Drug War Issues
Politics & Advocacy
A new New York poll has support for marijuana legalization at 62%, Michigan Libertarians protest a roadside drug testing program, Alberta will let hotels allow pot smoking in guest rooms, and more.
First Connecticut Gubernatorial Debate Tuesday Night Will Focus on Marijuana. The state's first debate of the 2018 gubernatorial campaign will focus on marijuana. The debate is being hosted by Connecticut NORML and the Yale Students for Sensible Drug Policy chapter. Democratic candidates Dan Drew and Jonathan Harris, Republican candidate Prasad Srinivasa, and independent candidate Micah Welintukonis will all be there.
Nevada Gaming Policy Committee to Review Pot in Casinos. Beginning on Wednesday, the committee will begin reviewing whether there is some way the casino industry can find a way to coexist with legal marijuana businesses. The committee is not pondering whether to allow pot smoking among the slot machines, but whether casino properties could be used for marijuana-related business events.
New Hampshire Marijuana Legalization Committee Meets for Third Time. A legislative committee studying the legalization, regulation, and taxation of marijuana met for the third time Monday. It heard from representatives of the state banking and agriculture departments, as well as from the Marijuana Policy Project.
New York Poll Has Healthy Majority for Legalization. A poll commissioned by the Drug Policy Alliance and the Marijuana Policy Project has support for marijuana legalization at 62%, with only 28% opposed. Poll respondents also named legalizing marijuana as the most popular way of addressing the state's budget deficit, with 60% supporting that.
Drug Testing
Michigan Libertarians Protest Highway Drug Testing Program. A small group of Libertarians, including state US Senate candidate Brian Ellison, held up signs outside Michigan Stadium on Saturday morning protesting the newly inaugurated Preliminary Oral Fluid Analysis drug testing pilot program launched by the State Police. Under the program, officers can use a roadside mouth swab to test for the presence of controlled substances. "We just wanted to raise awareness," Ellison told the Michigan Daily. "It's unconstitutional, it's really a terrible program. You're forced to put something in your mouth on the side of the road. You don't have a choice. It's forced on you." Under the law, refusing to submit to the test is a civil infraction.
International
Alberta Will Allow Hotel Owners to Okay Marijuana Use in Rooms. The province is set to become the first in Canada to allow consumption of marijuana outside the confines of a private residence, and the move could lead to a boom in pot tourism. "We recognize that not all Albertans would necessarily have a place to legally consume cannabis if we limited consumption to private residences, and we aren't yet in a position to license cannabis cafes or lounges as we need direction on edibles from our federal partners," Alberta Justice Minister Kathleen Ganley told the Marijuana Business Daily.
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