Marijuana Politics

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Tue
01
Mar

Pa. House Speaker ready for medical marijuana debate

Last fall, Pennsylvania's medical marijuana bill was put on the House calendar for several months, but a floor vote never took place. That could change on March 14.

House Majority Leader Dave Reed (R-Indiana) has been supportive of the measure, known as SB 3, and has pledged to put it on the calendar again in two weeks. That earned praise from Gov. Tom Wolf.

"As I have said for years, I support the legalization of medical marijuana and I believe it is long past time to provide this important medical relief to patients and families across the commonwealth," Wolf said in a statement. 

Tue
01
Mar

Puerto Rico Governor Calls for Legalizing Marijuana

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico –  Puerto Rico's governor has called for the legalization of marijuana during his last public address as leader of the U.S. territory.

Alejandro Garcia Padilla said Monday that taking such action would lower crime and target hypocrisy. He said legislators should at a minimum approve a bill filed in 2013 that would decriminalize marijuana. Puerto Rico's Health Department recently adopted a regulation allowing the cultivation, manufacturing and distribution of medical marijuana.

Tue
01
Mar

What Does Super Tuesday Mean for Cannabis Legislation?

The biggest day of the primaries is upon us, with more delegates up for grabs on March 1 than any other time in the race. While marijuana reform is not a priority for most primary voters, the candidates' positions on cannabis could have an impact on how voters perceive them – especially in states where marijuana policy is being discussed. 

Only two out of 22 Super Tuesday races are happening in a state or territory where cannabis is completely illegal. Most states have some form of medical marijuana in the books – even if it's just provisions for non-psychoactive CBD oil. Then there are the cannabis-friendly states of Colorado, which is having Democratic and Republican caucuses, and Alaska, where Republicans will be caucusing. 

Tue
01
Mar

US legalized pot industry poised for major expansion

Washington (AFP) - Legal marijuana is becoming more and more entrenched in the United States each year, and 2016 looks to be no exception. 

 

In fact, some observers say it could be a "tipping point" for an ever-growing industry already worth billions of dollars.

By the end of the year, nearly a dozen states will decide whether to legalize pot -- with seven to determine whether they will allow recreational use.

Already 23 out of 50 states, plus the nation's capital, allow pot in some form, whether for medical or recreational purposes. 

At the beginning of 2016, 86 percent of Americans lived in a state permitting cannabis use in some form.

Tue
01
Mar

Alexis Bortell, a 10-Year-Old Medical Marijuana Exile, Returns to Texas to Cheer on Reformers

Alexis Bortell speaks to a crowd of marijuana advocates and concerned parents on Sunday at the Southwest Cannabis Conference & Expo in downtown Fort Worth.

Alexis Bortell stands behind the podium, atop a stepping stool, addressing a packed house at the Southwest Cannabis Conference & Expo in downtown Fort Worth. She doesn’t look like the face of decriminalization. She’s not even old enough to buy the glass pipes being sold just a few aisles over. But she’s the star in the fight for a new marijuana policy in Texas, and the seats filled quickly at the convention center as she made her way to the podium. 

Tue
01
Mar

Can cannabis gelato change Italy's attitude to weed?

The flavor is named after Bob Marley. Probably not because the reggae legend loved gelato.

What's Italian for munchies? 

A town on Italy's Riviera coast has begun selling a weed-infused gelato that campaigners hope could change the country's attitude to cannabis.

Perleco, a gelato parlor in Alassio, recently launched the gelato -- named Marley after reggae legend Bob. 

But while it sounds like a weed fiend's dream, its makers say the frozen treat isn't going to get anyone high.

Tue
01
Mar

Malaysia: Uphill battle to legalise marijuana

It's virtually impossible to produce up-to-date scientific evidence of ganja's benefits.

Malaysian proponents of marijuana legalisation will have a tough time persuading the government to consider the plant’s benefits because it’s next to impossible to legally produce up-to-date scientific results on the matter.

According to Arif Husaini Abdul Rahim, a medical officer at Sarawak General Hospital, one of the biggest obstacles to studying the effects of marijuana in Malaysia is obtaining samples for research.

“We can’t study the chemicals in the plant if we have no legal means of obtaining it; hence we rely on countries that have legalised it to pursue the field,” said Arif in a recent interview with the Malaysian Digest.

Tue
01
Mar

Australia: ‘Big change’ coming to marijuana laws as Queensland leads the way

AUSTRALIA is facing “big change” to laws around cannabis, with Queensland leading the way on helping sick people access the currently illegal drug.

Queensland Health Minister Cameron Dick told Triple M Brisbane’s Marto and Ed Kavalee for Breakfast this morning that there was “growing demand” for the move.

The Bill, which was released online for public consultation last night, will formalise the process by which doctors can prescribe medicinal cannabis to patients.

Tue
01
Mar

Trump Tuesday: John Oliver mocks Donald Trump with #MakeDonaldDrumpfAgain

Donald Trump has been compared to plenty of things — a spoiled brat, a carnival barker, Mussolini. But HBO’s John Oliver says the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination is “America’s back mole.”

“It may have seemed harmless a year ago,“ Oliver said on “Last Week Tonight” Sunday. “But now that it has gotten frighteningly bigger, it is no longer wise to ignore it.”

“I get it, he’s unpredictable and entertaining,” Oliver continued. “Donald Trump can seem appealing until you take a closer look, much like a lunch buffet at a strip club, or the NFL, or having a pet chimpanzee. Sure, it seems fun, but some day Coco is going to tear your f***ing limbs off.”

Tue
01
Mar

D.A.R.E. program quietly removes marijuana from list of 'gateway drugs'?

Even D.A.R.E. isn’t pretending like marijuana is a gateway drug anymore.

The Drug Abuse Resistance Education program (D.A.R.E.), one of the largest anti-drug groups in the world, no longer lists marijuana as a so-called “gateway drug” on its website, as one Redditor recently pointed out.

The gateway theory basically claims that people who start using “soft” substances, such as marijuana, then go on to use “hard” drugs like heroin or cocaine.

It’s a fairly common argument made to support marijuana prohibition.

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