News Brief

Michigan legalizers are fast off the mark in their initiative signature-gathering campaign, the Drug Policy Alliance and 30 groups call for drug decriminalization, Oregon is set to defelonize drug possession, and more.

Massachusetts lawmakers finally figured out their budget, so now maybe they can figure out how to implement the will of the voters of legal marijuana; the Supreme Court lets Wisconsin continue to enforce its "cocaine mom" law as the state appeals a lower court ruling it's unconstitutional; Colombian coca cultivation was way up last year, and more.

There's medical marijuana news from Maryland, drug warriors defend Sessions' harsh sentencing approach, Mexico's prohibition-related violence is ticking upward, and more.

Canada is expanding the use of safe injection sites, the man behind Florida's successful medical marijuana constitutional amendment is suing the state over a smoking ban enacted by lawmakers, Massachusetts lawmakers continue to struggle with how to implement marijuana legalization, and more.

More jail and prison guards gone bad, plus a Border Patrol agent gets nailed in a tricky trafficking scheme.

The past week has been a quiet one on the medical marijuana front, but Montana instituted emergency regs to get its new program up and running, Pennsylvania announced the issuance of dispensary permits, and more.

But there are still plenty of people making a living in the black market, too.

Drug reformers and others are trying to stop a bill that would give Attorney General Sessions new powers to criminalize new drugs and craft new penalties, after a year the DEA still hasn't issued any new marijuana research grow licenses, and more.

Catalonia okays cannabis social clubs, the Greeks give formal final approval to medical marijuana, a Delaware commission will study marijuana legalization and report back in January, and more.

The ACLU sues South Dakota over the forced drug testing of a toddler, Detroit residents again sue the dope squad for killing dogs in pot raids, Pennsylvania's governor signs an asset forfeiture reform bill, and more.