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LEGISLATION
Federal, state, and local bills and initiatives
Rep. Wally Herger (R-CA) on Marijuana Law Reform
Thank you for contacting me regarding the legality of the use of marijuana. I appreciate hearing from you on such an important issue. While you make some good supporting points, I must inform you that I cannot support the legalization of marijuana for any purpose, including medical. Although there is the potential for some positive [...]
Congressmen that support Medical Marijuana H.R. 2835 and Personal Use H.R. 2943
Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act H.R.2835 was introduced June 11, 2009 by Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) along with Mr. Blumenauer, Mr. Farr, Mr. McDermott, Mr. Paul, Ms. Woolsey, Mr. Rohrabacher, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Thompson of California, Mr. George Miller of California, Mr. Stark, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Olver, and Ms. Baldwin http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c111:1:./temp/~c111WNKdlj:: Along with Personal Use [...]
TIME Magazine takes a look at the world of marijuana
Proponents of marijuana legalization have advanced plenty of arguments in support of their drug of choice — that marijuana is less dangerous than legal substances like cigarettes and alcohol; that pot has legitimate medical uses; that the money spent prosecuting marijuana offenses would be better used on more pressing public concerns. But supporters of legalization [...]
ABC News: Legalization a “radical” proposal, but legislature “not smoking” it yet
ABC covers the proposal to legalize marijuana from an Assemblymember “naturally” from San Francisco. I’d just ask that dispensary employee if he thinks the black market $15/gram pricing would drop under legalization and whether that would be better for “the people who really need it”.
Oakland voters pass first-in-nation marijuana tax
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Oakland residents overwhelmingly voted Tuesday to approve a first-of-its kind tax on medical marijuana sold at the city’s four cannabis dispensaries. Preliminary election results showed the measure passing with 80 percent of the vote, according to the Alameda County Registrar of Voters. The dispensary tax was one of four measures in [...]
New Jersey Reefer Madness from David H. Kerr
It’s always helpful to get out your Reefer Madness Bingo Cards before we start debunking the latest prohibitionist columns. This one comes from David H. Kerr in New Jersey. Marijuana Legalization – a Growing Debate Posted by David H. Kerr July 20, 2009 9:43PM … California’s “top tax collector estimates that taxing pot like liquor [...]
Rep. Zach Wamp (R-TN) on Marijuana Law Reform
Marijuana is a very dangerous drug and the legalization of it is a controversial issue. Our nation is looking for ways to prevent our young people smoking cigarettes while also dealing with the enormous health costs associated with long-term smoking. If we were to simultaneously eliminate society’s attempts to restrict marijuana smoking, we would be [...]
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) on Marijuana Reform Law
Thank you for contacting me regarding the use of marijuana for medical purposes. I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue. As you may know, in July 2007, the House rejected the Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment, which would have prevented federal enforcement of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) against medical marijuana users and providers in the [...]
Rep. Don Young (R-AK) on Marijuana Law Reform
Thank you for your recent communication concerning the legalization of marijuana. I appreciate hearing from you on this subject. H.R. 2943, the Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults Act, would eliminate federal penalties for the possession and distribution of small amounts of marijuana. This bill would also eliminate federal penalties prohibiting the personal use [...]
Rainey and Williams get probation in “Prince of Pot” Marc Emery plea deal
After four years of politically charged legal wrangling, two employees of Canada’s so-called “Prince of Pot” have avoided prison for their roles in exporting marijuana seeds to the U.S. by mail-order. The plea deal, finalized on Friday, sets the stage for the Prince of Pot himself, Marc Emery, to surrender to U.S. authorities later this [...]