State & Local Legislatures

The organized opposition in Alaska gets a donation, medical marijuana is finally moving in the New York Senate, the Fair Sentencing Act picks up another sponsor, there's more violence in Mexico, and more meth in Asia, and more.

The feds will still arrest you for pot possession on their property in DC even though the city has decriminalized, Chicago cops will still arrest you for pot possession even though they could just give you a ticket, decrim initiatives are coming to Kansas cities, Minnesota becomes the 22nd medical marijuana state, Mexico doesn't want to legalize it, and more.

The DEA is in the hot seat, it looks like Minnesota will be the next medical marijuana state (but they won't be able to smoke it), California could actually get around to regulating its dispensary system, California voters will vote on whether to drug test doctors (!), the Russians are snarking about Afghanistan, and more.

A new designed law proponents say is designed to help babies will actually hurt drug-using pregnant women, advocates say. It's bad science and bad policy, they say, and they will keep fighting it.

Elderly senators grumble about new-fangled rules allowing legal marijuana businesses to use the financial system, there are more legalization polls, an Oklahoma US Senate candidate is talking marijuana reform, there is medical marijuana initiative news, Minnesota passes asset forfeiture reform and the governor signs it, and more.

Initiative signature-gathering campaigns are underway in Arkansas and Ohio and about to get underway in Oklahoma, the future of San Jose dispensaries remains unsettled, Minnesota lawmakers meet to search for a conference committee compromise, and more.

The NFL is about to adopt a more sensible marijuana policy, the DEA will unblock imported hemp seeds so Kentucky can do some research, Minnesota legislators try to reach a compromise on medical marijuana, the rate of prescription overdose deaths is up, and more.

A Louisiana congressman is threatening to try to undo DC decriminalization law after a House hearing today.

House Republicans were "concerned" about DC's decrim at a hearing this morning, an Oregon poll shows a majority for legalization, harm reduction measures move in three states, an Oklahoma medical marijuana initiative is about to start signature-gathering, and more.

Another poll has marijuana legalization at the tipping point, a Colorado bill to form credit co-ops for pot businesses passes, an Illinois bill to let kids with epilepsy use medical marijuana is moving, a New York naloxone bill passes, Pittsburgh needle exchanges get some breathing room, and more.