The OLCC may have reached too far in seeking to create a new class of police: Pot Cops

Just when you thought it was safe to smoke marijuana in Oregon, along comes a new breed of law enforcement officer: the pot cop.

The pot cop can bust retailers for selling buds to people under 21—or even letting them inside a store. He runs stings on growers who aren’t paying taxes. 

And if you’re growing too many plants in your house, some fear the pot cop could seize your marijuana and take you to jail.

The pot cop doesn’t exist yet—but the Oregon Liquor Control Commission has asked to greatly extend its power beyond what voters gave the agency in November when they approved legalized recreational marijuana.

In Valencia, there is a special love for the smoke "firecrackers" and according to recent data that have been released by the Department of Health Valenciana, has the highest average consumption of cannabis compared with other Spanish regions . However, in striking contrast with data from alcohol, in this case, consumption is lower than the Spanish average.

Data on drinking among young adolescents in Valencia says first contact is at fourteen years old. Also, the so-called "bottle" or binge drinking that happen on weekends in Valencia occurs for 9.1% compared to 15.5% nationally.

In contrast, data for marijuana consumption by the Valencian citizens is the highest among the other Spaniards, with a rate of 7.7% compared to 6.7% average consumption in Spain.

Why does the Washington State Legislature want to undermine medical cannabis? New Approach Washington’s Alison Holcomb and Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes with Initiative 502 clearly stated that if passed, it would have no effect on medical cannabis laws. Both repeatedly reassured voters that “I-502 won’t harm patients.”

Senate Bill SB 5052 is an effort by the Legislature that could doom our medical cannabis patient rights. This bill could bring harm and even death to many medical cannabis patients. Why would the lawmakers do this?

Immediately, three reasons grab my attention: knowledge deficit, power, and greed. Let’s examine this.

When recreational marijuana was legalized in Colorado in January of 2014, it promised to be a boom for those who were ready with their brick and mortar stores and new licenses. Growing as rapidly as weed are ancillary businesses that cater to these new marijuana pioneers. You only need to walk inside the massive grow operation at establishments like Medicine Man to realize that marijuana demands sophisticated lighting and cooling systems as well as excellent soil and fertilizers to keep the plants happily budding. To protect the plants, growers and retailers need elaborate security systems. Once harvested, marijuana needs to be sold in specialized packaging. Ancillary products are flourishing as the marijuana economy takes off.

Canadian cities looking for ways to jumpstart economic growth should maybe take a lesson from Nanaimo, B.C., which says it is reaping the benefits of a growing medical marijuana plant that opened last year.

LANSING – Michigan would legalize the use of marijuana for recreational use under the proposed wording of a ballot initiative submitted to the state.

Once authorized by the Board of State Canvassers, the Michigan Cannabis Coalition's initiated law would require roughly 252,000 valid voter signatures before going to the Republican-led Legislature. If lawmakers rejected the bill or took no action, it would receive a statewide vote in November 2016.

The initiative announced Thursday is being supported by six to eight anonymous people from the agricultural, real estate, insurance and education sectors. Spokesman Matt Marsden says Michigan could add jobs and tax revenue by legalizing and regulating recreational marijuana.

Two general tendencies can be observed of the debate on the legalization of cannabis.

The first consists of opponents who cast marijuana as a dangerous and immoral substance, prescribing prohibition. The second consists of reformists who herald its medicinal benefits and relative safety in comparison to the legally and socially acceptable substances of alcohol (ethanol) and tobacco, advocating reform.

Chile has started harvesting its first medical marijuana crop Tuesday, while the drug remains prohibited for its recreational consumption.

The 400 plants were sown in October in a heavily guarded field of about 100 square meters in the residential district of La Florida, in the capital Santiago. The non-profit organization Daya Foundation was then granted a permit to extract cannabis oil in a pilot program aimed at treating 200 cancer patients for free.

"This is about the dignity of patients who are dying every day in pain and with very expensive medical bills," said Rodolfo Carter, the mayor of La Florida, at a ceremony marking the harvest.

The cannabis leaves will now be processed in a laboratory, as the final product is expected to be ready by January 2016.

Punitive punishment for marijuana offenses on school grounds leads to a higher chance of future marijuana use, according to the American Journal of Public Health. (Getty Images)

With marijuana legal for recreational use, one pressing question is how to enforce school anti-marijuana policies. The fear of kids possibly losing themselves in a marijuana fog is a legitimate fear for parents. That much is obvious. But how do we deal with that fear?

Is it better to rule by Thor’s hammer or to encourage an open dialogue?

If you have overwhelming evidence that something isn’t working, would you continue to do it? If I was running a business that was failing, and saw no signs of improvement, I would shut it down and try a new approach.

The evidence calling for an end to the failed war on drugs is clear – we should be treating drug use as a health issue not a criminal issue. The world needs a new approach to drug policy.