State & Local Executive Branches

Dispensaries are on the march in various states, even as in some places, localities fight rear-guard efforts. And there's more medical marijuana news, too.

The head of the Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a hearing on the federal response to medical marijuana in 20 states and legal marijuana in two states. He has asked Attorney General Holder to testify. The hearing will be September 10.

Dispensaries get regulation in Oregon, a dispensary will open in Delaware, and they're already popping up in Arizona. There's more medical marijuana news, too.

Two years after signing a medical marijuana bill into law, Delaware Gov. Jack Markell is finally moving to get a dispensary up and running. He had been scared off by a federal threat letter, but no longer.

New York City's chief fiscal officer is calling for the legalization, regulation, and taxation of marijuana. He wants to use the proceeds to cut tuition at CUNY.

North Carolina's governor has vetoed a welfare drug testing bill passed by his Republican colleagues in the legislature. It's "not a smart way to combat drug abuse," the Republican elected earlier this year said.

Oregon is about to join the ranks of states with licensed, regulated medical marijuana dispensaries.

Under pressure, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) issued a conditional veto of a bill allowing children to use medical marijuana, but said he would approve it if the legislatue made changes. Now the Senate has done so, and the Assembly is expected to act shortly.

The ACLU of Illinois has filed a class-action lawsuit against the Chicago Housing Authority seeking to block mandatory, suspicionless drug testing of mixed-income housing residents.