At least one Congressman is willing to make a serious effort to reconcile current strict federal prohibition of marijuana with the realities of new marketplaces for legal medical and recreational use in many States. It is encouraging to see some movement on a federal level to institute what many marijuana advocates have claimed for years would be the resultant boon to U.S. revenue from the legalization and decriminalization of marijuana. [Read more…]

In Colorado,people with a number of conditions have been allowed to smoke marijuana for medical reasons. They’ve jumped through hoops to be allowed this designation and are “card carrying” members of what was once an elite club (not so elite now that recreational marijuana has been legalized). Still, the medical marijuana users represent a group of people who use the plant for its healing properties—many of them afflicted with debilitating and chronic illnesses. Despite their medical justification for using marijuana, a state Court of Appeals recently ruled their medicine, unlike the medicines pushed by large pharmaceutical companies, could cost them their job. [Read more…]

Following the lead of at least 16 states, the Drug Enforcement Agency has banned fake marijuana products, also referred to as “spice”. The substance has made headlines over the past few years due to its popularity and resulting harms. Though the chemicals used in the products are said to mimic the active components in marijuana, they’ve causes some serious reactions that are completely unheard of with the real thing. [Read more…]

Despite marijuana legalization (Proposition 19) failing in California this past voting period, attitudes towards marijuana are shifting. The general public is beginning to recognize the failures of the War on Drugs, particularly in regards to marijuana. It’s getting more difficult to seat an unbiased jury and even judges are becoming more reluctant to hand down strict sentences on marijuana charges. [Read more…]