Marijuana

Alaska Becomes First State To Allow Public Use Establishments

February 1, 2020 Staff, Norml.org Create! Alaska, Marijuana

Juneau, AK: Officials with the Alaska's Marijuana Control Board have issued their first-ever permits to retailers who wish to allow customers to consume cannabis on the premises. While a handful of cities in other states — such as West Hollywood, California and Springfield, Illinois — have similarly issued municipal licenses to allow for on-site cannabis consumption, Alaska is the first jurisdiction to provide state approval for such facilities.

Marijuana Reform Advances Around The World

January 24, 2020 By Phillip Smith, Drug Reporter, a project of the Independent Media Institute Create! Marijuana, Reform

As we have welcomed a new year, it’s worth taking a look back at last year to ponder how far the world has come on marijuana law reform – and how far it has to go. The wall of marijuana prohibition continued to crumble in 2019, albeit at an achingly slow pace. A lot of the activity was in Europe. In February, Switzerland announced plans to let up to 5,000 people legally smoke marijuana in pilot studies aimed at shaping rules for recreational use of the drug.

House Committee Holds Hearing: Cannabis Policies For The Next Decade

January 17, 2020 David Amián Valle, Norml.org Create! Congress, Electoral Politics, Marijuana

Washington, DC: Members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Health on Wednesday held a legislative hearing, "Cannabis Policies for the New Decade," during which they considered multiple legislative bills aimed at amending federal cannabis laws. This marks the first time that members of the Energy and Commerce Committee have debated issues specific to marijuana policy reform.

‘Just The Beginning’: Illinois Gov. Pardons Over 11,000 On Eve Of Recreational Cannabis Legalization

January 2, 2020 By Jessica Corbett, Commondreams.org Create! Decriminalization, Illinois, Marijuana

"This is just the first wave of Illinoisans who will see a new world of opportunities emerge as they shed the burden of their nonviolent cannabis-related convictions and records." On Tuesday, just one day before "equity-centric" legislation legalizing sales and adult use of recreational marijuana took effect in Illinois, Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker granted pardons to more than 11,000 individuals with low-level cannabis convictions. Pritzker, who signed the bill in June, announced the pardons during an event at the Trinity United Church of Christ on Chicago's South Side...

California Illegal Pot Seizures Top $1.5 Billion In Value

November 6, 2019 Staff, Huffpost.com Educate! California, Marijuana, Regulation

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Authorities seized more than $1.5 billion worth of illegally grown marijuana plants in California this year — an amount an industry expert said is roughly equal to the state’s entire legal market — as part of an annual eradication program, officials said Monday. The raids netted more than 950,000 plants from nearly 350 growing operation sites this year through the Campaign Against Marijuana Planting program, an effort known as CAMP that dates to 1983 and is considered the nation’s largest illegal marijuana eradication program.

FBI: Marijuana Arrests Rise For Third Year In A Row, Outpace Arrests For All Violent Crimes

October 5, 2019 Staff, Norml.org Educate! Law Enforcement, Marijuana, Repression

Washington, DC: The total number of persons arrested in the United States for violating marijuana laws rose for the third consecutive year, according to data released by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation. According to the FBI's Uniform Crime Report, police made 663,367 arrests for marijuana-related violations in 2018. That is more than 21 percent higher than the total number of persons arrested for the commission of violent crimes (521,103). Of those arrested for cannabis-related activities, some 90 percent (608,776) were arrested for marijuana possession offenses only.

Marijuana Goes To House Floor With Landslide Victory For SAFE Banking Act

September 26, 2019 Kevin Zeese, Popular Resistance Create! Banking, Legalization, Marijuana

For the first time since the war on marijuana was declared by President Richard Nixon, progressive marijuana law reform was considered on the Floor of the House of Representatives, and won by a landslide. Now, it is likely to be considered by the Senate. Yesterday, members of the House of Representatives voted 321 to 103 in favor HR 1595: The SAFE Banking Act, which amends federal law so that explicitly banks and other financial institutions may work directly with state-legal marijuana businesses. If the SAFE Banking Act becomes law it will be a major advancement for legal and medical marijuana sales.

More Financial Institutions Are Working With The Marijuana Industry

July 5, 2019 By Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment Create! Banking, Marijuana, Marijuana Legalization

Banks and credit unions have been accepting significantly more marijuana businesses in 2019, according to new federal data. At the end of the last quarter of 2018, there were 438 banks and 113 credit unions actively servicing cannabis businesses. By March 2019, those numbers grew to 493 and 140, respectively. That data comes from the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), which tracks financial services for the marijuana industry by analyzing suspicious activity reports, or SARs, that institutions file in accordance with cannabis banking guidance issued by the Obama administration in 2014.

