MEXICO CITY  - Mexico's Senate approved the report of a bill proposed by President Enrique Peña, but refused to raise the amount consumers are allowed to carry from 5 to 28 grams.

The proposed law has the objective to leave behind the war on drugs and punitive prohibitionism, and was approved at a special session of the joined committees: Health, Human Rights, Interior and Legislative Studies of the Senate.

The legislative opinion "decriminalized planting, growing and harvesting marijuana in national territory, when used for medicinal and scientific purposes, to which Mexico has its own controlled industry for this substance."

On Wednesday, the New York State Assembly voted in support of A10092, a bill that will seal the criminal records of people who have been unjustly and unconstitutionally arrested for simple possession of marijuana in public view. The bipartisan vote was 99 in favor and 42 opposed. Over the last 20 years, over 700,000 New Yorkers have been arrested for simple possession of marijuana. Those convicted face significant barriers to accessing education, employment, housing opportunities, and other state services.

Eugene Monroe’s public stance on the use of medical marijuana in the NFL won’t deter the Giants from signing the free agent offensive tackle.

At least, that was the message coming from coach Ben McAdoo and his players after the final practice of the team’s three-day minicamp on Thursday.

Released by the Ravens on Wednesday, the talented, 29-year-old offensive tackle has been linked to the Giants, who failed this offseason to fill their void at right tackle currently inhabited by Marshall Newhouse. They tried to trade for Monroe prior to the move, an NFL source said, and are interested in signing him.

Bill Would Also Let D.C. Legalize Marijuana Sales

A key Congressional panel just voted to increase marijuana businesses’ ability to access banks.

Out of fear of violating current money laundering and drug laws, many banks are reluctant to do business with marijuana providers. As a result, most marijuana dispensaries operate on a cash-only basis, making them targets for robberies.

A recent memorandum by representatives of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to several U.S. senators indicates that the agency is prepared to respond imminently to a pair of administration petitions challenging marijuana's status as a Schedule I federally prohibited substance.

Under the U.S. Controlled Substances Act of 1970, the cannabis plant and its biologically active components are classified as Schedule I prohibited substances — the most restrictive category available under the law. By definition, substances in this category must meet three specific inclusion criteria:

The Assembly has passed legislation that would allow qualified New Jersey residents with post-traumatic stress disorder to get medical marijuana treatment.

The Democrat-led Assembly voted 55-14, with seven abstentions on Thursday. The bill heads to the Senate for consideration.

The legislation approves the disorder for treatment with marijuana only if it’s not treatable with conventional therapy.

Marijuana is currently approved in New Jersey to treat multiple sclerosis, terminal cancer and muscular dystrophy, among other medical diseases. It’s also approved for seizures and glaucoma if those conditions are resistant to conventional treatment.

Oregon’s Joint Committee on Marijuana Legalization may be dissolving before the next legislative session in 2017. The committee, which has been dealing with implementation of Measure 91 and the rewriting of Oregon’s medical marijuana program, was handed a complicated task to be sure. They have been attempting to understand the implications and problems surrounding the legalization of marijuana for adult use, and how to continue the current Oregon Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP).

There is yet any official word on its dissolution, but Rep. Carl Wilson, a member of the Joint Committee, told OCC in an email said he understands that the joint committee is being dissolved, but said, “No official word to me yet.”

Many critics and proponents of marijuana legalization alike have voiced concerns about the potential emergence of Big Marijuana, a corporate lobby akin to Big Tobacco that recklessly pursues profits and wields sufficient clout to shape regulation to its liking.

Although marijuana remains illegal under federal law, medical and/or recreational marijuana is now legal in more than two dozen states. As the federal government has largely tolerated state legalization, corporate capital and muscle have begun moving in on these new state markets. Such commercialization raises a new set of concerns about how industry dynamics may impact consumer behavior and potentially incur social costs.

A group of Arizona parents that formed a coalition to support the initiative to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Arizona is launching a pro-marijuana Father’s Day billboard in Phoenix.

Parents for Responsible Regulation (PRR) is a group of concerned parents that was created for the purpose of highlighting the benefits of regulating marijuana to protect teenagers. Their Father’s Day-themed billboard launches on Thursday, June 16. Upon launching, a news conference will be held in front of the billboard in downtown Phoenix (two blocks south of Chase Field on the southwest corner of 7th St. and Lincoln St.) at 10 a.m. MST.

The Montana Cannabis Industry Association is asking a district judge to further delay enforcement of stringent new medicinal marijuana restrictions that are to go into effect Aug. 31.

The association on Tuesday filed a motion with Montana's 1st Judicial District Court in Helena for a stay until the U.S. Supreme Court takes action on an appeal or until the November election, when a proposed initiative expanding access to medicinal marijuana could be decided by Montana voters. Backers say they have collected more than the 24,175 signatures needed to place the measure on the ballot, pending certification by elections officials.