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Tag: marijuana legalization

  • Two-Thirds Of Americans Support Legalizing Marijuana

    Two-Thirds Of Americans Support Legalizing Marijuana

    Analysts say that more politicians are getting behind marijuana legalization as their constituents express their support. 

    With two-thirds of Americans saying that they are in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana, advocates for cannabis reform say that the time is right for making major changes to United States drug policy. 

    “The train has left the station,” Rep. Earl Blumenauer told NBC News. “I see all the pieces coming together… It’s the same arc we saw two generations ago with the prohibitions of alcohol.”

    According to a Gallup poll conducted earlier this month, 66% of Americans support legalizing marijuana. This was consistent throughout all regions of the country.

    Young Americans are the most likely to support legalization, with 78% of 18- to 34-year-olds in favor—but even among older adults, support is high, with 59% of Americans over 55 supporting legalization. 

    There are some political differences, however. While 75% of Democrats and 71% of independents are in favor of marijuana legalization, only 53% of Republicans support legalization. Still, support is growing in the party and this is the first year that a majority of Republicans are in favor. 

    “Like support for gay marriage—and in prior years, interracial marriage—support for marijuana legalization has generally only expanded, even if slowly, over the course of multiple decades—raising the question of where the ceiling in support might be,” the Gallup poll concluded. “As the percentage of Americans who favor legalizing pot has continued to grow, so has the number of states that have taken up legislation to allow residents to use the substance recreationally.”

    This November, residents in four more states will vote on changes to marijuana policy. Michigan and North Dakota residents are considering legalizing recreational cannabis, while Utah voters are considering whether to legalize medical marijuana. In Missouri, residents will vote on three different measures to allow medical marijuana. 

    Analysts say that more politicians are getting behind marijuana legalization as their constituents express their support. 

    “The tipping point probably passed one or two election cycles ago,” said Tom Angell, founder of the news site Marijuana Moment. “It keeps becoming more and more apparent that it will be impossible for prohibitionists to reverse our gains. And as a result, more mainstream politicians are getting on board.”

    Last week, Canada became the second country to fully legalize marijuana, after experiencing a similar change in public opinion toward the drug. 

    “Politicians embraced it because it’s actually good politics,” said Blumenauer. “They can read the polls.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • "Fox & Friends" Pundit Blames Legal Pot For Teen Drug Use, Homelessness

    "Fox & Friends" Pundit Blames Legal Pot For Teen Drug Use, Homelessness

    Studies regarding marijuana’s impact on social concerns do not appear to support all of Joe Peters’ claims.

    A guest on the popular Fox & Friends morning news and opinion program appeared to lay the blame for a host of social ills, from increased drug use among teens to emergency room visits and even homelessness, on marijuana legalization during a recent appearance.

    Joe Peters, a former Pennsylvania police officer, federal prosecutor and White House Drug Czar official, suggested that efforts to legalize marijuana in the United States like the recent legislation in Canada would send numbers for the aforementioned issues, as well as impaired driving, to stratospheric levels.

    However, as High Times reported, studies regarding marijuana’s impact on these and other concerns did not appear to support all of Peters’ claims.

    Peters, who is a current Congressional candidate for Pennsylvania’s 11th District, was a guest on an October 19, 2018 broadcast of Fox & Friends which examined possible outcomes for marijuana legalization in the U.S. Co-host Steve Doocy put forward the question about whether such a move would be beneficial for the country, which prompted Peters to point to alleged troubles in the state of Colorado as evidence for the dangers of legalization.

    “By every metric, it was a failure, in my view,” said Peters. “Teen drug use is the highest in the country. Drug driving is off the charts, doubled with marijuana impaired driving. Homelessness is up. Emergency room admissions. And the black market is flourishing. Black market arrests – remember the whole notion was we legalize it, we can control it. Black market arrests are up almost 400%.”

