosts: another $1 million in donations, and a vote of approval from King County Sheriff Steve Strachan.
The biggest donation to Initiative 502 came from Progressive Insurance founder and marijuana-legalization advocate Peter Lewis. His $670,000 donation last week brings his total contribution to $1.55 million, more than a third of I-502′s total contribution of nearly $4 million.
Those contributions allowed I-502 to buy about $700,000 in TV airtime the last week before the election, said campaign manager Alison Holcomb. Those ads will differ from I-502′s first round of TV ads, which featured a middle-aged woman who declared she “didn’t really like” marijuana, but that it was time for “a conversation” about legalizing it.
Strachan, who is running for election, said Monday he would vote for I-502, which would “bring clarity” to the conflicting state and federal laws regarding marijuana. “I think the current situation is bad for the rule of law, bad for the criminal justice system and and it sends a bad message to our kids.” . . . Read Complete Report
Law Would Make Uruguay First Government In World To Legally Supply Marijuana
The president of Uruguay on Wednesday submitted a proposal to Parliament to legalize marijuana under government-controlled regulation and sale, making it the first country in the world where the state would sell marijuana directly to its citizens. The proposal, signed by Uruguayan President José Mujica, is part of a package of measures aimed at fighting crime and requires parliamentary approval before being enacted.
Despite Uruguay being one of the safest countries in Latin America, it has faced an increase in crime from drug gangs due to its position on a drug transit route to Europe via West Africa. The aim of the measure is to combat the rising insecurity in Uruguay by removing the profits of marijuana sales from drug gangs, separating the marijuana market from those for other illegal drugs, and avoiding marijuana users’ exposure to drug dealers who also sell coca paste and cocaine. Additionally, the revenues from marijuana sales will be invested into treatment for “problem” drug users. . . . Read Complete Report
This is an opinion piece. But an important one for sure, I personally do not believe it will hurt or help.
The only thing to help the Libertarian Party grow is what many of us have said since back in the day, have patience, spread the word, and give it time, lots of time. The Libertarian Party has been the only 3rd Political Party to have been on every Presidential Ballot in every state in the Union over the past 40 years. Other so called third political parties have appeared over the years, but the Lib Party is the only one to have been there year after year.
As things get worst more people will wake up to the Liberty movement and the answers we present. . . EDITOR
While campaigning in Seattle, Washington, last Thursday, Libertarian Party presidential candidate Gary Johnson predicted that marijuana would be legalized in the U.S. by 2016 and reiterated his support for its legalization.
Dean Chambers, who covers the 2012 elections for the Examiner.com, argues that Johnson and libertarians in general are making a mistake by raising the issue of marijuana legalization. “The voters have never shown a willingness to elect a candidate to the presidency who makes legalizing pot the number one issue,” writes Chambers. “Never at any time have the polls on issue priorities ever shown the American people viewing the legalization of marijuana as the highest national priority. The Libertarian Party nominee always goes to pot and marginalizes themselves for doing so.”
I completely disagree. Johnson is absolutely right to make this an important issue for several reasons. . . . Read Complete Report
“The root of all evil,” says GOP presidential candidate and former two-term Gov. Gary Johnson (R-N.M.), “is politicians that are going to save [us] from terrorists, from illegal immigrants, from drugs. ‘Elect me,’ [they say], ‘and I’ll save you.’. . .” Posted with video
In 1992, Jim Gray, a conservative judge in conservative Orange County, California, held a press conference during which he recommended that we rethink our drug laws. Back then, it took a great deal of courage to suggest that the war on drugs was a failed policy.
Today, more and more Americans are coming to the realization that prohibition’s costs—whether measured in lives and liberties lost or dollars wasted—far exceed any possible or claimed benefit
Americas Now— Private Prisons in the U.S. Make Big Profits 04/04/2016
“THE FIGHT AGAINST legalized pot is being heavily bankrolled by alcohol and pharmaceutical companies, terrified that they might lose market share.
