Two Oregon congressional democrats, a senator and a representative, show ground-breaking leadership with their “Path to Marijuana Reform.”  Three pieces of excellent legislation showcase the effort by Senator Ron Wyden and Representative Earl Blumenauer. This proposal has excellent cannabis policy goals. It would: Deschedule Marijuana Completely. No Schedule II, maybe […]

Since I have dropped my #BernieOrBust stand to support Hillary Clinton for president, I’ve has to deal with so many people urging me to vote for the Green’s Jill Stein or the Libertarian’s Gary Johnson. I think Dan Savage has the best take on the quadrennial third party distraction, but […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Multiple sources have confirmed to Marijuana Politics that Allen St. Pierre, executive director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), has resigned. Serving as executive director will be Randy Quast, the current treasurer, who was selected unanimously by the board of directors. Quast will […]

I’ve been a huge supporter for Bernie Sanders’ political revolution as his call to end federal cannabis prohibition, reform the Drug War and tackle civil rights abuses have been far and away the best of any mainstream candidate, especially after Republican Rand Paul dropped out of the race. Hillary Clinton, evolving […]

The Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA) has been backed by some political and activist heavyweights and it got announced a big endorsement today from California Congressman Ted Lieu, who represents the 33rd congressional district out of Los Angeles County. Representative Lieu isn’t new to cannabis activism, as he has previously […]

Bernie Sanders’ proposal to deschedule marijuana just got a big endorsement: former Surgeon General Dr. Joycelyn Elders. “I certainly would support” it, Dr. Elders told Marijuana Politics on Saturday. “You know, we don’t have cigarettes [in the Controlled Substances Act]. We don’t have alcohol on it,” she added, “So I […]

Ted Cruz and several other Republican right-wingers have regrettably challenged recent encouraging signs of congressional change in criminal justice, incarceration, and scheduling of cannabis. Incentives have been building in recent years to make changes to America’s bloated criminal justice, drug war, and prison systems. The realities and downsides of now generations […]

Rubio was the real GOP winner while the Democrats prepare for a  slog after a tie After months (years?) of campaigning in one of the more unique political seasons in modern American history, the Iowa caucus results are in. Republican Ted Cruz won a solid electoral victory while Marco Rubio […]

Sadly, exactly zero colleagues have cosponsored Senator Bernie Sanders’ smart proposal to de-schedule marijuana. The Vermont Senator’s bill, S. 2237: Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2015, was introduced in early November. Going beyond the timid rescheduling out of draconian Schedule I, a common sense move somehow refused by President […]

Of all the Republican presidential candidates, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie seems to be the most concerned about drugs and addiction. With drug policy now a focus of national attention, voicing his positions on these issues could be a good way for him to stand out from a crowded field […]

Oregon’s two senators, joined by six democratic colleagues, are demanding anew medical marijuana research answers, solutions,  and actions from obstructive federal agencies. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, led by Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and along with Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.),  Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), and Cory […]

Each and every year, the cannabis community can celebrate success and 2015 was no different. While off-year elections are not going to usher in as many monumental changes as election years, there are still electoral, political and cultural victories to celebrate. Many political victories have been ushered in or aided […]

Treating drug use as a crime clearly hasn’t worked for the United States. Just as alcohol prohibition enriched Al Capone and other gangsters, the Drug War has enriched cartels and other criminal organizations. Prohibitionist policies have increased the potency of drugs and tax-exempt profits of outlaws. Of course, the War […]

Iowa’s GOP senior Senator Chuck Grassley is stifling cannabis reform. His inaction as head of the Senate Judiciary Committee is all that is needed to stop the CARERS Act. The historic, bipartisan Compassionate Access, Research Expansion and Respect States Act is Senate legislation that would reschedule cannabis off its current […]

The classification of marijuana as a Schedule I substance, along with heroin, is a national joke that barely has any public supporters these days. Declaring marijuana a drug with a high rate of abuse with no accepted medical value is laughable considering the medicinal benefits that have been shown, the […]

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 […]

Ohio Governor John Kasich was recently grilled by Stephen Colbert on his hypocrisy regarding marijuana as Kashich joined both prohibitionists and many cannabis law reformers in opposing the controversial Issue 3 legalization measure. While Kasich remains a longshot to win the Republican nomination, he will very likely be on the […]

Candidates vying for the presidency diverged this week quite a bit, with Bernie Sanders on one end, supporting the descheduling of marijuana as a controlled substance, effectively ending federal cannabis prohibition and Republicans Chris Christie, Marco Rubio, Carly Fiorina, John Kasich and Ben Carson seemingly on the other end, wanting to […]

As anyone can see, the cannabis industry has made great strides in recent years, politically, culturally and economically. Creatively and effectively utilizing technology and media have been a part of the foundation for that success. Anyone familiar with the cannabis community, particularly those with an entrepreneurial spirit, knows that the community […]

One of the biggest problems affecting marijuana legalization now that four states have succeeded in ending marijuana prohibition is that everybody wants to get in on the game. But now it appears, at least in one state, legalizers have figured out it isn’t wise to split the funding, volunteers, and […]

While cannabis law reform advocates and Drug War reformers on the progressive side of the political spectrum have largely flocked to support Bernie Sanders, many conservatives and libertarians have stood by the candidacy of Rand Paul. Senator Paul started off the race for the Republican nomination as one of the […]

Americans now favor marijuana legalization by a healthy margin, as proven in a new Gallup Poll. This realization is now influencing the 2016 Presidential election. Candidates supporting continued criminal prohibition of cannabis now face strong headwind of American public opinion. The Gallup pollsters concluded: Americans’ support for legalizing marijuana is […]

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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 […]

Carly Fiorina made waves at the last Republican presidential debate when she delved into the marijuana policy debate by bringing up the relative danger between cannabis and beer as well as the tragic death of her step-daughter due to drug abuse. Fiorina, who many pundits feel won the 2nd GOP […]

Utah would seem to be fertile ground for GOP-outsider Ben Carson, a religious, soft-spoken neurosurgeon, but not democratic socialist Bernie Sanders, but both have surged ahead in the latest poll sanctioned by UtahPolicy.com. The poll, conducted by Dan Jones & Associates, found Carson leading national frontrunner Donald Trump 18% to […]

Former Hewlett-Packard CEO and failed California Senate candidate Carly Fiorina has won two debates thus far according to political conventional wisdom, the first FOX News second-tier debate and then the latest top-tier debate on CNN. While Fiorina’s tenure at HP was very controversial, including sales to Iran despite U.S. sanctions, […]

I thoroughly enjoyed last night’s Republican Presidential Debate. There was an obese governor from Arkansas calling for a cure for heart disease that isn’t cutting down on the Chick-fil-A. There was governor after governor telling 54% of last election’s voters how proud they are of de-funding the Planned Parenthood clinics […]

Federal cannabis policy is a major issue that impacts lives, jobs and budgets across the nation and actually impacts the global Drug War as well. It would only make sense for 2016 presidential candidates to address the fact that four states and our nation’s capital has legalized marijuana, with a host […]

Breaking on Marijuana Politics: Democratic presidential candidate Martin O’Malley touts his progressive cannabis law reform history in a press release announcing a marijuana legalization listening session in Denver, Colorado, this Thursday. The event will be held at the office of Vicente Sederberg, a law firm that has been instrumental in […]

Last month Ohio Governor John Kasich debated his way into the mainstream spotlight at the first official Republican presidential showdown. In a sea of prototypical GOP voices attempting to out-Trump The Donald, his reasonable and measured demeanor stuck out like a pair of cuffed skinny jeans paired with a man-purse […]

Monmouth University released its first Republican poll following the first presidential candidate debates and the new GOP poll is good news for Donald Trump and other outsiders, bad for news for the establishment candidates. The conventional wisdom immediately following the first Republican debates seemed to be that Donald Trump would […]

Marijuana Majority recently released the group’s first poll, conducted by Public Policy Polling, to question registered voters in Iowa and New Hampshire on whether the federal government should respect state marijuana laws. The poll found that strong majorities of Democrats, Republican and independents want Uncle Sam to stay out of states’ cannabis […]

As it has been written many times now, Bernie Sanders has become the mainstream candidate of many cannabis law reform advocates, especially following his comments about the Drug War ruining lives and the failure of the War on Drugs; his announcing a bill to abolish private prisons; and his openness […]

What do President Barack Obama, right-wing talk king Rush Limbaugh, pop star Miley Cyrus, and most of the 2016 presidential candidates all have in common? You know, beyond the fact that they travel with security and are rich beyond our wildest dreams? They all smoke or have smoked marijuana and […]

While South Africa’s parliament continues to struggle with whether to legalize dagga (marijuana) or just allow medical marijuana use, the rest of the African continent continues to produce and use cannabis at rates that rival North America. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs & Crime (UNODC) in its […]

Ted Cruz has proven to be a formidable challenger in the GOP primary, with the latest national polls putting him in the top tier of candidates. With the presidency in mind, Texas Senator Ted Cruz has “evolved” on cannabis and flipped his position on marijuana legalization, now supporting the right of […]

By all accounts, Carly Fiorina impressed many voters and pundits in the first (undercard) debate and has increased her standing among her primary competitors. Since she has moved up in the polls, the cannabis community needs to examine her record on marijuana policy. While she certainly remains a longshot for […]

Bernie Sanders has certainly captured the hearts of progressives in the Democratic Party and many of those that have been fed up with politics as usual. Many in the cannabis law reform community have rallied around the Vermont Senator, prompting the establishment of the Facebook group Cannabis Advocates for Bernie since […]

Don’t let his dry mouth fool you: Marco Rubio is no friend of marijuana legalization or even states’ ability to end cannabis prohibition within their own borders as he has joined Chris Christie in the Reefer Madness camp of using armed federal agents to override the will of the voters. […]

The Oregon Medical Marijuana Business Conference (OMMBC) is just over a month away. Attendees will get the latest info on both medical marijuana regulations and upcoming recreational regulations as the conference bridges the gap between the two Oregon systems. This is the fourth OMMBC, tickets are still available, but you […]

The New York Times call to repeal federal marijuana prohibition was a monumental event for advocates and the mainstream media’s coverage of of all things cannabis. Once derided in the media, the support of the Gray Lady. While more and more people move away from traditional media, like print newspapers, the […]

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders had an eventful little Saturday in Seattle to say the least. In a much-publicized encounter a couple of apparent Black Lives Matter protestors took over the stage at an afternoon anniversary celebration of Medicare and Social Security, decrying Seattle as a racist city and demanding a […]

Update: Bernie Sanders in Seattle: “Too Many Lives Have Been Destroyed by the War on Drugs.” Update 2.0: Commits to Criminal Justice Reform Before His Largest Crowd Ever; 28,000  Supporters in Portland, Oregon Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is taking his presidential bid to the West Coast, with a rally tonight in Seattle, tomorrow […]

Last night was the first of the Republican Presidential candidates’ debates, presented by FOX News and Facebook, and in four hours there was not one mention of the War on Drugs. As fellow Marijuana Politics blogger Romain Bonilla noted, the debate would have been a great opportunity to discuss marijuana policy, […]

Later today, Republican presidential candidates will participate in a two-hour debate on live television, where there’s a good chance they will be asked to address issues of marijuana policy. The primetime debate, organized by Fox News in Ohio, will begin at 8:50 pm Eastern time and will feature the top […]

Members of the media weren’t allowed into the $2,700 a head Hillary Clinton fundraiser in one of the most posh neighborhoods in pot-friendly Portland, Oregon, but that didn’t prevent some details of her talk from being reported upon as some attendees dished some details. Of course, most interesting to us here […]

As marijuana policy becomes a major issue in the 2016 presidential race, Rand Paul has made a name for himself as a champion of reform within the Republican party — but while he reaps the political benefits of appearing sensible on marijuana laws, it’s still unclear where the Senator stands on […]

While never making marijuana policy a major part of his policy platform in the past, it seemed likely that the progressive Sanders would be a supporter of sensible marijuana laws. Researching his stances, as much as forty years ago, and the fact that his home state of Vermont has been […]

The news media will certainly focus a lot on marijuana in the 2016 election. Unless you have been living under a rock, you know that marijuana is covered a lot in the media these days. Many mainstream media outlets, once strong opponents of legalization, have now embraced marijuana with spin-off publications […]