    Some of Peters’ assessments are, in part, correct. Federal and local law enforcement have both noted an increase in instances of trafficking in the Centennial State, but the majority of these cases involve the distribution of marijuana to other states like Florida and Texas, where legalization efforts have not taken root.

    Trafficking on the local level has also continued due to dispensary prices – taxes, which range from municipality, can reach 23.15% – which local dealers can easily undercut.

    Statistics have also shown an increase in Colorado traffic fatalities involving marijuana, but again, these results are conflicting: while the number of fatal vehicular accidents who tested positive for marijuana has risen from 75 in 2014 to 139 in 2017, the number of those fatalities in which the active THC level in the driver’s system could be considered at the level of legal impairment dropped from 52 in 2016 to 35 in 2017. 

    But as High Times pointed out, Peters’ other allegations lack concrete evidence. Studies have shown that while cannabis consumption among teenagers inched up 1.3% between 2016 and 2017, the increase in marijuana dispensaries in states like Colorado has had no impact on teenagers’ use.

    Legal marijuana also appears to have had no effect on rates of homelessness in Colorado; a 2016 study of residents in the city of Pueblo, Colorado found that disconnected utilities, not legal marijuana, was the leading cause of homelessness there.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Legal Marijuana Linked To Rise In Car Crashes

    Legal Marijuana Linked To Rise In Car Crashes

    Legalizing marijuana isn’t completely harmless, according to a pair of new studies.

    Car crashes went up by about 6% in states that have legalized recreational marijuana, a couple of new studies found. Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington have seen an increase in insurance claims for collisions, according to separate studies by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the Highway Loss Data Institute.

    The institutes presented their research at the Combating Alcohol- and Drug-Impaired Driving Summit on Thursday.

    The Highway Loss Data Institute focused on claims between 2012 and October 2017, comparing the results to four illegal states, including Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety observed a 5.2% increase in police-reported crashes after legalization in Colorado, Oregon, and Washington.

    “States exploring legalizing marijuana should consider this effect on highway safety,” said David Harkey, president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and Highway Loss Data Institute.

    The findings are important as the tide is increasingly turning to favor the legalization of marijuana. Nine states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana, and Michigan and North Dakota are holding a vote on the issue next month. Canada has legalized it as well.

    FIguring out who is or isn’t impaired by marijuana while driving is also a challenge, the institutes acknowledge. Marijuana’s active ingredient, THC, can remain detectable in a person for as long as 30 days—long after the high has worn off. Currently, there isn’t a reliable method to determine whether someone is currently high. But according to the studies, it’s clear that marijuana has some effect on driving ability.

    “Despite the difficulty of isolating the specific effects of marijuana impairment on crash risk, the evidence is growing that legalizing its use increases crashes,” Harkey said.

    The Center for Medical Cannabis Research at the University of California San Diego is undertaking studies to better understand the effects of marijuana on driving as well as methods to more reliably detect if a driver is currently under the influence.

    Methods now used by law enforcement are notoriously unreliable, and as a result field sobriety tests for marijuana cannot be used as evidence in some cases.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Walmart Canada Considers Selling Marijuana Products

    Walmart Canada Considers Selling Marijuana Products

    The mega chain is reportedly investigating the viability of carrying CBD products in their stores. 

    As a growing list of major companies either embrace or consider the option to include cannabidiol (CBD)-based products in their retail offerings, a representative from Walmart Inc. in Canada told the Vancouver Sun that the mega-chain has conducted research into the viability of carrying CBD products on store shelves.

    Diane Medeiros, a spokesperson for Walmart Canada, said that while the company does not have plans to carry CBD products at this time, it “has done some preliminary fact-finding on this issue.”

    The timing of their investigation coincides with the legalization of marijuana at the federal level throughout Canada on October 17, 2018.

    In an email exchange with the Sun, Medeiros said that the review of CBD-based products—goods that contain the active but non-psychoactive compound cannabidiol—is standard operating procedure, something they carry out for “any new industry.”

