After several days of discussion, the Vermont House overwhelmingly voted this afternoon in favor of H. 200, a bill that would reduce the penalty for possessing up to an ounce of marijuana to a violation, making it a civil, rather than criminal, offense. Ninety-two representatives voted in favor, and only 49 were opposed. The bill will now move forward to the Senate, which has already held hearings on the issue. If you live in Vermont, please contact your senator today and urge them to support this…

On Tuesday, a group of doctors held a news conference to announce the support of nearly 250 Illinois physicians for allowing patients with serious illnesses to obtain and use medical marijuana if their doctors recommend it. Specifically, the doctors signed on to the following statement: Licensed medical practitioners should not be punished for recommending the medical use of marijuana to seriously ill people, and seriously ill people should not be subject to criminal sanctions for using marijuana…

Pennsylvania will again consider making medical marijuana legal. The Governor Raymond P. Shafer Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act, or House Bill 1181, was introduced Monday at the State House, and it has since been assigned to the House Health Committee for consideration. The bill would allow anyone with a debilitating condition such as HIV/AIDS or cancer to use medical marijuana provided they obtain a written recommendation from a doctor with whom they have a “bona-fide doctor-patient relationship.” The…

The Board of Aldermen, the law-making body of St. Louis, Missouri, voted 22 to 3 in favor of reducing the penalty for possession of small amounts of marijuana in the city to that of a traffic ticket. [caption id="attachment_6260" align="alignright" width="160"] Alderman Shane Cohn[/caption] Introduced earlier this year by Alderman Shane Cohn, the law gives police officers the option to redistribute some marijuana cases to the municipal court system, essentially making a criminal infraction a municipal…

Breaking news out of Congress! Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) is leading a new bipartisan bill that would modify the federal Controlled Substances Act, so that anyone acting in compliance with a state marijuana law would be immune from federal prosecution. [caption id="attachment_6255" align="alignright" width="209"] Rep. Dana Rohrabacher[/caption] The Respect for State Marijuana Laws Act would protect marijuana users, dispensary operators, and other individuals who have been courageous enough to help…

[caption id="attachment_6251" align="alignright" width="270"] Sen. Kimberly Yee[/caption] State Senator Kimberly Yee said she would amend her medical marijuana labeling bill — SB 1440 — so that a first-time violation would not result in the permanent closure of legal dispensaries. This is one of many problems with the bill. This didn’t occur, and the future of medical marijuana is in jeopardy. If you are an Arizona resident, please write your legislators today. SB 1440 is billed as a way to label…

After a lengthy discussion, the Vermont House overwhelmingly voted this afternoon in favor of H. 200, a bill that would reduce the penalty for possessing up to an ounce of marijuana to a violation, making it a civil rather than criminal offense. Ninety-eight representatives voted in favor, and only 44 were opposed. The bill is scheduled for more discussion in the House and a final vote next week before it moves to the Senate. However, today’s vote represents a strong indication of support from the…

[caption id="attachment_6239" align="alignright" width="152"] Rep. Kelly Alexander[/caption] North Carolina State Rep. Kelly Alexander, Jr. (D-Mecklenburg) introduced a bill to downgrade the penalty for simple possession of marijuana in the state.  H637, which was co-sponsored by seven of Rep. Alexander’s Democratic colleagues, passed first reading Wednesday and was referred to the House Committee on Judiciary. Currently, individuals in North Carolina convicted of possession of under a half-ounce…

Recently, MPP posted a billboard in Portland (OR) to coincide with Alcohol Awareness Month and upcoming beer and wine festivals, touting the relative safety of marijuana compared to alcohol. Unfortunately, someone apparently didn't like that and tore it down within the first 48 hours! We aren't going to let that get in the way of our our public education efforts, though, and we conveyed that with the replacement billboard we unveiled today. It appears like the original, but with a very large red…

After years of work, a bill that would stop the criminalization of Vermont’s marijuana users is headed to the floor of the Vermont House of Representatives. It could get a vote as early as Friday. [caption id="attachment_6228" align="alignleft" width="220"] VT Attorney General William Sorrell[/caption] Over the last week, the House Judiciary Committee heard testimony on both sides of the issue. Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell, Public Safety Commissioner Keith Flynn, and many others testified…