Yesterday, voters in Oakland, California overwhelmingly approved a proposal, backed by the city's medical marijuana community, that will create a new local sales tax for marijuana. The initiative, "Measure F," was one of  four budget-related measures in a vote-by-mail special election called by a city faced with a projected budget deficit of $83 million. Medical marijuana collectives teamed up with city officials to propose the new tax, set at 1.8% of gross sales. The tax is expected to generate…

After a 12-hour hearing in which hundreds of medical marijuana advocates testified, the Colorado Board of Health Monday rejected a proposal limiting the number of medical marijuana patients a caregiver can serve to five. The proposal, which attorneys testified violated the 2000 constitutional amendment passed by voter initiative protecting valid medical marijuana patients from arrest, was designed to hinder legally operating medical marijuana dispensing centers. Opponents of medical marijuana tried…

The New York Times weighed in on the marijuana debate July 17 with an article that tilted distinctly in the direction of unwarranted hysteria. Built around a series of anecdotes involving individuals who got into difficulty with marijuana -- which is entirely possible -- the story fell apart when it got to the science. For example, it referred to a 2004 Journal of the American Medical Association study that "suggested that the stronger cannabis is contributing to higher addiction rates." But the…

Tonight, MPP’s allies in the U.S. House of Representatives took a big step toward protecting medical marijuana patients in the District of Columbia. For ten years, the D.C. spending bill has included an amendment that prevents the city from implementing a voter-approved medical marijuana initiative. Tonight, the House passed the 2010 version of the bill, wiping out the provision blocking medical marijuana. This is a major step and likely signals ultimate victory for advocates in D.C. The spending…

In the 90s, Congressman Barr was one of MPP’s most aggressive opponents. He authored the Barr amendment in 1998, which for 10 years has blocked Washington, D.C. from implementing a voter-approved medical marijuana initiative. In recent years, however, Congressman Barr has changed both his position and his party affiliation -- and has worked with MPP to eliminate the amendment that bears his name. This talk from early July deals with bipartisanship in drug policy reform and conservative arguments…

MPP spokesperson Bruce Mirken is questioned by the hosts of CNBC Power Lunch about the compelling rationale behind regulating and taxing marijuana like alcohol in California. Experts agree that such a plan could generate over a billion dollars in revenue for the state, as well as bolster the economy and relieve the fear of arrest from the otherwise law-abiding population of marijuana consumers. 07/16/2009

Today, the California Board of Equalization (BOE) released its analysis of state Assembly Bill 390 - legislation that would tax and regulate marijuana. According to the report, the BOE would collect $1.38 billion annually in new revenue from the sales of legal marijuana, if the legislation is approved. The analysis is based on research that indicates that Californians annually consume about 1 million pounds of marijuana. $990 million would be generated from a $50/ounce excise tax and would be earmarked…

MPP spokesperson Dan Bernath talks about the efforts to tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol in California. 07/09/2009

MPP's Rob Kampia refutes prohibitionist Calvina Fay's arguments against the taxation and regulation of marijuana in California and her criticisms of the TV ad promoting that policy. 07/13/2009

MPP's Bruce Mirken and California Assemblyman Tom Ammiano discuss how taxation and regulation of California's marijuana industry could help alleviate the state's budget problems. Ammiano's bill, AB390, would treat marijuana like alcohol. 07/12/2009