    As High Times noted, the investigation is also good business practice, as Canadians are expected to drop $1 billion on marijuana in the first three months after legalization. Response to the company’s announcement also proved positive for Walmart, whose shares rose nearly 3% in afternoon trading that day.

    And while Walmart is apparently not ready to offer CBD-based product to its customers, other brands, both global and regional, have already announced their intent to cater to the new market.

    In Canada, the drugstore chain Shoppers Drug Mart was approved as a licensed medical marijuana producer, which will allow them to dispense cannabis to their customers, while the Montreal-based Molson Coors Canada has entered into a joint venture with The Hydropothecary Corporation to produce non-alcoholic, cannabis-infused beverages. 

    The Coca-Cola Company, too, has reported making inroads towards CBD-based products with a beverage produced in conjunction with Aurora Cannabis, while Estee Lauder has added Hello, Calm—a face mask infused with sativa—to its line of cosmetic products.

    Several U.S. breweries like Lagunitas and Coalition Brewing have already begun selling CBD-infused beer products, and the vegan chain By Chloe offers CBD-based products in its nationwide locations.

    And, as the Vancouver Sun noted, companies that have refused to expand its offerings to CBD product may experience a setback: PepsiCo’s declaration to not sell CBD-infused goods resulted in a decline in its market share.

    Cowen & Co. analyst Vivien Azer underscored the retail industry’s growing focus on CBD-based products in a research note that stated, “Health and wellness consumers are beginning to find value and use cases from CBD-based oil extracts, tinctures, topicals and capsules to improve everyday life. We expect to see CBD used as a functional ingredient in non-alcoholic beverages.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Marijuana Is Now Legal In Canada

    Marijuana Is Now Legal In Canada

    While cannabis enthusiasts rejoiced, policymakers cautioned that the legalization effort would have unpredictable, wide-ranging effects.

    While the United States has dabbled in legalizing marijuana in piecemeal legislation passed through the states, our neighbors to the north have fully ended the prohibition on cannabis, becoming just the second country in the world to legalize marijuana. 

    The new law took effect Wednesday at midnight, with Canadians from coast to coast hosting parties to smoke in freedom, according to The New York Times. The legalization fulfilled a campaign promise by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. 

    “The fact that we are moving away from a Prohibition model is a victory for human rights and social justice, an economic windfall for the Canadian economy and a sign of social progress,” said Adam Greenblatt, a director at Canopy Growth, a producer that has been valued at more than $10 billion, told the Times. 

    While cannabis enthusiasts rejoiced, policymakers cautioned that the legalization effort would have wide-ranging effects, some of which would be hard to predict. 

    “Legalization of cannabis is the largest public policy shift this country has experienced in the past five decades,” said Mike Farnworth, British Columbia’s minister of public safety. “It’s an octopus with many tentacles, and there are many unknowns. I don’t think that when the federal government decided to legalize marijuana, it thought through all of the implications.”

    The Canadian Medical Association Journal took a strong stance against the move, calling the legalization plan an “uncontrolled experiment in which the profits of cannabis producers and tax revenues are squarely pitched against the health of Canadians.”

    Under the new law, Canadian adults can possess up to 30 grams of marijuana and have up to four plants growing at home. The logistics of the legislation—like setting up marketplaces—was left up to municipalities, meaning that it will vary across the country. The federal government will also be examining how to adjust the criminal records of people with marijuana-related offenses. 

    To deal with intoxicated driving, the number of police certified in sobriety tests will double over the next few years. However, other than keeping risky drivers off the road, the police did not seem too concerned with the change in the law. 

    “Fentanyl kills 11 Canadians a day,” Adam Palmer, Chief Constable of the Vancouver Police Department and the president of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police said. “Marijuana does not.”

    While many people celebrated legalization, some cannabis consumers said that it was just a way for the government and big business to get their hands into the pot industry, which was estimated to be worth $5.6 billion in Canada last year. 

