The Big Idea

This is a big year for cannabis legalization in the United States. Later this fall, voters inCalifornia, Arizona, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada will decide whether or not to legalize recreational marijuana.

And while the legalization bills in these states are facing opposition from the usual anti-pot crowds, they’re also getting pushback from cannabis activists. These activists think the new laws could do more harm than good.

Medical marijuana dispensaries across Montana have closed their doors as new restrictions took effect Wednesday that limit pot providers to three patients apiece, leaving thousands of pot users registered with the state without a legal way to buy the drug.

The restrictions begin after five years of unsuccessful court battles to overturn the 2011 state law that rolled back much of a voter-approved law that brought medical marijuana to Montana in 2004. It is one of the most significant rollbacks by the 25 states and Washington, D.C., that allow marijuana to be used for medical purposes.

Alaska’s attorney general says marijuana social clubs are illegal under state law.

In a legal opinion issued on Wednesday, Jahna Lindemuth said if a place of business is not a licensed retail marijuana store, it is illegal for anyone to consume marijuana on the premises.

Since voters passed a ballot measure in 2014 liberalizing restrictions on personal use of marijuana and authorizing a commercial industry to develop, clubs have popped up in various parts of Alaska where members or guests are invited to use pot. The places typically charge an entrance or membership fee.

Gun restrictions applying to medical marijuana patients don’t violate any constitutional rights, a US appeals court has ruled. The decision comes in response to a Nevada woman, who accused the government of breaching her Second Amendment rights.

The Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously voted 3-0 in support of the government’s power to ban medical marijuana card holders and users from buying arms.

Senior District Judge Jed Rakoff said that the ban was justified because using marijuana "raises the risk of irrational or unpredictable behavior with which gun use should not be associated,” according to the Associated Press.

Ohio lawyers could represent legitimate medical marijuana clients under a revision to proposed rules of ethical conduct.

The Ohio Supreme Court today announced a proposed amendment to rules related to medical marijuana, which will be legal, but not yet available in Ohio next week. The court eased what seemed to be almost insurmountable obstacles to legal representation proposed by a court advisory group on Aug. 11.

The court proposed added this key provision:

Arkansas election officials approved a medical marijuana proposal for the ballot Wednesday, putting two measures to legalize the drug for patients with certain conditions before voters this fall.

Secretary of State Mark Martin’s office said supporters of the proposed constitutional amendment turned in 97,284 valid signatures from registered voters, exceeding the 84,859 needed to qualify for the ballot. Martin’s office in July approved a competing medical marijuana proposal for the ballot.

Wanted: Someone to grow marijuana for the federal government. Benefits: A contract likely worth millions and the chance to enable medical research. Requirements: Ability to deal with the costs and regulations that come with growing an illegal drug for the federal government.

The campaign to legalize marijuana for recreational use in Arizona is suing state officials over the description of the ballot measure, saying it is "inaccurate and misleading."

The lawsuit, brought by the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, asks the Maricopa County Superior Court to order the removal of state officials' description of Proposition 205 from the voter publicity pamphlet. The secretary of state prepared the description of the ballot language for the pamphlet, and the attorney general approved it, according to the lawsuit.

If you’ve been following drug policy developments in recent months, you will no doubt have heard that Germany is on the brink of legalising medical cannabis.

The details of the new law – which was presented to parliament in July, and is expected to come into force by the end of the year – have been discussed at length in the press. Cannabis will, for the first time, be covered by public health insurance, patients will be able to obtain their cannabis on prescription from a pharmacy, and those who wish to take advantage of the new system will (according to some reports) be required to first obtain a letter from their physician stating that cannabis is a last resort.

When examining cultural differences around the globe, one doesn’t need to work hard to see the gap between Iran and the entire Western World.

The 1979 revolution which toppled the U.S. supported Persian monarchy and instituted a strict Religious Islamic regime made our co-existence on this planet somewhat frosty.  In recent years, there have been varying degrees of thaw and refreeze, but still, the cultural and political differences remain. One of the few exceptions to that rule is marijuana.