In another example of marijuana policy reform’s growing approval by the mainstream political establishment, this week two major state-level political organizations gave their backing to local initiatives to end marijuana prohibition. Citing inherent racism in the government’s war on marijuana, the California state chapter of the NAACP announced its support for the Tax Cannabis initiative, which will appear on the California ballot this November. Meanwhile, the Washington state Democratic Party voted…

Last week the Rhode Island state legislature approved a critical piece of legislation designed to protect the confidentiality of physicians who recommend medical marijuana to patients. The bill was introduced after the names of 335 physicians had been leaked to the Providence Journal by a department of health staffer, and several doctors whose identities were disclosed testified that they were no longer comfortable recommending medical marijuana to patients, even when it might be the best course…

Once again, the top brass at NASCAR have taken a stand against marijuana users. Yesterday, officials for the racing organization suspended crewmember and former driver Randy LaJoie indefinitely after he tested positive for marijuana. The test was not to make sure that he could be a driver, but that he could be a spotter. For those of you not familiar with racing, the spotter sits in the stands and relays car positions to his or her driver through a headset. Please forgive my ignorance of the details…

Last week was a busy one for medical marijuana reform efforts in Oregon. First, the signature drive to put an initiative on the November ballot that would add medical marijuana dispensaries to the state's existing law is coming to a close. With more than 74,000 signatures already verified, it is highly likely that this initiative will appear before the voters this year. In other news, the Oregon Court of Appeals ruled that medical marijuana patients applying for a concealed-carry handgun license…

As New York’s legislative session draws to a close this week, MPP, New York Patients First, and hundreds of New Yorkers are pushing hard to ensure that medical marijuana is included in this year’s state budget. In March, the Senate passed a resolution calling for medical marijuana to be included in the budget, but New York Gov. David Paterson — who has previously voiced his support for a medical marijuana law — has never come out and said he supports its inclusion. Paterson is demanding the budget…

Major news: It was announced today that Sativex, a cannabinoid-based liquid medicine sprayed under the tongue, has been approved for use in Great Britain to help treat the muscle spasticity suffered by multiple sclerosis patients. Sativex is a natural marijuana extract that is produced by British-based GW Pharmaceuticals. It has been approved for use in Canada to treat neuropathic pain since 2005. “Once again, the scientific community has confirmed that marijuana is medicine and it can provide safe…

Earlier this week, the Tennessean newspaper published an interview with former Tennessee Titans running back LenDale White in which White acknowledged that he was likely going to be suspended from the National Football League for four games because of marijuana use. White accepted his “wrongdoing” with the following mea culpa: "I did it, so it is my fault. I smoked marijuana; that is all I have ever done. That's all I do, that's it. I smoke. I don't care about any other drugs, but it's marijuana.…

For those of you who don't regularly see our video features, I present to you the MPP Insider #009.  You can access the HD version by right-clicking and viewing on YouTube, or by viewing the video in fullscreen mode.

Could the tiny island of Guam become the first U.S. territory to pass a medical marijuana law? Yesterday, a bill was introduced into Guam’s 15-member legislature that would give qualified patients legal access to medical marijuana and create a system of “compassionate health care centers” to grow and dispense it. Guam now joins more than a dozen U.S. states that have considered or are considering medical marijuana legislation this year. It’s still unclear what chances the Guam bill has of passing,…