How can NORML bad-mouth and soft-sell a legalization in Ohio that’s better for marijuana consumers than the no-home-grow and per-se-DUID they eagerly promoted in Washington State? Last night I received some email from colleagues in marijuana law reform who are upset by my last column that called out the big […]

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) had already won the hearts and minds of many cannabis law reform advocates before the first Democratic presidential debate by stating that he would personally vote “YES” on marijuana legalization and called for reforming our failed War on Drugs. Hillary Clinton provided good answers as well, […]

“The third rail of a nation’s politics is a metaphor for any issue so controversial that it is “charged” and “untouchable”; any politician or public official who dares to broach the subject will invariably suffer politically.” Reforming our marijuana laws and the greater Drug War have often been declared a […]

Did you know that in just twenty days, Ohio is going to voting on the legalization of marijuana? Yes, in 2015, fully a year before California’s next attempt, Ohio may join Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and Alaska in creating the nation’s fifth legal marijuana market. Like those four legal states, consumers […]

Millions of Americans tuned into the Democratic presidential debate tonight to hear about the major issues facing our nation. Cannabis law reformers were waiting for the Democrats to discuss marijuana legalization and Anderson Cooper even teased the cannabis question over a commercial break, stating that, “Some of the candidates have tried […]

Cannabis law reform advocates have been spreading the word that Bernie Sanders seems to have the best marijuana and Drug War policy among candidates that have a legitimate shot at winning. Progressive advocates have certainly rallied behind the Vermont Senator while conservative and libertarian counterparts are sticking with Republican candidate […]

With apologies to Harry Nilsson One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever see… If you’ve been reading my work in various outlets and the reporting on my work, then you know I’ve been one of the few semi-prominent marijuana reformers openly, loudly, and proudly calling on Ohioans to vote […]

Huge developments are occurring in the Oregon marijuana industry. While changes will need to be made over time, the future certainly looks bright for the burgeoning industry. There is a lot to digest and consider as industry participants choose whether to stay strictly medical, switch over to the new recreational system, […]

The Silence of the Lambs You wouldn’t know it by reading the news or by viewing the webpages of major marijuana reform and medical marijuana groups, and if you did, some would offer no endorsement. But tomorrow, we are just three weeks away from residents of Ohio voting whether marijuana […]

It was surprising that a Google Consumer Surveys poll conducted for Independent Journal (IJ.com) showing Senator Bernie Sanders leading Hillary Clinton narrowly, 38.4% to 37.6%, a virtual tie, didn’t get more media attention. Granted, the poll seems like an outlier at the moment as other national polls have had the Democratic frontrunner […]

Politicians can make many claims about positions and policies. Some politicians have a long track record of being on the right side of an issue, while others can be politically calculating, depending upon which way the political winds blow. A few politicians have the track record, take the time to […]

Marijuana is safer than alcohol has been a prominent battle cry among many cannabis law reformers for years now. Of course, when you base relative harm upon science and facts, clearly marijuana is safer. When you consider addiction, lethal overdose, severe health consequences and link to violent criminal activity, it […]

The data are in from the first year of drug testing people applying for welfare benefits in Tennessee. Like every other state that pursues this policy, they only ended up wasting money and catching only a tiny fraction of the applicants with a failed drug test. Florida pioneered this cruel idea […]

I had the honor of speaking at ReformCA’s Post-Mortem Seminar: 2014 Legalization Elections where I had the opportunity to share lessons learned from Oregon’s Measure 91 campaign. While I touched upon the text of the measure, based upon lessons learned from previous legalization efforts and polling, as well as some […]

During the Measure 91 campaign, economic firm EcoNorthwest projected that the state would bring in $38.5 million in new revenue the first year while the state of Oregon projected a more modest $9 of net revenue. If the first week of sales are any indication, the higher projection by EcoNorthwest […]