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US Senate Committee Passes Amendment to Protect Medical Marijuana States from Federal Interference
Another victory was notched for medical marijuana patients last week when the US Senate Appropriations Committee approved an amendment aimed at protecting state medical marijuana laws from federal interference. “Medical marijuana patients obeying state law should not have to worry about federal arrest or losing their state-regulated source of medicine.” Sen. Mikulski Sec 537 of the bill, which can be read in full here, was offered by Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and was approved by the committee by a vote of 21-8. It is an amendment to the 2017 Commerce, Justice, Science & Related …
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Congress Passes New Spending Measure To Help End Federal Marijuana Prohibition
Congress passed a 1,603 page federal spending measure this past Saturday evening that had a provision included that effectively ends federal prohibition on marijuana. The new measure blocks the Department of Justice (DOJ), which includes the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), from allocating and spending funds chasing after legal, retail and medical marijuana operations in the United States. Included under this new umbrella, state-level hemp laws are also not to be interfered with. At the same time, the bill also contains a provision that impedes the implementation of Washington D.C.’s approved recreational marijuana initiative. Activists for full marijuana …
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Legislators, Advocates Call For Less Restrictions On Medical Marijuana Research
It is often said that more research into medical marijuana will be necessary before we see a change in cannabis policy at the federal level. However, researchers who are interested in studying the plant for its therapeutic potential are required to undergo an extremely stringent review process before being permitted to pursue their research in the US. With medical marijuana laws on the books in more than 20 states, not to mention adult-use legislation in Colorado and Washington, the call for research is increasing in volume. So much so, in fact, that 30 members of congress …
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Report Suggests The DEA Has Ignored Four Decades Of Cannabis Research
According to a new report released last week by the Drug Policy Alliance and the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has been impartial and has constantly neglected science in regards to cannabis for over 40 years. DPA, MAPS Report: DEA Ignoring Cannabis Research In “The DEA: Four Decades of Impeding and Rejecting Science” report, it includes many case studies over the past four decades demonstrating the DEA’s failure to allow research towards cannabis, …
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Myth Debunked: Cannabis Policy Reform Likely Does Not Increase Teen Consumption
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A survey released Thursday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates the rate of cannabis consumption amongst high school students in the United States have remained flat the past two years, despite major cannabis policy reform and increases in public support towards legalization. CDC Releases Youth Risk Behavior Survey As voters of Florida get ready to vote on Amendment 2 in the fall to allow medical marijuana for patients in need, opponents recently launched the “Don’t Let Florida Go to Pot” campaign on Tuesday. Those associated with the campaign warn that the measure, …
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Attorney General Urges Legislators To Reduce Nonviolent Drug Sentences
After the U.S. Sentencing Committee voted in favor of reducing sentences for nonviolent drug crimes, the progress was noted. President Obama recently called for clemency and now Attorney General Eric Holder has echoed these cries. AG Eric Holder Supports Retroactively Reducing Jailtime On Tuesday, Attorney General Holder announced his support for retroactively reducing sentences for those already serving jail time for non-violent drug offenses. “Not everyone in prison for a drug-related offense would be eligible,” Holder said Tuesday. “Nor would everyone who is eligible be guaranteed …
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Congress Votes To Prevent DEA Interference In States With Legal Cannabis
WASHINGTON, D.C. — It seems that a breaking point in cannabis reform history was reached last week when Congress voted to end the DEA’s ability to raid dispensaries in medical states, passing the measure 219-189 in the House. US House Ends The War On Medical Marijuana For the first time in history, Congress has voted in favor of stopping the federal government’s intrusive war against states that have passed medical marijuana, in order to protect their patients and providers. The Commerce, Justice, …
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President Obama To Grant Clemency To Hundreds Of Nonviolent Prisoners
DUBLIN, CA – A senior administration official told Yahoo News Monday that by the time Obama leaves office, he could grant clemency to “hundreds, perhaps thousands” of individuals who have been locked up for years for nonviolent drug crimes. Obama Plans To Grant Clemency For Nonviolent Drug Offenders According to Yahoo, President Obama is ready to utilize his pardon power in order to grant clemency to those who have served severe jail time for nonviolent drug crimes. White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler …
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Survey Shows Majority Of Doctors Support Legalization Of Medical Marijuana
NEW YORK, NY — According to a new survey released Wednesday by WebMD and Medscape, a majority of doctors believe that the legalization of medical marijuana is needed since it can provide therapeutic relief for patients in need. It has been tough to prove the solid data on cannabis’ health benefits, due to the federal government’s hesitance to approve research due to cannabis being a Schedule I substance. By definition, this classification means that the plant has no medicinal value, but the survey suggests that doctors …
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Epilepsy Foundation Of America Calls For Access To Medical Marijuana Nationwide
LANDOVER, MD — Furthering the conversation about cannabis policy reform in America, the Epilepsy Foundation released a statement Thursday calling for the increased availability of medical marijuana. Specifically, the foundation is urging the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to reschedule cannabis under the Controlled Substances Act, supporting the increased access to cannabis as a treatment for epilepsy at the state level, and calling for the pursuance of randomized clinical trials. The statement was written by Epilepsy Foundation CEO Philip M. Gattone and Chair Warren Lammert, and comes in response to …