    “People don’t want to buy government-approved joints,” said Jodie Emery, a leading cannabis activist in Vancouver. “Legalization is little more than the whitewashing of cannabis culture.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Ban On Select Edibles Alarms Washington State Cannabis Retailers

    Ban On Select Edibles Alarms Washington State Cannabis Retailers

    Retailers and makers will be allowed to sell banned products until the inventory is exhausted or until April 2019.

    The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board took many marijuana businesses aback on October 3 when they announced that cannabis-infused products that may have appeal to children – gummy candies, lollipops and/or brightly colored products – will be prohibited from sale.

    Makers and retailers alike expressed concern that they were not given adequate warning about what the board is calling a “re-evaluation” of such products; though edibles make up a relatively small portion of marijuana products sold in Washington state (9%), they are a significant revenue stream for many independent companies.

    The Board will hold a webinar on October 16 to address concerns about the impending re-evaluation, and companies whose products fall under the ban will have a chance to appeal.

    The Board made its announcement via an online presentation, which ascribed its decision as an attempt to address concerns from board members as well as “stakeholders and the public” in regard to infused edible candy.

    A re-evaluation of such products, which were previously approved by the Board, led to the new ruling, which stated that “all production of hard candy (of any style, shape or size), tarts, fruit chews, colorful chocolates, jellies and any gummy type products should cease, as they will not qualify” under the new guidelines. The rule will take effect January 1, 2019.

    Drinks, baked goods, chips and tinctures do not fall under the ban, as well as certain types of candies, such as chocolate, caramels or mints, provided that they are not presented in a manner that is “especially appealing to children,” such as certain colors, flavors, shapes or additions such as sprinkles or frosting.

    Retailers and makers will be allowed to sell banned products until the inventory is exhausted or until April 3, 2019, after which they must be disposed of according to marijuana waste requirements. 

    Retailers and manufacturers will have to resubmit labels and products for their items to the Board prior to the January 1 activation date; if their products do not meet the new requirements, they will be informed that board approval is being rescinded. The notification will also include information on how to appeal the decision.

    Response from retailers and manufacturers was immediate and deeply concerned. While many support the idea of ensuring that products do not appeal to kids, they were also worried about the impact of the ban on their business. “If we lose the ability to make these candies, we’ll be out of business,” said Craft Elixirs owner Jamie Hoffman. 

    Diana Isaiou, owner of American Baked Co., said that more than half of her company’s sales are edible fruit chews, which require the purchase of large and expensive amounts of ingredients and packaging prior to manufacture. “We don’t get business loans in the marijuana industry,” she said. “These are people’s personal bank rolls.”

    Others expressed dismay at what they considered an arbitrary ban. “I’m concerned that whole categories of products are being tossed out categorically,” said Logan Bowers, owner of Hashtag Cannabis. “I don’t see how a chew is inherently more enticing to a child than a cookie.”

    The Liquor and Cannabis Board will offer a link to register for the October 16 webinar on the site.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Is The White House Waging A "Secret War" On Marijuana?

    Is The White House Waging A "Secret War" On Marijuana?

    The administration’s Marijuana Policy Coordination Committee may be responsible for hindering marijuana legalization. 

    Trump has said in the past that he supports states’ rights to establish their own marijuana policies—yet according to a report by BuzzFeed News, administration officials are waging a “secret war on weed” to push back on support of marijuana legalization across the country.

    Rolling Stone says the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) confirmed the existence of the Marijuana Policy Coordination Committee, but “stopped short of confirming” that the goal of the coalition of federal agencies was to shed a negative light on marijuana legalization.

    Members of Congress confirm that the White House’s actions contradict what Trump has said about marijuana policy—leading them to wonder: “Is there someone within the Trump administration directing a negative marijuana message?” as a senior congressional staffer put it.

    “Every time I speak to someone in the administration, despite what the president has said, they tell me it isn’t happening. My question is, who is in charge over there? It borders on ridiculous,” Rep. Tom Garrett of Virginia told Rolling Stone.

