A Bay Area CBS affiliate recently released a poll showing that 56% of California adults believe that the state should legalize marijuana. This finding is consistent with last year’s Field Poll showing the same support for including marijuana reform as part of California’s budget solution. Age appears to be significantly correlated to support for marijuana legalization. An overwhelming 74% of respondents age 18 to 34 said marijuana should be legal, but only 46% in the 35 to 49 range thought so. Support…

For anyone who hasn’t yet read “Marijuana is Safer: So Why Are We Driving People to Drink?” tomorrow is your chance. In recognition of 4/20, Chelsea Green Publishing will be offering free downloads of this important book, which examines the relative harms of marijuana and alcohol and asks why our nation’s laws seek to punish people who make the sensible choice to use the less harmful substance: marijuana. April also happens to be National Alcohol Awareness Month. “Marijuana is Safer” is co-authored…

Yesterday, the Arizona Medical Marijuana Policy Project submitted more than 250,000 signatures to the Arizona Secretary of State’s office, all but guaranteeing that medical marijuana will appear on Arizona’s ballot this November. The initiative needs 153,365 to qualify for the ballot. “Right now, Arizona patients battling cancer, AIDS, and other life-threatening diseases face prison for trying to find relief for debilitating conditions,” said Andrew Myers, campaign manager for the MPP-backed AMMPP,…

Lisa Kirkman has spent the last two years trying to regain custody of her 12-year-old son, Noah, and have him returned to their home in Calgary, Canada. Her dilemma, according to the Calgary Sun, is “on the verge of becoming an international incident.” The saga stems from a 2008 trip Noah made to his visit his stepfather in Oregon. Noah, who reportedly suffers from several mental health issues, was stopped by police for riding a bike without a helmet, and through a still unclear chain of events and…

The New Jersey man who was sentenced to five years in prison last month for growing marijuana plants to treat his multiple sclerosis will now remain jailed while he appeals his conviction. John Wilson has maintained that he grew marijuana for personal use only to treat his illness. Throughout most of his trial, a judge prevented Wilson from mentioning his condition, even after New Jersey became the 14th state in the nation to pass a medical marijuana law. On Friday, that same judge—State Superior…

The campaign to end marijuana prohibition received a noteworthy endorsement last week, when the head of the second-largest teachers union in the country said that she supports this year’s ballot initiative in California to regulate marijuana. Randi Weingarten, president of the 856,000-member American Federation of Teachers, told HBO’s “Real Time” host, Bill Maher, that “everything in moderation is pretty much fine.” “When something becomes a forbidden fruit,” the 52-year-old told Maher, “you have…

For those of you who missed it last night, or haven’t seen it yet on MPP TV or MPP’s YouTube channel, here’s the clip of MPP director of campaigns Steve Fox that aired on Fox News last night. Enjoy!

Legislative analyst Dan Riffle joins Insider host Mike Meno to discuss medical marijuana legislation in D.C., Maryland, and New York. Also, get updates on Wal-Mart, California's TaxCannibas 2010 initiative, and news on the Veteran's Administration refusal to allow medical marijuana treatments.

MPP director of state campaigns Steve Fox appears on the O'Reilly Factor with host Laura Ingraham to discuss the benefits of taxing and regulating marijuana like alcohol. This came just after Nevadans for Sensible Marijuana Laws offered Sarah Palin $25000 to speak at a pro-marijuana reform event and admit that marijuana is no more dangerous than alcohol. Palin spoke at the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers convention on Tuesday. 04/08/10

MPP spokesperson Sarah Lovering appears on KTLA to explain the benefits of a taxed and regulated marijuana market proposed by the Tax Cannabis 2010 initiative in California. 03/24/2010