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Illinois Senate Passes Medical Marijuana Measure, Goes to the Governor’s Desk
This afternoon, the Illinois State Senate voted 35 to 21 in favor of House Bill 1, which would establish a medical marijuana pilot program in the state. The measure had previously been approved by the House of Representatives and moves to the Governor Pat Quinn’s desk for his signature. While Governor Quinn hasn’t taken a firm stance on HB 1, Lt. Governor Sheila Simon has been open in regards to her support for this legislation. You can read the full text of the measure here. NORML will keep you updated [...]
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POLL: Essentially No One Believes Marijuana Users Should Go to Jail
Reason-Rupe has just released new polling data that revealed only a minuscule percentage of Americans believe that marijuana use and possession should result in jail time. When asked which approach they thought the government and law enforcement should take toward someone found smoking marijuana or in possession of a small amount of marijuana, only 6% responded that they should be sent to jail. 35% of respondents said that these individuals shouldn’t be punished at all, 32% responded they should pay a fine, and 20% said they should have to attended [...]
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Study: Student Drug Testing Programs Linked To Spikes In ‘Hard’ Drug Use
Schools that institute student drug testing programs are likely to experience a rise in students' consumption of 'hard' drugs like, according to observational trial data published this week in the Journal of Adolescent Health. Commenting on the findings, the study's lead author affirmed, “It is clear that drug testing is not providing the solution for substance-use prevention that its advocates claim.”
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Study: Regular Cannabis Use Associated With Reduced Risk Factors For Type 2 Diabetes
Subjects who regularly consume cannabis possess favorable indices related to diabetic control as compared to occasional consumers or non-users, according to trial data published today online in the American Journal of Medicine. Commenting on the study, Editor-in-Chief Joseph S. Alpert, MD, Professor of Medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, said: "These are indeed remarkable observations that are supported, as the authors note, by basic science experiments that came to similar conclusions."
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56% Support for Legalizing Marijuana in Arizona
Recent nationwide polls have shown that a majority of all Americans support marijuana legalization. Survey data released this week by Behavior Research Center shows even stronger support at the state level in Arizona. Behavior Research Center asked respondents whether or not they favored or opposed legalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use, 56% responded they favored the idea and only 37% were opposed. Marijuana legalization had support from all age groups, across all counties and with both Democrats and Independents. Commenting on the results, Behavior Research [...]
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Study: Inhaled Cannabis Reduces Crohn’s Symptoms
Inhaling cannabis reduces symptoms of Crohn’s disease compared to placebo in patients non-responsive to traditional therapies, according to clinical trial data published online ahead of print in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. The study is the first placebo-controlled clinical trial to assess the consumption of cannabis for the treatment of Crohn’s.
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Study: No Association Between The Cumulative Consumption Of Cannabis Smoke And The Risk Of Lung Cancer
In a recent presentation given at the annual meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research, investigators from the university of California, Los Angeles provided the latest data reaffirming that cannabis consumption is not associated with an elevated risk of lung cancer. "Our pooled results showed no significant association between the intensity, duration, or cumulative consumption of cannabis smoke and the risk of lung cancer overall or in never smokers," investigators reported.
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Colorado Lawmakers Approve First-In-The-Nation Regulations Governing Retail Marijuana Production And Sales
Colorado lawmakers made history Wednesday by approving first-in-the nation regulations governing the retail production and sale of cannabis to those age 21 and older. Lawmakers' proposals come six months after 55 percent of state voters approved Amendment 64, which legalizes the adults possession and cultivation of limited quantities of marijuana, and tasked the state with establishing regulations for the retail production and sale of cannabis to the public.
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Vermont: Lawmakers Approve Marijuana Decriminalization Measure
Members of the Senate this week approved legislation to significantly reduce marijuana possession penalties. On Tuesday, Senators voted 24 to 6 in favor of a House measure that amends the penalty for the possession of personal use amounts of marijuana and/or marijuana paraphernalia by a person 21 years of age or older from a criminal misdemeanor to a civil fine only -- no arrest, no jail time, and no criminal record. House members had previously signed off on a slightly different version of the bill in April. House members must sign off on the Senate's changes to the bill. It will then go to Democrat Gov. Peter Shumlin, who has publicly expressed support for liberalizing the state's marijuana possession penalties.
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Florida: Lou Gehrig’s Disease Patient Sues for Cannabis Protection
Longtime Florida activist Cathy Jordan, a 63-year-old woman who consumes cannabis to mitigate symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS aka Lou Gehrig's disease), a debilitating condition that she has lived with since 1986, today filed a suit against Sheriff Brad Steube of Manatee County, FL. Ms. Jordan alleges wrongful conduct on the part of the sheriff’s department when, on February 15, 2013, they raided her home and confiscated 23 medical cannabis plants, which were being cultivated for her by Cathy’s husband Robert Jordan.
