Miami Beach's Marijuana Revolution
Sensible Florida earlier this year initiated a petition drive to decriminalize marijuana in Jacksonville that stalled, then they turned their sights on Miami's French Riviera. As of this past September 6, the group collected 2,402 signatures from registered voters in Miami Beach. They need to get another 1,800 John Hancocks in order to hold a special election that would let Miami Beach residents make their city the first in Florida to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana.
In just the last week two new polls have come out showing California's Prop 19 has strengthened its position among that state's voters. In one instance, the highly respected Field Poll showed Prop 19 leading 49 to 42 percent, a marked increase from June when that same poll showed the initiative down 48 to 44 percent. Let's hope these polls hold true come November and California voters decide to make their state the first in the nation to end marijuana prohibition! 
A new study funded by the Cato Institute and conducted by former MPP grant recipient Jeffrey A. Miron shows that between savings and tax revenue the regulation of marijuana could bring $17.4 billion to government coffers annually. Although Miron's report notes that much of the savings would come from reducing the number of people in the criminal justice system it is nonetheless an affirmation of what MPP has been saying for years: ending marijuana prohibition saves lives AND dollars. 
MPP executive director Rob Kampia shares his latest Huffington Post piece on the pivotal role this year's gubernatorial election in Vermont will play in attempts to decriminalize marijuana in that state. Peter Shumlin (D), who pulled ahead in a very close primary race, has been supportive of marijuana policy reform since Rob's first encounter with him eight years ago and may now be the key to making great policy strides in Vermont. 
Steve Fox, MPP's director of government relations and co-author of 'Marijuana is Safer,' recently went on the morning show "Fox and Friends" to debate Bishop Ron Allen, an opponent of California's Prop 19. As always, Steve remained calm, cool, and collected in the face of far-fetched prohibitionist rhetoric while managing to explain why our marijuana laws need to change. 
MPP director of communications Mike Meno posted a great piece on the MPP Blog detailing the movement by states to ban artificial marijuana substitutes such as K2. Currently, 13 states have banned the substance and Michigan is expected to join that list as early as next week. Is this a sensible move to protect public safety, or a futile effort that misses the real issue? 
In January 2003, 19-year-old Webster Alexander of Alabama received a 26-year prison sentence for selling $350 of marijuana within three miles of a school.
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