Earlier this month, Gov. John deJongh Jr. of the U.S. Virgin Islands stated that he supported decriminalizing marijuana, despite the fact that he vetoed a bill that would reduce penalties at the end of 2014. The Senate overrode his initial veto, adding the Virgin Islands to the list of U.S. territories that are changing their marijuana policies. Sen. Terrence Nelson sponsored the measure, which is now law, to decriminalize the possession of less than 1 ounce of marijuana and make it a civil offense…

UPDATE: The bill was voted down in the House.   Last week, a bipartisan group of North Dakota state representatives introduced compassionate legislation that would establish a workable medical marijuana program in North Dakota. Under HB 1430, seriously ill patients would be able to possess and cultivate a limited amount of marijuana. It would also create a system of registered medical marijuana providers to ensure patients have safe and reliable access. If you are a North Dakota resident, please…

In a report released Monday, the American Academy of Pediatrics suggested removing marijuana from Schedule 1 in order to make further research easier to accomplish. From the Associated Press: To make it easier to study and develop marijuana-based treatments, the group recommends removing marijuana from the government’s most restrictive drug category, which includes heroin, LSD and other narcotics with no accepted medical use, and switching it to the category which includes methadone and oxycodone. The…

A new study reports that long-term marijuana users have little to worry about in terms of lung damage. Paul Armentano writes in Alternet: The inhalation of one marijuana cigarette per day over a 20-year period is not associated with adverse changes in lung health, according to data published online ahead of print in the journal Annals of the American Thoracic Society. Investigators at Emory University in Atlanta assessed marijuana smoke exposure and lung health in a large representative sample of…

On Tuesday, the House Judiciary Committee of the Wyoming Legislature approved a bill – HB 29 ­– that would replace the current criminal penalty for marijuana possession with a more sensible civil fine. By a vote of 7-2, the committee supported the proposal that will end the threat of arrest for first and second possession charges. [caption id="attachment_8477" align="alignright" width="199"] Rep. Jim Byrd[/caption] Sponsored by Rep. Jim Byrd, the bill originally sought to impose a civil fine of $50…

A bipartisan group of South Carolina state representatives led by House Minority Leader J. Todd Rutherford [caption id="attachment_8472" align="alignright" width="149"] Rep. J. Todd Rutherford[/caption] has introduced compassionate legislation that would establish a workable medical marijuana program in South Carolina. Under the Put Patients First Act, seriously ill patients would be able to possess and cultivate a limited amount of marijuana. It also creates a system of registered medical marijuana…

Missouri State Rep. Brandon Ellington’s HJR 15 would give voters a chance to put an end to the failed experiment of marijuana prohibition, and would replace it with legalization, taxation, and regulation for adults 21 and over. [caption id="attachment_8469" align="alignright" width="300"] Rep. Brandon Ellington[/caption] A companion bill also sponsored by Rep. Ellington, HB 166, would expunge some marijuana-related convictions if voters approve the constitutional amendment. The Missouri-based Show-Me…

Two and half years ago, the Montana legislature gutted the 2004 voter-approved medical marijuana law and replaced it with a law that got as close to repeal as possible. Since then, the state has been fighting in the courts to defend its ill-considered law. Victory was finally handed to Montana patients this month when the presiding judge ruled that caregivers can continue to operate under the state’s marginally functional system. This means they can continue serving an unlimited number of patients…

[caption id="attachment_8464" align="alignright" width="230"] AG Eric Holder[/caption] Earlier today, Attorney General Eric Holder announced that local and state law enforcement would no longer be able to use federal asset forfeiture laws to seize and keep property without evidence of a crime. According to the Washington Post: Holder’s action represents the most sweeping check on police power to confiscate personal property since the seizures began three decades ago as part of the war on drugs. Since…

[caption id="attachment_7230" align="alignright" width="240"] Sen. Karen Tallian[/caption] State Senator Karen Tallian has long been a champion for improving marijuana-related laws in Indiana, and she has already introduced a new, compassionate bill that would establish a medical marijuana program in Indiana. If passed, SB 284 would allow patients to use and safely access medical cannabis, as is the case in 23 states and the District of Columbia. Medical marijuana can effectively alleviate a wide…