The Marijuana Policy Project announced Monday it will support efforts to end marijuana prohibition in 10 more states by 2017. The announcement comes one day before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing at which it will address the U.S. Justice Department’s recent decision to allow states to regulate the cultivation and sale of marijuana. MPP will work with local and national allies to pass voter initiatives in at least five states and bills in five state legislatures…

On Tuesday, MPP director of federal policy Dan Riffle spoke with Fox Business Network about the Department of Justice announcement last week that the federal government will not interfere with the implementation of legal marijuana businesses in Colorado and Washington. Here is the segment from “Markets Now”:

Last week, the Department of Justice announced that it would not prioritize marijuana enforcement against businesses that were following state law and adhering to a set of criteria established by Deputy Attorney General James Cole. Given the administration's history with marijuana policy, there is a lot of speculation about what this memo will mean for the future of reform efforts and the legal marijuana industries in Colorado and Washington, as well as the 20 states and the District of Columbia…

At a press briefing Thursday, the U.S. Department of Justice announced it will allow Colorado and Washington to move forward with implementation of laws establishing state-regulated systems of marijuana production and distribution. “Today’s announcement is a major and historic step toward ending marijuana prohibition," said MPP director of federal policy Dan Riffle. "The Department of Justice's decision to allow implementation of the laws in Colorado and Washington is a clear signal that states are…

MPP  released a video last week listing the country's "Worst State Legislators of 2013" on marijuana policy issues. The seven state representatives and one state senator were selected based on their legislative efforts to maintain or expand marijuana prohibition policies, as well as statements they made, during the 2013 legislative sessions. Watch the video countdown below.  The Huffington Post reports: The video counts down the MPP's top eight marijuana policy offenders, alongside some direct quotes…

[caption id="attachment_6842" align="alignright" width="183"] District Attorney Mitch Morrissey confused by science[/caption] At a Denver City Council hearing held on Monday to discuss implementing a 5% marijuana sales tax, Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey held the floor to claim that medical marijuana dispensaries are a haven for assaults, robberies, and murder. “We have had 12 homicides related directly to medical marijuana,” Morrissey told the council. “We have had over 100 aggravated…

Even though it is now legal to smoke marijuana in Colorado, a Denver Broncos linebacker is facing a four-game suspension for allegedly testing positive for marijuana. Under the NFL’s substance abuse policy, players can face suspension and fines of thousands of dollars for using illegal drugs, including marijuana. [caption id="attachment_6798" align="alignright" width="178"] Von Miller[/caption] Von Miller, who was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2011 draft and is considered by some the Broncos’ best…

Just as marijuana reform advocates predicted, marijuana in a legal market will be safer for users. In response to Colorado and Washington’s legalization laws, laboratories are springing up that test marijuana for its safety, purity, potency, and active ingredients. Like alcohol, the regulatory boards in Colorado and Washington will require marijuana products to carry health warnings, ratings for potency, and certification that the product meets safety standards. The regulations are designed to control…

The Partnership at Drugfree.org, formerly known as the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, released a comprehensive survey yesterday of parents’ feelings on marijuana policy reform. Although the organization coordinates with the federal government to stem marijuana use and reinforce prohibitionist laws, the survey, “Marijuana: It’s Legal, Now What?,” presents an objective look at what parents really want to see from lawmakers. The survey found that roughly 70% of adults nationwide support medical…

For medical marijuana dispensary owners and the patients who rely on them for access to their medicine, Colorado Congressman Ed Perlmutter’s (D) bill is common sense. [caption id="attachment_6714" align="alignright" width="240"] Rep. Ed Perlmutter[/caption] Perlmutter introduced legislation yesterday that would allow legal marijuana-related businesses to have access to traditional banking services. The Marijuana Business Access to Banking Act aims to accomplish this by updating federal banking laws…