State & Local Executive Branches

Washington state's rules for legal marijuana commerce are now set. Look for some 300+ stores to open starting around the middle of next year.

An LA dispensary crackdown gets underway, an Arizona judge throws out a restrictive dispensary ordinance, the Michigan Supreme Court hears a dispensary ban case, and much, much more.

In a move that cuts against more than a decade of sentencing reform efforts in California, Gov. Jerry Brown has vetoed a bill that would allow some people caught with small amounts of drugs to face misdemeanor charges instead of felonies.

A new set of synthetic cannabinoid drugs are emerging, and the knee-jerk prohibitionist reponse -- Ban them! -- is kicking in.

The feds back off in some Southern California asset forfeiture cases, an Iowa newspaper tells local authorities to back off from prosecuting a cancer patient, and several states move forward with implementing their medical marijuana laws.

Jon Alexander went from tweaker to DA in a remote Northern California county, but his misconduct has him on the ropes again.

California localities continue to grapple with medical marijuana issues. Meanwhile, officials in three states are moving forward with implementing medical marijuana laws, and a key Kentucky politician says nice things about it.

Defelonization of drug possession is starting to take hold across the country. California looks set to join the list of states easing up, and Washington state could be next.

Oregon begins moving toward a regulated dispensary system, Massachusetts advances down the dispensary path, New Jersey's governor signs a medical marijuana bill, and much, much more.

A California dispensary regulation bill dies, the dark ages return to San Diego, Massachusetts towns enact moratoria, New Jersey gives a loan to a dispensary, and more.