    On multiple occasions, Trump has said that he supports a state’s right to choose how it handles marijuana policy. “In terms of marijuana and legalization, I think that should be a state issue, state-by-state,” he said at a 2015 campaign rally in Sparks, Nevada.

    “The president is right on this issue,” said Garrett. “The gatekeepers need to do their job, not undermine good policy.”

    Some point to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions as the main force within the administration that’s fighting marijuana policy reform. “I’ve discussed marijuana policy with senior White House officials, cabinet members and the president,” said Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida. “My personal assessment is that the attorney general is the problem.”

    Jeff Sessions is notoriously anti-marijuana. The 71-year-old former senator from Alabama—who once said “Good people don’t smoke marijuana”—has made it a point to enforce, and enhance, the federal prohibition of marijuana.

    “I don’t think America is going to be a better place when people of all ages, and particularly young people, are smoking pot,” the attorney general said in February 2017. “I believe it’s an unhealthy practice, and current levels of THC in marijuana are very high compared to what they were a few years ago, and we’re seeing real violence around that.”

    In response to Sessions’ renewed “war on drugs,” bipartisan legislation has been introduced in the Senate to protect state marijuana policy.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Are Courts Now Ruling In Favor Of Legal Weed-Using Employees?

    Are Courts Now Ruling In Favor Of Legal Weed-Using Employees?

    A recent case may change the legal precedent for employees who use marijuana.

    Courts around the country are beginning to rule against employers who terminate people for using cannabis in states where medical or recreational use is legal, reversing years of courts siding with employers on the issue. 

    Last month a federal judge ruled in favor of Katelin Noffsinger, who sued a Connecticut nursing home that rescinded her job offer when she tested positive for THC. Noffsinger had told the nursing home that she used medical cannabis pills at night to control her PTSD.

    Still, when she tested positive for cannabis the nursing home said that she could not work for them, saying it could jeopardize federal funding that the home received. 

    This is the first time that a federal judge has ruled in favor of someone using medical marijuana, according to TIME. In previous cases judges have ruled that employers can terminate or not hire a person who uses cannabis because the drug remains illegal under federal law.

    “This decision reflects the rapidly changing cultural and legal status of cannabis, and affirms that employers should not be able to discriminate against those who use marijuana responsibly while off the job, in compliance with the laws of their state,” Paul Armentano, deputy director of NORML, a pro-marijuana group, told TIME. 

    Previously, case law indicated that judges were likely to side with employers, but the Noffsinger case could change the precedent. 

    “This is a very significant case that throws the issue in doubt for many of these federal contractors,” said Fiona Ong, an employment attorney with the Baltimore firm of Shawe Rosenthal. “It’s certainly interesting and may be indicative of where the courts are going with this.”

    Thirty-one states have medical marijuana programs. However, only nine states—including Connecticut—have made it illegal to discriminate against someone based on their use of medical marijuana.

    Still, cannabis use is a grey area in employment. Some states prohibit employers from discriminating against someone for using outside work hours, but this gets complicated in states where cannabis use is legal, while it remains prohibited on the federal level. 

    “What is cannabis if it’s lawful on the state but not the federal level?” William Bogot, co-chair of the cannabis law practice at Fox Rothschild, told CityLab in 2016.

    U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Meyer, who ruled in the Noffsinger case, pointed out that the federal Drug Free Workplace Act, which dictates drug-testing policies, does not require drug testing and does not prohibit federal contractors from employing people who use legal medical marijuana outside of work. Some employers have stopped testing for THC. 

    Recently, state judges in Rhode Island and Massachusetts also ruled in favor of people who were denied employment because of their cannabis use, prompting the American Bar Association to call the cases “an emerging trend in employment litigation.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Clearing A Pot Conviction Just Got Easier In California

    Clearing A Pot Conviction Just Got Easier In California

    Up to half a million Californians are estimated to be affected by the law.

    When California legalized marijuana in 2016, a provision in the new law made it possible for people with marijuana convictions to have their records cleared or changed to reflect reduced charges.

