[caption id="attachment_7344" align="alignright" width="210"] Rep. Steve Cohen[/caption]

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) introduced a bill Tuesday that would change federal law so that the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), commonly known as the “drug czar,” is no longer prohibited from studying the legalization of marijuana and no longer required to oppose attempts to legalize marijuana for medical or broader adult use.

Specifically, H.R. 4046, the Unmuzzle the Drug Czar Act of 2014, would amend the Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 1998 to remove the following language from the obligations of the director:

(12) shall ensure that no Federal funds appropriated to the Office of National Drug Control Policy shall be expended for any study or contract relating to the legalization (for a medical use or any other use) of a substance listed in schedule I of [the Controlled Substances Act] and.take such actions as necessary to oppose any attempt to legalize the use of a substance (in any form) that --

(A) is listed in schedule I of section 812 of this title; and

(B) has not been approved for use for medical purposes by the Food and Drug Administration;

Rep. Cohen and other members of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform slammed the ONDCP during a hearing last week. Rep. Cohen chided the office for failing to address the National Institute on Drug Abuse's obstruction of research into the medical benefits of marijuana. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) criticized it for relying on marijuana “propaganda.” ONDCP Deputy Director Michael Botticelli drew criticism for refusing to acknowledge that marijuana poses less potential harm to the consumer than heroin or methamphetamine.

If you haven't already done so, please sign our Change.org petition asking President Obama to reschedule marijuana and share it with your friends.

[caption id="attachment_7339" align="alignright" width="164"] Sen. David Haley[/caption]

In 2013, Senator David Haley introduced SB 9, which would establish a compassionate medical marijuana program in Kansas similar to the programs in 20 other states. That bill is still alive, but it has yet to be called to a vote in committee. In order to bring attention to the issue, he will be leading a rally to support patient access starting on the first floor of the Kansas Capitol Rotunda.

Despite the repeated requests of voters, MPP supporters, and Sen. Haley himself, the chairperson for the Committee on Public Health and Welfare has refused to set the bill for a hearing. Please help this important bill be heard. If you attend, please be sure to dress professionally and be respectful to all legislators. The rally begins at 9:30 a.m., but please arrive early. Participants are invited to remain afterwards to talk with senators and representatives to support access to medical marijuana.

A sizeable majority of Kansans support allowing medical marijuana. The legislature should stop frustrating the clear will of the voters and allow seriously ill patients to have access to a medicine that is safer than many pharmaceuticals.

[caption id="attachment_7335" align="alignright" width="134"] Rep. Matt Gaetz[/caption]

Yesterday, Florida Representative Matt Gaetz (R) introduced legislation to allow individuals to use medical marijuana containing very low levels of THC. The Speaker of the House is willing to let the bill move through his chamber. If you live in Florida, please email your lawmakers and ask them to support this very limited, yet compassionate, bill.

House Bill 843 would amend the definition of cannabis in the Florida Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act to exclude marijuana that is both less than 0.5% THC and more than 15% CBD. Marijuana high in CBD has been found to be very effective at controlling seizures.

While HB 843 would dramatically improve the well-being of patients with catastrophic seizure conditions, it would also leave many other patients behind. Possessing and using marijuana with higher amounts of THC will continue to be a criminal offense. Many patients in the 20 states and Washington, D.C. (which have comprehensive medical marijuana programs), including patients with multiple sclerosis, cancer, and ALS, find relief from marijuana containing more than THC than HB 843 allows.

Florida voters will have a chance to approve medical marijuana this year as well, following the qualification of a ballot initiative last week.

[caption id="attachment_7332" align="alignright" width="160"] Rep. Edith Ajello[/caption]

State Representative Edith Ajello (D – Providence) and state Senator Josh Miller (D –Cranston) are currently reaching out to their colleagues to ask them to sign on to their proposal to replace Rhode Island’s marijuana prohibition with a system that regulates marijuana for adults’ use. If you are a Rhode Island resident, email your state representative and senator today and ask them to sign on to this bill as a cosponsor!

The Marijuana Regulation, Control, and Taxation Act is similar to the laws that voters approved in Colorado and Washington in 2012. The proposal would allow individuals 21 and older to possess and cultivate limited amounts of marijuana. It also directs the Department of Revenue to license and regulate marijuana producers and retail marijuana stores. This sensible approach to marijuana would create new industries with new jobs and raise needed revenue for the state. It would also allow law enforcement focus on more serious crimes.

MPP has posted a freshly updated guide to state medical marijuana laws that contains all the latest legal and policy changes you need to know about! The full report is available here.

