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  Oklahoma: Governor Vetoes Measure Expanding Medical Cannabis Access, Reducing Possession Penalties

  by Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director
  

  In his veto message, the Governor wrote: "The language in the bill makes substantial policy changes to the medical marijuana program that were not fully scrutinized through normal legislative procedures before the bill was received by my office in the middle of the night Saturday. While there is much room for improvement in the way our state’s program operates, this bill does not address those items in a way I can support.”

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  A Founder Looks at 50: The Crucial Early Support from Hugh Hefner and the Playboy Foundation

  by Keith Stroup, NORML Legal Counsel
  

  Hugh Hefner and the Playboy Foundation ended up providing NORML's initial funding in early 1971 and subsequently became our primary funder throughout the 1970s.

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  Virginia: Marijuana Decriminalization Takes Effect July 1

  by Jenn Michelle Pedini, NORML Development Director
  

  Democratic Governor Ralph Northam officially signed legislation today decriminalizing marijuana possession. The new law takes effect July 1, 2020 and reduces penalties for offenses involving the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana to a civil violation – punishable by a maximum $25 fine, no arrest, and no criminal record.

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  Study: Adult-Use Legalization Associated with Decline in Youth Treatment Admissions

  by Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director
  

  "To our knowledge, this is the first study examining the effect of recreational legalization of marijuana in the US on adolescent treatment admissions for marijuana use. Our results indicate that RML in Colorado and Washington was not associated with an increase in treatment admissions. Rather, we observe a substantial decline in admissions rates across US states."

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  Attorneys General Push for Marijuana Banking Reform

  by NORML
  

  "The current predicament of a rapidly expanding national marketplace without access to the national banking systems has resulted in an untenable situation."

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  Analysis: Adult-Use Marijuana Legalization Associated with Tourism Spike

  by Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director
  

  “[L]egalization in Colorado is associated with an increase of nearly 51,000 hotel rooms rented per month [and] once commercial sale is permitted, there is an increase of almost 120,000 room rentals per month."

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  Louisiana: House Lawmakers Advance Measures to Greatly Expand Medical Cannabis Access

  by Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director
  

  House lawmakers have overwhelmingly passed a pair of bills to better expand and facilitate access to medical cannabis products.

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  Municipalities Moving Away from Marijuana Testing for Employees

  by NORML
  

  "Times have changed; attitudes have changed, and in many places, the marijuana laws have changed. It is time for workplace policies to adapt to this new reality."