This Wednesday, head coach of the Florida Atlantic University football team, Carl Pelini, was forced to resign from his position in the dawn of his second season. It wasn’t Pelini’s 5-15 record or past personal issues that forced his hand, but the reaction to rumors of a party he attended. According to these rumors, Pelini and one of his assistants attended a party where marijuana was present.  That’s it. The university told Pelini and his assistant that it would be best for them to step down immediately. While…

While public opinion is rising in support of ending marijuana prohibition and politicians are starting to step up on the issue, it seems that some lawmakers are still way behind the curve. The New Hampshire House of Representatives Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee voted 11-7 against recommending the passage of HB492, a bill to regulate and tax marijuana like alcohol, despite a new poll showing strong public support for the measure. According to a new WMUR Granite State Poll released October…

On November 5, voters will decide whether to approve a local ballot initiative that would remove all penalties for possessing up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana by adults 21 and older. Portland is the most populous city in Maine – where we intend to run a 2016 statewide initiative to regulate marijuana like alcohol – and a victory on November 5 would provide a dramatic boost to our efforts.

It's going to be a very close election, so we need your help. You do NOT need to live in Maine to lend your support…

Last Sunday’s Washington Post included an editorial supporting civil fines for marijuana use, particularly in D.C. The article comes after a similar proposal to the D.C. Council and support from Mayor Vincent Gray. The proposal would remove criminal penalties associated with possession of up to one ounce of marijuana and replace them with a civil fine. After considering public opinion polls, a report by the ACLU, and criminal justice statistics, the Post agrees: possessing marijuana should not make…

MPP communications director Mason Tvert recently appeared on CNN to discuss the Gallup poll that found 58% of Americans now support legalizing marijuana.

[caption id="attachment_7039" align="alignright" width="300"] Mayor Vincent Gray[/caption] On Wednesday, D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray stated that he supports decriminalizing marijuana, or removing criminal penalties associated with possession of under one ounce. Currently, those caught with less than one ounce of marijuana in D.C. can be sent to jail for up to six months and fined up to $1,000, and evidence suggests that the laws have had harsh consequences for D.C. residents. According to a study…

Marijuana Policy Project's director of federal policies Dan Riffle appeared on MSNBC's Jansing & Co. this week to discuss the need to change our disastrous marijuana policies by taxing and regulating it in a manner similar to alcohol. He was opposed in the debate by Kevin Sabet, director of Project SAM, which supports continuing to arrest adults for using a substance that is objectively safer than alcohol and allowing the marijuana market to be controlled by criminals. You can watch the debate below:

A new Gallup poll shows that a record 58% of Americans think that marijuana should be made legal. [caption id="attachment_7030" align="alignright" width="417"] Source: Gallup[/caption] The poll shows a 10-point increase from just last year and reflects the growing political support nationwide. According to the poll, 62% of Independents, 65% of Democrats, and 35% of Republicans support legal marijuana, with growing Independent support largely responsible for the 10-point jump. According to Business…

Earlier this month, the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services issued proposed regulations for a single medical marijuana compassion center that could only cultivate 150 plants – far too few to meet patients’ needs. MPP submitted comments on behalf of Delaware’s patients and potential providers urging the department to revise the regulations to ensure a workable program. The regulations unnecessarily restrict the compassion center program to a single pilot center that can possess no more…

Next week, the biannual International Drug Policy Reform Conference will take place in Denver, Colorado. This conference promises to bring together a wide range of drug policy and social justice activists to discuss the many issues surrounding current national and global drug policy. This year’s conference, from October 23-26, promises to be very productive and exciting, being located in one of the first states to make marijuana legal at a time when failed drug policies around the world are being…