Legalization of Marijuana

An incremental acceptance of medical marijuana has spurred a cottage industry of business ventures — from iPhone applications to lobbyists — whose expansion shows no sign of slowing despite the recession. Instead, pot is the new growth industry. The market began to take off in 1996, when California became the first state to approve the sale of marijuana for medicinal purposes. Today, medical marijuana sales in California are estimated at $700 million to $2 billion per year. Profits from “canni-businesses” as a whole are potentially much greater. “It is a social movement with cash flow,” said James Anthony, an activist and attorney who has ... Read Full Story

Medical marijuana: Legal as long as you don't actually buy it anywhere? Photo: Coaster420, Wikimedia Commons By Steve Elliott in Chronic City It's a classic case of disconnect between public policy and public opinion. As District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis continues with her medical marijuana dispensary crackdown in San Diego, a new poll indicates that a hefty majority of city residents favor leaving the pot shops open and regulating them. About 77 percent of San Diego's adult residents agree that the city has an obligation to ensure convenient access to medical marijuana and 69 percent say the drug should be treated like any other prescription ... Read Full Story

DIGITAL JOURNAL ONLINE Opinion: US Government Holds Patent For Medical Marijuana, Shows Hypocrisy Opinion: US Government Holds Patent For Medical Marijuana, Shows Hipocrisy By Michael Billy. Subscribe to author Published Jul 7, 2008 by ■ Michael Billy - 63 votes , 7 comments ShareThis Listen - Email - Print Recipient email: You can enter up to 10 comma-separated email addresses. Your email: optional Message: optional On the one hand, United States federal government officials have consistently denied that marijuana has any medical benefits. On the other, the government actually holds patents for the medical use of the plant. Just check out US Patent 6630507 ... Read Full Story

Dear Weed: We love you, and we don't want you to go away. Signed, California (Photo by Coaster 420) By Steve Elliott in Chronic City Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley may have believed he was safely playing to the grandstands when he promised to shut down all of L.A.'s estimated 800 to 1,000 medical marijuana dispensaries, magnanimously declaring that "approximately zero" of the dispensaries were operating legally in exchanging weed for cash. But perhaps Cooley should check his numbers: In a new poll taken this week and released today, the reaction of Los Angelenos sounds more like a chorus of boos and ... Read Full Story

L.A. Medical Marijuana Scene in Tumult - City of Angles L.A. Medical Marijuana Scene in Tumult By Brian Doherty The medical marijuana scene in Los Angeles gets more uncertain, with judges knocking down the existing moratorium, the city attorney threatening a severe crackdown, and the city council ready to act on a new wave of restrictions. First on the court action, from the L.A. Times account : A Superior Court judge concluded today that Los Angeles' moratorium on new medical marijuana dispensaries is invalid and granted a preliminary injunction against enforcement of the ban sought by a dispensary that had sued the city. Judge ... Read Full Story

L.A. Medical Marijuana Scene in Tumult - City of Angles L.A. Medical Marijuana Scene in Tumult By Brian Doherty The medical marijuana scene in Los Angeles gets more uncertain, with judges knocking down the existing moratorium, the city attorney threatening a severe crackdown, and the city council ready to act on a new wave of restrictions. First on the court action, from the L.A. Times account : A Superior Court judge concluded today that Los Angeles' moratorium on new medical marijuana dispensaries is invalid and granted a preliminary injunction against enforcement of the ban sought by a dispensary that had sued the city. Judge ... Read Full Story

Majority in the West favors taxing marijuana sales to boost state revenues by Lydia Saad PRINCETON, NJ -- Gallup's October Crime poll finds 44% of Americans in favor of making marijuana legal and 54% opposed. U.S. public support for legalizing marijuana was fixed in the 25% range from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s, but acceptance jumped to 31% in 2000 and has continued to grow throughout this decade. "The highest level of support for decriminalizing the use of marijuana today is seen with self-described liberals, among whom 78% are in favor." Public opinion is virtually the same on a question that relates to ... Read Full Story