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 take production and sales above ground into state-regulated markets.

Three Republicans and three Democrats have currently co-signed the bipartisan bill: Reps. Rohrabacher, Justin Amash (R-MI), Don Young (R-AK), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Steve Cohen (D-TN) and Jared Polis (D-CO).

If you don’t see your member of Congress on that list, please use our online action center to urge them to co-sponsor the Respect State Marijuana Laws Act and then urge your friends to do the same!

[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 medical marijuana edibles so they won’t fall into the hands of children. That’s a great idea, and we support it. However, the rules are vague, and the bill contains a one strike and you’re out clause, which would permanently close a dispensary for even a minor violation.

Arizona voters have said “yes” to medical marijuana three times, but some elected officials ignore the will of the voters and the plight of patients.

It’s clear that the intent of SB 1440 is not to protect children but to shut down licensed dispensaries that provide relief to thousands of Arizonans with serious medical conditions. It’s being pushed by medical marijuana opponents and is a back-door attempt to gut the program.

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 House.

As amended by the House Judiciary Committee and approved in a 9-2 vote, H. 200 would reduce the penalty for possessing up to an ounce to a fine of up to $300. The Senate Judiciary Committee has already begun considering testimony on this issue, and with support from Gov. Peter Shumlin and top law enforcement officials, the bill appears to have a very strong chance of passing into law.

[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 of marijuana typically receive a fine and a suspended sentence. While the existing law keeps most marijuana consumers out of jail, it still leaves individuals with stigmatizing criminal records.

Under H637, those found possessing less than an ounce of marijuana would receive a civil infraction rather than a suspended sentence and a rap sheet. The bill also allows past offenders to have their records expunged.

If you live in North Carolina, ask your lawmakers to join Rep. Alexander in bringing sensible reform to the state then  urge your friends and family to do the same.

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 rip through the middle and  reads: "Our original billboard was vandalized, but... The truth cannot be destroyed." It's already getting attention in the media.

Help us get this truth out to the public by sharing the image of the billboards on Facebook and Twitter.

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 in support, and the committee listened. Yesterday, it voted 9-2 in favor of reform.

But the opposition is making their voices heard, too. Yesterday, several police are lobbying against this modest proposal to impose a civil fine — not possible jail time — on possession of up to an ounce of marijuana. It’s vital that lawmakers hear from the 63% of Vermonters who believe police have better things to do than to arrest and book marijuana users.

If you live in Vermont, please write your lawmakers today. Politely ask them to support reducing the penalty imposed on Vermonters who possess a substance that is safer than alcohol. Then, share this message with other sensible Vermonters so that they, too, can speak out for reform.

Thousands of medical marijuana patients in the United States rely on the drug to alleviate a multitude of symptoms from cachexia to nerve pain; nevertheless, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) still considers it a Schedule I controlled substance that has no accepted medical use.

Despite this law-enforcement-agency-approved “analysis,” doctors are conducting their own research. In Israel, the Meir Medical Center is recruiting Crohn's Disease sufferers for a study on the ability of marijuana to treat the inflammatory bowel disease, which affects 400,000-600,000 North Americans.

In San Francisco, for more than five years, doctors at California Pacific Medical Center have been studying the effects of the marijuana compound cannabidiol (CBD) on metastatic cancer cells (i.e., very aggressive tumor cells).  In their recently published large-scale animal trial, brain scans revealed the disruption of tumor cells after CBD was used to switch off a specific gene regulator.

These promising results left researchers optimistic and they believe that the findings warrant human trials. They will work to secure funding in the upcoming months for two trial groups, one for brain cancer and the other for breast cancer.

Will these and other studies finally convince our government that science, not myth, should dictate how we approach marijuana?

Pennsylvania recently joined the growing list of states considering taxing and regulating marijuana like alcohol this year, when Sen. Daylin Leach (D-17) introduced SB 528. The proposal was referred to the Senate Law and Justice Committee on April 3.

[caption id="attachment_5806" align="alignright" width="220"] Sen. Leach and family[/caption]

Sen. Leach’s bill, the Regulate Marijuana Act, would allow adults 21 and over to possess, grow, process, or transport up to six marijuana plants (three or fewer being mature) and possess the marijuana produced by those plants where they were grown, provided that the growing takes place in a secure location. In addition, adults would be allowed to give away up to one ounce of marijuana to other adults who are 21 or older.

SB 528 would task the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board with licensing marijuana-related facilities and regulating the cultivation, distribution, and sale of marijuana to adults 21 and over. In terms of taxation, the bill calls on the General Assembly to enact an excise tax on marijuana sold or transferred.

If you are a Pennsylvania resident, please contact your legislators now, and ask them to support taxing and regulating marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol.

Last week, Alabama joined the growing list of states considering taxing and regulating marijuana like alcohol this year. Sponsored by Rep. Patricia Todd (D-Birmingham), HB 550 would remove all criminal penalties for possession of marijuana by adults. The proposal was referred to the House Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, but has not yet been scheduled for a hearing.

[caption id="attachment_6218" align="alignleft" width="240"] Rep. Patricia Todd[/caption]

Rep. Todd’s bill, the Alabama Cannabis and Hemp Reform Act of 2013, would allow adults 21 and over to possess up to one ounce of marijuana and cultivate up to 12 plants in a secure space. It would tax marijuana similarly to alcohol and would task the Alabama Department of Revenue with licensing retail outlets and regulating the cultivation, distribution, and sale of marijuana to adults 21 and over.

In addition to allowing a regulated and taxed marijuana industry, HB 550 would also set up a medical marijuana program. The bill would authorize the medical use of marijuana for qualifying patients who have been diagnosed with serious medical conditions by their physicians.

If you are an Alabama resident, please contact your legislators now and ask them to support HB 550!

The Burlington Free Press, the most widely circulated newspaper in Vermont, editorialized in favor of a bill that would remove the threat of jail for possession of small amounts of marijuana.

The bill, known as H.200, would remove criminal penalties for possession of up to two ounces of marijuana or two mature plants for people 21 and older. The penalties would be replaced by a civil citation and a fine.

From the Free Press:

“Given the challenges facing law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and the courts, the added burden of treating minor possession as a criminal offense no longer makes sense.

Chittenden County State’s Attorney T.J. Donvan argues the current law that treats minor possession as a criminal midemeanor can leave an impact on a person’s life out of balance with the severity of the crime.

Downgrading the weight of the crime would allow police to better focus on more urgent threats to our well being even within the world of illicit drugs.

…

With Vermont’s prosecutors and many of the state’s law enforcement officials on board, there’s no longer sufficient reason for lawmakers to stand in the way of decriminalization.”