The Denver Campaign for Limited Social Use submitted more than 10,000 signatures Monday in support of a city initiative that would allow the limited social use — but not sale — of marijuana at commercial establishments in areas restricted to adults 21 and older. 4,726 valid signatures of registered city voters are needed to qualify for the November 2015 ballot. The city clerk has 25 days to certify the petition. Under the proposed measure, businesses that have a license to sell alcohol for onsite…

Jeff Mizanskey, a Missouri man who was serving life in prison for non-violent marijuana offenses, was granted parole after public outcry and a Change.org campaign to reduce his sentence. WDAF reports: The only man in Missouri serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole for non-violent marijuana related offenses is now getting released from the maximum-security prison in Jefferson City, according to the man’s son. Jeff Mizanskey was told Monday morning that he has been granted parole,…

On Saturday, The New York Times repeated its editorial support for ending marijuana prohibition, this time calling on Congress and President Obama to be less timid in their support for regulating marijuana. Even as support for ending marijuana prohibition is building around the country, Congress and the Obama administration remain far too timid about the need for change. Last year, residents in Alaska, Oregon and the District of Columbia voted to join Colorado and Washington State in making recreational…

The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Arizona has gathered more than 50,000 signatures out of the 150,000 that they will need to obtain by next July in order to secure a vote on the issue. Opponents of the measure have already conceded that the vote is likely inevitable. Proponents think this is an indicator that adults in Arizona are sick of being charged as felons for using a substance that is safer than alcohol. KPNX reports: Click here if you're having troubles viewing the video.

The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) approved a resolution Thursday urging the federal government to allow states to determine their own marijuana policies. For a resolution to pass, it must be supported by a majority of participating legislators in each of 75% of the states represented at the conference’s general business meeting. [caption id="attachment_9058" align="alignright" width="300"] Rep. Renny Cushing (second from left) with MPP's Karen O'Keefe, Matt Simon, and Robert Capecchi[/caption] The…

Earlier today, proponents of the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Massachusetts filed an initiative that would make marijuana legal for adults age 21 and older, and would regulate the cultivation, production, and retail sale of the substance. You can find a summary of the initiative here. Once the Massachusetts Attorney General has approved the initiative, proponents must collect the signatures of 64,750 Massachusetts voters over a nine-week period from September to November. The petition…

In a Marijuana.com exclusive, Tom Angell reports that the Department of Justice intentionally misled Congress to discourage passage of a budget restriction that would prevent them from spending funds to interfere with state implementation of medical marijuana programs.   Justice Department officials misinformed members of Congress about the effects of a medical marijuana amendment being considered by the U.S. House of Representatives, according to an internal memo obtained by Marijuana.com. The amendment,…

On Friday, New York’s Department of Health awarded five organizations licenses allowing them to produce and dispense medical marijuana. Each of the five businesses will be allowed to operate up to four dispensaries within the state and must be doing business within six months. The companies awarded licenses are Bloomfield Industries Inc., Columbia Care NY, Empire State Health Solutions, Etain, and PharmaCann. They plan to operate dispensaries that will serve only parts of the eastern portion of the…

A study just released by the American Psychological Association shows no direct link between teen marijuana use, even chronic use, and health problems later in life. The study looked at more than 400 individuals as they matured and found no evidence that marijuana use caused or contributed to any mental or physical health issues over time, including cancer and psychosis. The Daily Caller reports: Chronic marijuana use as an adolescent has no link to mental or physical health problems later in life,…

On Friday, Silver State Relief became the first medical dispensary to open in Nevada. In the year 2000, voters overwhelmingly supported an initiative that made Nevada one of the earliest states to adopt a medical marijuana law. It took another 12 years for the legislature to create a law allowing regulated businesses to provide safe access to medical cannabis. A little over two years from the date the bill was signed into law, that system is finally rolling out. Nevada’s medical marijuana program…