[caption id="attachment_7327" align="alignright" width="237"] Rep. Ruben Gallego[/caption]

Rep. Ruben Gallego has introduced HB 2558, which would end the prohibition of marijuana in Arizona. The bill would allow adults to use, possess, and cultivate limited amounts of marijuana with no penalty, and set up a taxed and regulated market for marijuana production and sale.

If you are an Arizona resident, please urge your state legislators to support HB 2558!

Marijuana prohibition has been just as ineffective, inefficient, and problematic as alcohol prohibition. Poll after poll after poll has shown that Americans are ready for a new, more sensible approach. By regulating adult use, the state can generate much-needed revenue for the state budget, replace the underground market with regulated businesses, and allow law enforcement to focus on serious crime.

Additionally, the state can save a staggering amount of taxpayer money in the process. In 2010, there were 16,631 arrests for marijuana possession, according to statistics provided by state law enforcement to the FBI. That same year, according to recent research conducted by the ACLU, the state spent nearly $86 million enforcing marijuana possession laws. It’s time for a better approach in Arizona.

Alaska is one step closer to becoming the third state in the nation to legalize marijuana!

Tuesday, the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Alaska received word from the Division of Elections that it collected enough valid signatures to qualify for the August 2014 ballot! The lieutenant governor will certify the initiative after the remaining signatures have been counted. Once that happens, Alaskans will officially have the opportunity to vote on whether to end marijuana prohibition this August.

The Associated Press, Anchorage Daily News, and USA Today all featured stories highlighting this exciting development. Please help us spread the word about the campaign by sharing this news, especially with anyone you know in Alaska. You can also like the campaign on Facebook if you'd like to follow its progress.

The Delaware Department of Health and Social Services has finalized regulations for a single medical marijuana compassion center. Unfortunately, the pilot center will be limited to cultivating 150 plants — far too few to meet patients’ needs. MPP has submitted comments urging the department to revise the regulations to ensure a workable program. While the governor and DHHS refused to lift the cap now, there is a possibility of doing so later if and when the current regulations prove too limited.

DHHS has also issued a compassion center request for proposal (RFP) for a single compassion center. It plans to license one center to begin growing medical marijuana by July of this year. Meanwhile, the department continues to accept applications for medical marijuana ID cards, which will be required for patients seeking to obtain their medicine from a compassion center. If you are interested in reading the RFP or applying for a medical marijuana ID card, please visit the medical marijuana program's website to access the relevant application forms.

Members of Congress grilled a representative from the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Tuesday at a hearing of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and slammed the office for failing to acknowledge key facts about marijuana. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) chided the drug czar's office for relying on marijuana "propaganda." Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) criticized the office for failing to address the National Institute on Drug Abuse's obstruction of research into the medical benefits of marijuana.

[caption id="attachment_7317" align="alignright" width="300"] ONDCP Deputy Director Michael Botticelli[/caption]

During his testimony regarding the Obama administration's marijuana policy, ONDCP Deputy Director Michael Botticelli refused to acknowledge that marijuana poses less potential harm to the consumer than heroin or methamphetamine.

Some of the highlights of the hearing:

Rep. Blumenauer telling Dir. Botticelli "you're part of the problem." ...

Rep. Cohen telling Dir. Botticelli to "ask Phillip Seymour Hoffman if marijuana is as dangerous as heroin." ...

Rep. Gerry Connolly pressing the witness on the fact that marijuana is less harmful than alcohol.

[caption id="attachment_7314" align="alignright" width="175"] Tommy Wells[/caption]

The D.C. Council approved Bill 20-409 (The Simple Possession of Small Quantities of Marijuana Decriminalization Amendment Act of 2013) Tuesday that would decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana in the District. The measure, which is sponsored by Ward 6 Council member Tommy Wells and supported by eight of the council's 13 members, is expected to receive final approval at the council's next legislative session.

The measure would remove criminal penalties for possession of up to one ounce of marijuana for individuals 18 years of age and older and replace them with a civil fine of $25, similar to a parking ticket. Individuals under the age of 18 who commit a violation would also have their parents notified. The bill also removes penalties for possession of paraphernalia in conjunction with small amounts and specifies that individuals cannot be searched or detained based solely on an officer’s suspicion of marijuana possession. Currently, possession of any amount of marijuana is a criminal offense punishable by up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.

The council adopted several amendments that weakened the scope of the bill, including one that would continue to criminalize public use, making the smoking of marijuana in public a misdemeanor that could lead to arrest and jail time, as opposed to a civil violation. An amendment was also passed that would make the odor of marijuana reasonable cause to perform a search of a vehicle.

At-large Council member David Grosso has introduced separate legislation that would tax and regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol.