I’m on my way to the Drug Policy Alliance’s biennial International Reform Conference in Washington DC. I’ll bring you daily diaries here on MarijuanaPolitics.com, social media highlights @RadicalRuss on Twitter, Instagram, Periscope, and Facebook, and live coverage on CannabisRadio.com. The Drug Policy Alliance Conference is notable for its broad scope […]

Alex Rogers, the founder of Marijuana Politics (and my longtime friend), knows first-hand the harmful consequences of cannabis prohibition as he has seen the inside of a prison cell. While he didn’t serve the draconian prison sentence levied against Jeff Mizanskey or others sentenced to life in prison for marijuana, […]

UPDATE: It appears now the 18 Karat Reggae post was false, according to Urban Islandz: “No she (Rihanna) is not going into the marijuana business at least not anytime soon,” sources told us. “As of right now she is fully focused on finishing her album as well as her other […]

The online audience declares Bernie Sanders the debate winner again following the second Democratic primary debate that focused heavily on foreign policy following the recent tragic terrorist attacks in Paris and Beirut. It doesn’t come as a surprise that Bernie Sanders wins online polls as his base of support includes […]

UPDATE: Holly Holm defeated Ronda Rousey to win the UFC bantamweight championship at UFC 193. Ronda Rousey is obviously not afraid of speaking her mind. From her belief that women don’t need others to take care of them to sex, Rousey seems to speak authentically off the cuff. Some love […]

The Marijuana Business Conference and Expo, sponsored by Marijuana Business Daily, is in Las Vegas and the enthusiasm for the burgeoning cannabis industry is certainly palpable. The conference is teeming with people looking to network and learn about marijuana business opportunities in various states as more than 5,000 attendees and […]

In Part 1 – Can Massachusetts Legalizers Learn from Maine?, we began our look at competing marijuana legalization initiatives for the 2016 election. 2010 was the year when medical marijuana shifted away from being primarily about compassion and started focusing on being about money. It was then that Marijuana Policy […]

On a day when Americans across the nation celebrate the work and sacrifices of military service members, dozens of veterans chose to protest for medical marijuana access by dumping prescription pill bottles at the White House. While progress is being made federally for veterans’ access to medical cannabis, advances are […]

There is a fascinating development in the world of marijuana legalization. At first, our struggle was over whether or not marijuana should be legalized. Now it is a question of how it should be legalized or which legalization shall prevail. In four states, that question is boiling down to a […]

For a country that claims to support military veterans, the United States government’s treatment of veterans often leaves much to be desired. The denial of medical cannabis for post-traumatic stress, severe pain, or any other serious medical condition is just one example of how we have collectively failed those that […]

“Ya gotta hand it to ‘em,” Johnny said. “This legalization they cooked up is giving me, like, two thirds of the state!” Johnny is the pseudonym of a prolific eastern Oregon weed dealer, or, as I like to call it, “West Idaho”. I coined the term to describe the pot-hating, […]

A Canadian marijuana legalization poll taken this week by Forum Research found that 59 percent support the new Liberal government’s stance on legalizing, taxing, and regulating cannabis for adult use, closely mirroring a recent Gallup poll showing 58 percent support for legalization in the United States. However, there are some strong differences […]

The Oregon Liquor Control Commission spent 2015 listening to Oregonians across the state; dealing with bills passed by the Oregon Legislature; and convening rules advisory committees to develop the rules and regulations that will govern the Oregon recreational marijuana system for the immediate future. The OLCC will eventually hold more […]

President Obama, while not perfect, has ended up being a relatively decent president on marijuana law and greater Drug War reforms. Allowing states to move forward with both medical and recreational marijuana laws without federal interference has been tremendous for the movement and the president should be commended for the […]

The devastating defeat of Ohio Issue 3 has been interpreted by some observers as a victory against the corporatization of marijuana. Bill Maher opined on his HBO show that marijuana was “The one seed Monsanto hasn’t [messed] with” and “Can’t the hippies control it a while before RJ Reynolds takes over?” […]