    However, the process to do so was long and convoluted, meaning many people weren’t able to take advantage of it. Now, a newly-passed law will require the legislature to automatically review cannabis convictions, streamlining the process. 

    “It was so inaccessible for a variety of reasons,” Rodney Holcombe of the Drug Policy Alliance told USA Today. “This (new law) will empower people. My heart goes out to people who have had to navigate this process on their own. It’s confusing, expensive and tiring.”   

    Assembly Bill 1793 was passed by a majority in the California state legislature and signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown on Sept. 30.

    The bill requires the California Department of Justice “to review the records in the state summary criminal history information database and to identify past convictions that are potentially eligible for recall or dismissal of sentence, dismissal and sealing, or redesignation pursuant to AUMA (the Adult Use Marijuana Act)” before July 1, 2019. After that, prosecutors will have a year to either clear the conviction or reduce the charge to a misdemeanor.

    “AB 1793 will bring people closer to realizing their existing rights by creating a simpler pathway for Californians to turn the page and make a fresh start,” Assemblyman Rob Bonta told the Los Angeles Times. “Long after paying their debt to society, people shouldn’t continue to face the collateral consequences, like being denied a job or housing, because they have an outdated conviction on their records.”

    Up to half a million Californians are estimated to be affected by the new policy. Misdemeanors including growing and transporting up to an ounce of marijuana can be cleared, while felony convictions including possession with intent to sell can be reduced to misdemeanors. 

    “It’s safe to say the number of persons eligible to have their offenses reduced from felonies to misdemeanors is in the hundreds of thousands,” said Dale Gieringer, director of California NORML. “Most people should be relieved to no longer have a felony on their record.”

    Despite the huge number of people who are eligible to have their sentences reduced, only 5,000 have applied in the past two years. This highlights the need for the new, automated process. 

    “This is transformative,” Holcombe said. “This creates an opportunity for people to reclaim their lives.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Can You Really Fly Out Of LAX With Weed?

    Can You Really Fly Out Of LAX With Weed?

    A high-minded new California law makes LAX the first major airport to take a pro-pot stance. 

    The friendly skies just got a little friendlier if you’re flying out of Los Angeles. 

    The City of Angels’ bustling airport recently moved to allow passengers to pack their pot in carry-on luggage, according to an announcement posted on the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) website.

    The high-minded move comes on the heels of California’s passage of a marijuana legalization measure that went into effect at the start of the year. 

    “While federal law prohibits the possession of marijuana (inclusive of federal airspace,) California’s passage of proposition 64, effective January 1, 2018, allows for individuals 21 years of age or older to possess up to 28.5 grams of marijuana and 8 grams of concentrated marijuana for personal consumption,” LAX wrote in the notice. 

    “In accordance with Proposition 64, the Los Angeles Airport Police Department will allow passengers to travel through LAX with up to 28.5 grams of marijuana and 8 grams of concentrated marijuana.”

    But, there’s one big caveat: If pot is illegal at your destination, you can still get arrested when you land. 

    And aside from that, marijuana is still banned under federal law, so it may still raise red flags with the TSA—even though it’s not their top priority. 

    “TSA’s focus is on terrorism and security threats to the aircraft and its passengers,” agency spokeswoman Lorie Dankers told Los Angeles-based KABC-TV. “Whether or not the passenger is allowed to travel with marijuana is up to law enforcement’s discretion.”

    And when the law enforcement in question is Los Angeles police, their new move will be to turn down the arrest. 

    LAX appears to be the first big airport to take a pro-pot on planes stance. San Diego International doesn’t have an official policy, according to KABC. And in the Denver airport, marijuana is prohibited—mainly because it’s still illegal under federal law.

    Even so, local police aren’t necessarily racking up collars over Colorado’s pot-friendly flyers.

    “If it’s a small amount the TSA and the Denver Police Department will ask that person to dispose of it,” airport spokesman Emily Williams told the TV station. “If that person is willing to do that, they move through.”

    View the original article at thefix.com