State By State, The War On Cannabis Is Ending

June 22, 2019 By Paul Armentano, Otherwords.org Create! Marijuana, Reform

Judging by its first six months, 2019 has been a banner year for marijuana policy reform. Most notably, lawmakers in Illinois legalized the commercial production and retail sale of cannabis to adults. The state is the 11th to legalize the use of marijuana by those over the age of 21, and it’s the first to pass such a measure with a statehouse vote (rather than a public initiative). “Illinois is going to have the most equity-centric law in the nation,” Governor J.B. Pritzker announced. “For the many individuals and families whose lives have been changed — indeed hurt — because the nation’s war on drugs discriminated against people of color, this day belongs to you.”

Colorado Surpasses $1 Billion In Marijuana Tax Revenue

June 15, 2019 Carina Julig, The Denver Post. Create! Marijuana, New Economy, Public Services, Taxes

Colorado has surpassed $1 billion in tax revenue from marijuana sales since recreational use was legalized in 2014. Marijuana tax, license and fee revenue has reached $1.02 billion, and marijuana sales over $6.5 billion, the Colorado Department of Revenue announced in a news release. Colorado has 2,917 licensed marijuana businesses and 41,076 licensed individuals working in the industry. Marijuana revenue funds a range of youth and public health programs in Colorado, including mental health services, youth literacy initiatives and anti-bullying programs in schools. Marijuana tax revenue goes to both state and local governments. “This industry is helping grow our economy by creating jobs and generating valuable revenue that is going towards preventing youth consumption, protecting public health and safety and investing in public school construction,” Governor Polis said in a statement.

What Makes Illinois’ Marijuana Legalization Bill So Progressive

June 4, 2019 By Ramenda Cyrus, Inthesetimes.com Educate! Illinois, Legalization, Marijuana, Reform

On May 31, the Illinois House of Representatives passed what is perhaps the most progressive recreational marijuana usage bill in the United States, by a margin of 66-47. The bill passed in the Senate on Wednesday by a margin of 38-17. Governor J.B. Pritzker is expected to sign the bill immediately, which would make the recreational use of marijuana legal in Illinois as soon as January 2020, and would also make Illinois the first state to pass recreational marijuana legalization through a proposed bill rather than a ballot initiative.

80,000 Chileans March To Legalize Medical Marijuana, Regulate Recreational Use

May 22, 2019 Staff, Telesurenglish.net Resist! Chile, Legalization, Marijuana, Regulation

Thousands of Chileans demonstrated Saturday in the center of Santiago to demand immediate changes to the way medical and recreational cannabis is regulated and accessed. The fifteenth "Cultivate Your Rights" march brought some 80,000 people together, according to organizers at the Daya Foundation, Mama Cultiva and Movimental, entities that have been working for years to legalize the use of medical marijuana and regulate its use recreationally. The demonstration toured the center of the Chilean capital and passed in front of the Palacio de La Moneda, home of the executive branch, in a festive, carnival atmosphere, with no violence reported.

Millions March For Legal And Fair Access To Marijuana

May 5, 2019 By Carlie Green, 420 Intel Resist! Marijuana, Marijuana Legalization

On Saturday May 4 and Sunday May 5, cannabis advocates around the world participated in the Global Marijuana March as the event enters its 21st year. Also known as the Million Marijuana March, the first march was ignited in New York City in 1999 and has evolved into an annual rally usually held the first Saturday in May in different cities all over the globe. Toronto currently sees the largest turnout of marijuana marchers in North America. The event is complete with vendors, concerts and a number of high profile speakers. Attendees come decked out in cannabis-inspired costumes with colorful protest signs in hand. The initial purpose of the Marijuana March was to serve as a protest against the continued criminalization of marijuana and for people to be able to use cannabis without fear of imprisonment or other unfair legal sanctions.

Adult Use Legalization Associated With Increased Home Values

April 20, 2019 Staff, Norml.org Create! Legalization, Marijuana

St. Louis, MO: The passage of statewide adult use marijuana laws is associated with an immediate uptick in housing prices, according to an assessment published by the online service Clever Real Estate. The study determined: "States that legalize recreational cannabis see an immediate bump in home values following legalization, even without retail dispensaries opening up. From 2017 to 2019, cities where recreational marijuana is legal saw home values increase $6,337 more than cities where marijuana is illegal" after controlling for potential confounders.

Washington: Most Teens Not Using More Marijuana Following Legalization

March 29, 2019 Staff, Norml.org Educate! Legalization, Marijuana

Spokane, WA: The enactment of adult use marijuana sales in Washington state is not associated with upticks in self-reported marijuana use by most teens, according to data published in The Journal of Adolescent Health. A team of investigators from Washington State University, the University of Massachusetts, and the Colorado School of Public Health assessed trends in teen marijuana use and employment in the years immediately prior to and immediately following the enactment of retail marijuana sales (2010 to 2016).

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