Don't Blame Eric Holder For Confusing Pot Policies

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By Mark Kleiman

WASHINGTON:  Federal law makes it a crime to grow, sell or possess cannabis. New state laws in Colorado and Washington state permit those activities, and officials there are issuing licenses to local companies to commit what remain federal felonies.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced in August that it would give a low priority to enforcement efforts against state-licensed growers and sellers in states with “strong and vigorous” regulations, except where they involve other activities such as violence or interstate sales. [Read more…]

Don't Blame Eric Holder For Confusing Pot Policies

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By Mark Kleiman

WASHINGTON:  Federal law makes it a crime to grow, sell or possess cannabis. New state laws in Colorado and Washington state permit those activities, and officials there are issuing licenses to local companies to commit what remain federal felonies.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced in August that it would give a low priority to enforcement efforts against state-licensed growers and sellers in states with “strong and vigorous” regulations, except where they involve other activities such as violence or interstate sales. [Read more…]

NAACP Backs Marijuana Federalism

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DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) recently endorsed a bill that would make the federal ban on marijuana inapplicable to people who grow, possess, or distribute cannabis in compliance with state law.

H.R. 1523, the Respect State Marijuana Laws Act of 2013, would essentially repeal (or at least limit) federal pot prohibition in the 21 states that allow medical or recreational use of the drug. So far the bill, which was introduced by Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.), has 20 cosponsors, including five more Republicans: Justin Amash (Mich.), Dan Benishek (Mich.), Don Young (Alaska), Duncan Hunter (Calif.), and Steve Stockman (Texas).  [Read more…]

Medical Marijuana Debate Draws 300 To Palm Beach State College

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FLORIDA: A proposal to legalize medical marijuana in Florida would create a “tightly regulated system” to help sick people, an advocate said during a debate Wednesday, while an opponent argued the referendum would make Florida a place where “pretty much anybody with a pulse can get marijuana.” [Read more…]

Medical Marijuana Debate Draws 300 To Palm Beach State College

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FLORIDA: A proposal to legalize medical marijuana in Florida would create a “tightly regulated system” to help sick people, an advocate said during a debate Wednesday, while an opponent argued the referendum would make Florida a place where “pretty much anybody with a pulse can get marijuana.” [Read more…]

Despite Successes In Colorado And Washington, Marijuana Advocates Still See Cities As Their Best Bet

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MAINE: Residents of Portland, Maine, will vote next month on a ballot measure to legalize marijuana possession. If the measure passes—the Marijuana Policy Project’s man in Maine, David Boyer, is “cautiously optimistic” that it will—adults 21 and over will theoretically be able to possess up to 2.5 ounces of pot under Portland law. [Read more…]

Marijuana Legalization: The Republican Argument For Doing It

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DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: “Children are growing up with a total lack of respect for the Constitution and for the law,” Pauline Sabin, the first woman to sit on the Republican National Committee, said in regard to prohibition in 1932. “The young see the law broken at home and upon the street,” she added. “Can we expect them to be lawful?” [Read more…]

Marijuana Legalization: The Republican Argument For Doing It

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DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: “Children are growing up with a total lack of respect for the Constitution and for the law,” Pauline Sabin, the first woman to sit on the Republican National Committee, said in regard to prohibition in 1932. “The young see the law broken at home and upon the street,” she added. “Can we expect them to be lawful?” [Read more…]