Legalization of Marijuana

Grand Junction, in Mesa County, Colorado, is considering this ordinance banning new medical marijuana dispensaries for 12 months. It provides penalties -- anyone who holds themselves out as a primary caregiver for the purpose of acquiring, possessing, producing or transporting medical marijuana or paraphernalia, without having a sales tax license is committing a misdemeanor. No new sales tax licenses will be granted for 12 months. Businesses...  

After months during which New Mexico’s single non-profit producer of medical marijuana was unable to keep a consistent supply of medical cannabis, Department of Health Secretary Alfredo Vigil announced Monday that the state is licensing an additional four producers, enough, the department hopes, to supply the state's nearly 800 active medical cannabis patients.  

The hippest joint in town, Rumpspankers, is Oregon NORML's Cannabis Café set to kick off next Friday at exactly 4:20 p.m. The special cafe for members only is an innovative gathering place for the medical cannabis community, brought to fruition by Oregon NORML, the National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws. Madeline Martinez, Executive Director of Oregon NORML, says this cafe will fill a void that so many patients feel in their lives.  

Medical pot for sale in Cherry Creek North? That’s what Denver Council member Charlie Brown told me this week as I talked to him for a Perspective piece on medical marijuana. (”A heady debate on Medical Pot,” will appear Sunday in the Post’s Perspective section) Brown, who is leading the city’s charge on regulating medical marijuana dispensaries, [...]  

Lawyers representing a medical marijuana patient and a caregiver say the health board didn't give enough notice that it was considering the change. One of them, Robert Corry, said he learned about it in an e-mail from the board Monday afternoon.  

[JURIST] Voters in Maine on Tuesday approved an expansion [proposed legislation, PDF] of the state's existing medical marijuana laws by a 59 to 41 percent margin [Bangor Daily News report], with 87 percent of precincts reporting. The proposed legislation, Question 5 on the Maine ballot, will allow for increased access to medical marijuana through dispensaries, and will increase the number of  

SALEM, Ore. — The right of Oregonians to use marijuana for medical reasons and also to obtain concealed handgun permits is being challenged by local sheriffs who say federal law prevents those people from packing heat.  

  Jon Gettman is a long time contributor to HIGH TIMES. A former National Director of NORML, Jon has a Ph.D. in public policy and regional economic development and consults with attorneys, advocates, and non-profits on cannabis related research and public policy issues. On October 8, 2002, along with a coalition of organizations, he filed a new petition to have cannabis rescheduled under federal law. This column will track that petition's...  

PORTLAND, Maine -- Voters approved a referendum making Maine the fifth state to allow retail pot dispensaries, but medical marijuana advocates say it won’t become like California, where hundreds of marijuana shops have popped up and come under critical scrutiny.  

Re: “Clouds hang over pot issue,” Oct. 22 news story. State Sen. Chris Romer plans to introduce a medical-marijuana bill because he is “alarmed” at the growing number of medical marijuana patients and dispensaries. Sen. Romer, before adding more government bureaucracy and regulations to hinder willing producers from providing a product to willing consumers, please tell [...]  

In California, the time is ripe to pick marijuana legalization from the field of taboo political issues. Indeed, this month has seen the development of two significant events in support of the legalization of recreational marijuana use.  

Ice man,Legalized medical marijuana is not the same as fully legalized marijuana. Cartels deal in cheap crappy pot, the vast majority of which is sold illegally. The percentage of users who obtain pot legally with a prescription is very small. And medical marijuana dispensaries would soon go out of business if they sold bunk like the Mexican cartels deal, they get if from local growers that they know and trust. In any event your argument that...  

CBS NewsHas anyone told Trutanich? LA voters support medical cannabis dispensaries ...Los Angeles TimesBut what might be the most compelling reason of all for Trutanich and Cooley to back off the cannabis biz is the overwhelming support for medical marijuana ...Los Angeles City Attorney Carmen Trutanich knows better than votersExaminer.comAnschutz Entertainment Group Gets Signs; City Attorney Shut DownLA WeeklyLA Council ignores Trutanich...  

(Sat, 07 Nov 2009) Albany Democrat-Herald (OR)  

(Fri, 06 Nov 2009) Los Angeles Times (CA)