Tag Archives: Policy

“Most of us understand, we do believe, those of us that are law enforcement executives, that the war on drugs, the 1980 drug policies, was a miserable failure, there’s no doubt about that.” -Chief Charles McClelland Dean Becker hosts Cultural Baggage, a weekly half-hour interview show on the Drug Truth Network. His recent guests haveContinue reading “Houston police chief calls Drug War ‘miserable failure’”

Washington’s retail cannabis industry had a bumpy launch in July. New businesses launched to much fanfare, but faced statewide product shortages and rules prohibiting imports. A new report, however, suggests the fledgling industry is soaring. Washington’s Economic and Revenue Forecast Council issued their November forecast Wednesday. The report says tax receipts from the state’s marijuana industry will be moreContinue reading “High Times In Washington: Marijuana taxes exceed forecast”

Bounlith “Bong” Bouasykeo appeared in a Portland courtroom expecting to be sentenced for smuggling marijuana. The man had been convicted and now he would hear his fate. Then the judge entered and things began to change. U.S. District Court Judge Michael Mosman delayed Bouasukeo’s sentencing on November 6 to weigh the effect of Oregon legalizing marijuanaContinue reading “Election leads judge to delay sentencing in Oregon case”

Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens wrote the opinion for a 6-3 majority in the 2005 case of Gonzalez v. Raich. To the dismay of marijuana advocates who see medical marijuana as a state issue, the Court ruled that the Constitution’s Commerce Clause gives Congress the authority to prohibit marijuana even in states with medical cannabisContinue reading “Will Supreme Court footnote lead to rescheduling marijuana?”

Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper faces a tough challenger in Republican gubernatorial challenger, Bob Beauprez, and he’s not changing his stance on marijuana legalization to court more voters. Even after Colorado voters passed Amendment 64 with a 55 percent majority in 2012 — over Hickenlooper’s strong objections — the incumbent says that he still would not support it.Continue reading “Colorado Gov. Hickenlooper: Pot legalization was reckless”

Mike Henery wanted to open a retail marijuana store. The Gig Harbor, WA resident thought that everything was going smoothly. He created a company– MMH, LLC– in December, 2013. Henery got the good news on May 1 that he would receive one of 17 licenses for retail marijuana outlets in Pierce County. The ganjapreneur thenContinue reading “The Battle of Fife: Legal weed in Washington comes under fire”

Don DeZarn, 48, has worked for Princeton University for 18 years. Before that, he worked for the U.S. Army and Navy, where he acquired Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) for which medical marijuana is a recognized treatment. Last week, DeZarn was given an ultimatum by his employer: stop participating in NJ’s medical marijuana program or forfeit hisContinue reading “Princeton University suspended employee for using medical marijuana”

Politicians are supposed to fight for the values of their constituents. They follow those values to win elections and stay in office. However, it’s their actions after they leave office that often shed light on their true interests. In the case of Gary Johnson, former two-term Governor of New Mexico and the 2012 Libertarian PartyContinue reading “A perfect storm of green for Gary Johnson”

International cannabis activist Marc Emery returned to his home country of Canada Tuesday after spending nearly five weeks in a Louisiana detention center following completion of his U.S. prison sentence. As we reported in July, Emery received a five-year sentence after pleading guilty to selling cannabis seeds to U.S. customers. After his release, he was heldContinue reading “Marc Emery returns home to Canada following deportation from U.S.”