State & Local Legislatures

California Sen. Mark Leno has introduced a bill that would reduce simple drug possession from a felony to a misdemeanor.

The literature of the Mexican drug war and the border continues to expand. Here, we look at four recent titles.

Medical marijuana is making news all around the country, from city halls to federal court houses, not to mention dispensaries and patients' homes.

From Alabama to Washington, medical marijuana continues to be a burning issue.

Even though the governor, the public safety commissioner, and the public all want decriminalization, Vermont's House speaker is blocking it, citing law enforcement concerns.

Medical marijuana patients are taking to the streets Thursday, Feb. 16, to protest the Obama administration's clampdown on medical marijuana across the country. And then, there's the action at the state and local level.

Bills to drug test welfare and other public benefits recipients were blocked in South Dakota and Virginia after state officials warned against such legislation.

With decriminalization bills pending in Rhode Island, a new poll shows strong support for decrim and even majority support for legalization.

The New Mexico legislature has commissioned a study of emerging and evidence-based harm reduction practices, including supervised injection sites. That could lead the way to a pilot program there. There is also agitation for SIJs in San Francisco and New York City.

Bills that would require state legislators to undergo drug tests have been filed in Missouri and Tennessee. They're an unsurprising extension of the drug testing mania that has gripped statehouses, but likely unconstitutional.