On the heels of a filing last week that revealed that a synthetic cannabis company is financing the opposition to legal marijuana in Arizona comes a new disclosure this week that a beer industry group made one of the largest donations to an organization set up to defeat legalization in Massachusetts.
The Beer Distributors PAC, an affiliate that represents 16 beer-distribution companies in Massachusetts, gave $25,000 to the Campaign for a Safe and Healthy Massachusetts, tying it for third place among the largest contributors to the anti-pot organization.”
The fight gets more intense in the USA. Big Pharma is running scared. Canada taking first steps to totally legalize. Full updates below. . Your Editor Dennis Crenshaw
Educational Material
Big Pharma
America’s Lawyer [18]: Big Pharma’s War on Marijuana & Closing Rikers Island
On this episode of America’s Lawyer, Mike Papantonio discusses the reasons why the marijuana legalization effort failed in Arizona and speaks with Justin Strekal, Political Director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, about what pharmaceutical companies have to gain from keeping marijuana illegal. Mike then talks to attorney, Stephen Sheller, about his new book Pharmageddon, which outlines some of the biggest lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies he has been involved with over the years. Mike is then joined by Mollye Barrows, legal journalist for The Trial Lawyer Magazine, about a rogue scientist at a state laboratory who forged evidence in tens of thousands of criminal drug cases. America’s Lawyer wraps up the show by highlighting a ten-year plan to close New York’s notorious Rikers Island Prison.
BIG PHARMA CORP THAT SPENT BIG BUCKS KEEPING MARIJUANA ILLEGAL – health
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) details how marijuana prohibition has been a “spectacular failure” and previews reform legislation he will soon introduce. Check out http://MarijuanaMajority.com to see more politicians who know it’s time for change.
TYT Politics Producer Emma Vigeland (https://twitter.com/EmmaVigeland) did a YouTube Live report on the news that Attorney General Jeff Sessions may not be cracking down on recreational marijuana as much as he had initially indicated.
This coming Tuesday, April 18th, is a big day. The Florida Senate and the Florida House are holding hearings on its medical marijuana implementing proposal.
Can you come?
The House Appropriations subcommittee meets this Tuesday, April 18th from 9-12pm in Webster Hall (212 Knot).
The Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Health and Human Services meets from 4-6pm n the Senate Office Building (James E “Jim” King Jr. Committee Rm 401).
Let us know if you can make it by RSVP’ing. We’ll follow up soon with more details and some talking points for the committee meeting. Link
Sen. Heather Steans and Rep. Kelly Cassiday hold a press conference to discuss their bills that would legaliza and regulate recreational marijuana in Illinois. 4-12-2017
Minnesota
MN Lawmakers: Legalize Pot For Recreational Use -Full News Conference
Minnesota has legalized some forms of medical marijuana. But now there’s a move to legalize it for recreational use as well. Several DFL lawmakers are proposing a law to do that. They’re also proposing a state constitutional amendment to make pot legal. Speakers include Bill authors Rep. Jason Metsa (DFL – Virginia) and Rep. Tina Liebling (DFL – Rochester) .
The bill is opposed by at least one key Republican— the GOP controls the legislature — and Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton opposes it.
If the legislature passes the constitutional amendment, it will go directly to the voters with or without Dayton’s signature.
Applebaum says realizes the bill isn’t likely to pass this session, but says it is a conversation starter about something that eventually has to change.
Both sides, for and against the legalization of marijuana, defend their viewpoints through Facebook. However, what happens with opinion turns into deception?
Colorado Early Study Results
Lessons on marijuana legalization to learn from Colorado
Dr. Larry Wolk, the chief medical officer of Colorado, says the state didn’t face significant negative health outcomes from legalizing marijuana.
To read more: http://cbc.ca/1.4069178
Colorado Governor’s Advice to Canada for Legalizing Weed
From Ottawa Now with Evan Solomon (580 CFRA News Talk Radio) – April 9 2017
The list of conflicts of interest between politicians, law enforcement, prohibitionists, political insiders and licensed producers is large. Less than 3% of current applicants passed Health Canada’s licensing process, and yet that slim margin contains (but is certainly not limited to):
