UPDATE: MPP posted new billboards in response to anti-marijuana billboards posted near the Super Bowl. On Tuesday, MPP unveiled a series of billboards surrounding MetLife Stadium, site of the upcoming Super Bowl, that have been getting a lot of attention. These ads highlight the fact that marijuana is objectively safer than both alcohol and football, and call on the NFL to stop punishing players for using the safer option. This is especially noteworthy this year, as the two teams playing in the Super…

Earlier today, MPP released a new poll finding that a clear majority of Rhode Islanders support “changing Rhode Island law to regulate and tax marijuana similarly to alcohol.” Fifty-three percent of Rhode Island voters favor marijuana policies similar to those in Colorado, where adults 21 and over can purchase marijuana from regulated stores; only 41% oppose this policy change. If you are a Rhode Island resident, please take a brief moment to call both your state representative and your state senator and…

[caption id="attachment_7273" align="alignright" width="120"] Rep. Sargent[/caption] Wisconsin State Representative Melissa Sargent (D – Madison) is asking her colleagues to sign on to her bill to replace Wisconsin’s marijuana prohibition with a system that regulates marijuana for adults’ use. If you are a Wisconsin resident, email your state representative and senator today and ask them to sign on as co-sponsors! Rep. Sargent’s proposal is similar to the measures voters in Colorado and Washington…

The DEA has gone rogue. First, an agent describes marijuana regulation in Washington and Colorado as "reckless and irresponsible," contrary to the president's assertion that it's "important for it to go forward." Now, DEA administrator Michele Leonhart has criticized President Obama for, accurately, saying marijuana is no more harmful than alcohol to the consumer. In fact, the science says marijuana is dramatically safer than alcohol, for both the consumer and society. It is unacceptable for our…

[caption id="attachment_7248" align="alignright" width="180"] Attorney General Eric Holder[/caption] On Thursday, Attorney General Eric Holder announced his intent to craft regulations that would allow banking services for legitimate marijuana businesses throughout the country. Banks and credit card companies have been wary of working with marijuana businesses for fear of federal prosecution and loss of licensing, causing serious issues with public safety and hampering the growth of the industry.…

In a profile published this week by The New Yorker magazine, President Barack Obama acknowledged the fact that marijuana is less harmful than alcohol for the consumer. Yet federal law classifies marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug, a category the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) considers "the most dangerous drugs of all the drug schedules." It’s time for that to change. The Controlled Substances Act gives the executive branch, led by President Obama, the legal authority to remove marijuana from…

Check out MPP's Mason Tvert as he discusses the historic New Hampshire House vote and the future of marijuana policy reform on 'The Street':

[caption id="attachment_7236" align="alignright" width="119"] Alderman Burke[/caption] The Chicago Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards is considering a proposed ordinance by Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Alderman Edward M. Burke that would restrict the location of medical marijuana dispensaries to manufacturing zones in Chicago. Seriously ill patients should not be relegated to areas normally limited to manufacturing businesses and industry. The proper location for medical marijuana dispensaries…

The New Hampshire House made history last Wednesday, January 15, when it became the first state legislative chamber in the U.S. to approve a bill that would legalize, tax, and regulate marijuana for adult use. Next, the revenue sections of HB 492 will be considered by the House Ways and Means Committee. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t begin reaching out to New Hampshire state senators, who will begin considering this bill in April if it passes the House a second time. If you live in New Hampshire, please…

[caption id="attachment_7230" align="alignright" width="168"] Sen. Karen Tallian[/caption] Indiana state Senator Karen Tallian has taken an important step towards improving marijuana laws in Indiana by introducing SB 314. This bill would reduce the penalty for possessing a small amount of marijuana to a civil fine. Currently, a person who possesses up to 30 grams of marijuana in Indiana faces up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $5,000. Indiana’s penalties are some of the harshest in the country.…