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via Susan Heavey, Reuters President Barack Obama says federal authorities should not target recreational marijuana use in two Western states where it has been made legal given limited government resources and growing public acceptance of the controlled substance. His first comments on the issue come weeks after Washington state and Colorado voters supported legalizing pot, … Continue reading
via Beau Hodai, Alternet In Arizona an unsettling trend appears to be underway: the use of private prison employees in law enforcement operations. The state has graced national headlines in recent years as the result of its cozy relationship with the for-profit prison industry. Such controversies have included the role of private prison corporations in … Continue reading
via Tyler Kingkade, The Huffington Post Mitt Romney lost the youth vote by a huge margin, and with it, he lost the presidency. Sixty percent of young voters who cast ballots chose to reelect President Barack Obama, against the 36 percent who voted for Mitt Romney. That’s a six point slide in youth support for … Continue reading
via CNN Three states voted on referendums Tuesday on legalizing marijuana for recreational use: Colorado passes marijuana legalization, but there’s a catch Colorado voters have approved a referendum that supports the legalization of marijuana on a recreational basis. Amendment 64 in Colorado will amend the state constitution to legalize and regulate the production, possession, and … Continue reading
via Lucia Graves, The Huffington Post It started with a coalition of disgruntled Americans, then a handful of governors took up the cause last year, and now — for the first time in nearly 20 years — a federal court will hear oral arguments in a lawsuit challenging the classification of cannabis as a dangerous … Continue reading
via Robin Wilkey, The Huffington Post A pair of scientists at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco have found that a compound derived from marijuana could stop metastasis in many kinds of aggressive cancer, potentially altering the fatality of the disease forever. “It took us about 20 years of research to figure this out, … Continue reading
via Joe Erbentraut and Lizzie Schiffman, The Huffington Post Though it’s still only about three-quarters of the way through, 2012 has already been a busy year for drug policy in Chicago. Of course, the headline grabber has been the marijuana ticketing law originally tiptoed around and later trumpeted by Mayor Rahm Emanuel. When the proposal … Continue reading
via Nick Wing, The Huffington Post A Washington group supporting a state ballot effort to legalize and regulate marijuana rolled out an ambitious new ad campaign this week, seeking to put a spotlight on the initiative ahead of the November election. New Approach Washington unveiled the $1 million buy on Monday, and the 30-second spot … Continue reading
via Damien Cave, The New York Times The agricultural output of Uruguay includes rice, soybeans and wheat. Soon, though, the government may get its hands dirty with a far more complicated crop — marijuana — as part of a rising movement in this region to create alternatives to the United States-led war on drugs. Uruguay’s … Continue reading
via Associated Pres, NPR The Chicago City Council has approved a measure that would allow police officers to ticket instead of arrest people found with small amounts of marijuana. Aldermen voted 43-3 in favor of the ordinance Wednesday. Under the ordinance, anyone in possession of 15 grams of marijuana — roughly the equivalent of 15 … Continue reading
via Sharon Young, The Huffington Post A bill legalizing marijuana for medical purposes has passed the Connecticut Senate. The state joins 16 others and the District of Columbia in enacting such legislation. State senators voted 21-to-13 in favor of the measure early Saturday, after nearly 10 hours of debate dominated by bill opponent Republican Sen. … Continue reading
via Lucia Graves, The Huffington Post The federal government could save as much $13.7 billion annually if it were to legalize marijuana, according to a paper by Harvard economist Jeffrey Miron. More than half of the savings, $7.7 billion, would come from not having to enforce the current prohibitions against the drug, while an additional … Continue reading
via Mick Dumke, Bleader, Chicago Reader While a number of aldermen and Mayor Rahm Emanuel were discussing the possibility of decriminalizing marijuana Wednesday, First Ward alderman Joe Moreno went a step further, becoming one of the few Chicago city officials to openly argue that the real solution is legalization. “Legalize it, control it, and tax … Continue reading
via Dominic Holden, The New York Times It was January of 1998 when a friend and I drove to a basement in South Seattle to set up a pot garden. We were terrified. If a police officer pulled us over, how would we explain these bags of rapid-bloom fertilizer — in winter? Still, we had … Continue reading
via Jesse McKinley, The New York Times Of the many roles Pat Robertson has assumed over his five-decade-long career as an evangelical leader — including presidential candidate and provocative voice of the right wing — his newest guise may perhaps surprise his followers the most: marijuana legalization advocate. Mr. Robertson’s remarks echoed statements he made … Continue reading
via Jennifer Bendery, The Huffington Post Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told a constituent in favor of legalizing marijuana that he doesn’t support the idea because drugs like pot lead to death. In a Feb. 14 letter to his constituent, McConnell said he has “serious concerns” about legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes, a topic … Continue reading
via Michael McAuliff and Ryan Grim, The Huffington Post Marijuana activists may gain an unexpectedly high-profile champion for their cause next year, thanks to Bob Kerrey’s sudden decision to jump into the Nebraska contest for retiring Sen. Ben Nelson’s seat. Pot reformers have their fingers crossed. Kerrey, a Democratic senator for Nebraska in the 1990s, … Continue reading
via Paul Joseph Watson, Prison Planet A Homeland Security training manual belies claims made by DHS representatives during a Congressional hearing last week that the federal agency is only monitoring social media outlets for “situational awareness,” and proves the fact that Bis Sis is also tracking online criticism of government, including discussion of airport body … Continue reading
via Jonathan Bullington, Chicago Tribune An ordinance that lessens penalties for those in Evanston caught with 10 grams or less of marijuana received unanimous approval from aldermen at Monday night’s City Council meeting. Originally proposed by Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl, the ordinance replaces jail time with a ticket for those caught with 10 grams or less, … Continue reading
via Lucia Graves, The Huffington Post GOP presidential candidate Gary Johnson drew headlines earlier this month when he said he would issue a full presidential pardon for anyone serving a prison sentence for marijuana. He elaborated on that promise in a recent interview with The Huffington Post, adding that it’s only a matter of time … Continue reading
via Lucia Graves, The Huffington Post The White House has rejected several marijuana legalization petitions, one of which called on the federal government to stop interfering with state marijuana legalization efforts. “As a former police chief, I recognize we are not going to arrest our way out of the problem,” wrote Gil Kerlikowske, director of … Continue reading
via Radly Balko, The Huffington Post The House Judiciary Committee passed a bill Thursday that would make it a federal crime for U.S. residents to discuss or plan activities on foreign soil that, if carried out in the U.S., would violate the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) — even if the planned activities are legal in … Continue reading
via Jonathan Bullington, Chicago Tribune Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl thinks anyone caught with 10 grams or less of pot does not intend to sell it, and so should only be ticketed and fined — not jailed. She recently asked the city’s legal department to draft an ordinance that lightens the penalty for anyone possessing small … Continue reading
The Brandt Standard 