Marijuana Incarceration

Marijuana Is More Mainstream Than Ever, So Why Is Legalization Still Taboo?

The recent legislative hearings on cannabis regulation in Massachusetts and California notwithstanding, the fact remains that these debates are the exception, not the rule. In fact, voters in Maine and Colorado will decide on marijuana law reform ballot proposals today (Note: Check back here tonight for the results.) precisely because their elected officials outright refused to vote on the issues when they were put before them.

NORML SHOW LIVE Saturday – SPECIAL TIME 4:00pm Pacific – with Cheech & Chong at Cypress Hill Smokeout

Saturday Night’s episode of NORML SHOW LIVE will be at a special time – 4:00pm Pacific / 7:00pm Eastern – to take advantage of the lineup here at the Cypress Hill Smokeout in San Bernardino, California.  Cheech & Chong are playing a “4:20” set, so I will be there live, bringing you the comedy from NORML’s favorite comedy team.

A cannabis leaf, stethoscope, and heart with a heartbeat graph line

Breaking News: President Obama Issues New Medical Marijuana Guidelines

In what can only be described as major departure in the so-called ‘war on drugs’, the Obama Administration is issuing a new three page memo this morning [Paul Armentano updates: You can now read the memorandum, signed by Deputy Attorney General David W. Ogden, here. You can also share your thoughts with the White House on the administration’s decision via NORML’s Take Action Center here.] mapping out the federal government’s new guidelines for states that have laws protecting medical cannabis patients.

Marijuana over Cigarettes

California Tax Board Says Regulating Commercial Pot Sales Would Yield $1.4 Billion Annually — Also Predicts Decline in Use of Booze and Tobacco

The BOE’s estimate, released late yesterday, assesses a $50 per ounce tax on the retail sale of cannabis (among other state-imposed costs), as recommended under Assembly Bill 390: The Marijuana Control, Regulation and Education Act.  This act seeks to license and tax the commercial production, packaging, and retail sale of marijuana to those 21 years of age or older.