In a historic first, Rhode Island legislators today made their state the first ever to expand an existing medical marijuana law to allow for state-licensed compassion centers to grow and distribute marijuana to registered patients. Legislators easily overrode the veto issued by Gov. Donald Carcieri with override votes of 67-0 in the House and 35-3 in the Senate. This marks the second time the Rhode Island Legislature has expanded the medical marijuana law it established in 2006, which indicates the…

In what may be some sort of modern record for fact-free grandstanding on drug issues, U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, a Republican from the suburbs north of Chicago, has introduced a bill to ratchet up penalties for so-called "super pot". Under Kirk's proposal, penalties would be massively increased for those producing or selling marijuana with THC levels 15% or higher -- to the point where a single plant could land someone in jail for 25 years. Small problem: THC is, for all practical purposes, nontoxic. Higher-THC…

Congressman Barney Frank introduced legislation yesterday aimed at making marijuana available through a doctor’s prescription nationwide. Please help MPP support H.R. 2835, by e-mailing and calling your U.S. Representative. MPP's online resources at mpp.org/federal-action make it quick and easy to ask your legislator to cosponsor this important legislation. Click here to take action. H.R. 2835 makes two important changes to federal law. First, it eliminates federal authority to interfere with patients,…

We just got word that Charlie Lynch was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison for providing patients with medical marijuana in accordance with state law. While the judge in Lynch's case did depart from the five-year mandatory minimum sentence, it'll still be an outrage for Charlie to spend even one day behind bars for his acts of compassion - especially given his compliance with state law. This man's life has already been turned upside down thanks to the mean-spirited county sheriff…

[caption id="attachment_955" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Marijuana Use Rates, Age 12 and Up"][/caption] The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration recently released its annual state-by-state breakdown of drug use rates from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. And once again, the data (based on the 2006 and 2007 surveys) don't match the official mythology -- namely, that tough anti-marijuana laws reduce marijuana use. As of the survey dates, 11 states…

State Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) introduced Senate Joint Resolution 14 yesterday, calling on Congress and the president to enact national policies allowing patients and their caregivers safe access to medical marijuana. The resolution urges an immediate end to DEA raids on medical marijuana facilities in accordance with statements made by Attorney General Eric Holder that such activities are no longer consistent with Department of Justice priorities. Similar to another resolution also introduced…

The House committee that oversees the Department of Justice (DOJ) passed an amendment today that adds language to the committee's report urging the DOJ to clarify its position on state-legal medical marijuana. The provision is a non-binding recommendation, but carries weight given the committee’s role in funding the department. The need for a clearly articulated policy was highlighted in March when DEA agents raided Emmalyn’s California Cannabis Clinic. The raid, seemingly in conflict with Attorney…

It is conventional wisdom that any substance use during drug treatment leads to lower rates of success. But a new study in the American Journal on Addictions suggests that's not always so. The study looked at patients in treatment for opiate dependence using a drug called naltrexone – a treatment whose effectiveness, the researchers write, "has been severely limited by poor adherence." As part of a study designed to test two different support protocols intended to help patients stay on naltrexone…

The long, sad story of Charles C. Lynch should take a major turn this Thursday, June 11, when Judge George Wu is expected to finally determine a sentence for the federally-prosecuted but state-legal medical marijuana provider. MPP has joined Charlie's defense team and many supporters in calling for as lenient a sentence as possible in this tragic case of federal interference with California's voter-approved state law. Our friends over at Reason TV released this new video, aptly set to the tune of…

Today the Obama administration unveiled a new antidrug strategy for the Southwestern border, a region plagued by horrendous violence from Mexican drug cartels. Alas, the plan simply rearranges the proverbial deck chairs on the Titanic. Lovely chairs they may be, but the boat's still going down. The plan, as reported by the Associated Press based on an advance copy, includes lots of technological fixes like "visual shields near border-crossing points so that drug cartel spotters can't alert approaching…