A June Oklahoma medical marijuana initiative is polling well, and so is a November Utah one; Florida's courts must decide whether patients can smoke their medicine, Arizona's high court strikes down a law barring medical marijuana on campus, and more.
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Cocaine traffickers are beginning to move coca production from South America to Central America. (Pixabay)
A bill that would mandate life sentences for selling drugs involved in fatal overdoses is moving in Rhode Island, a California US attorney says he's too busy with the black market to go after legal marijuana, another Utah poll has a medical marijuana initiative winning, Guatemala gets its first coca crop and more.
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Canada's legalization bill heads for a final Senate vote by June 7. (Creative Commons)
California lawmakers forego an opportunity to cut legal pot taxes, Pennsylvania's third largest city decriminalizes marijuana possession, the head of a UN agency calls on Latin America to consider drug legalization, Bangladeshi drug war killings mount, and more.
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Oklahomans appear poised to approve a medical marijuana initiative a month from now. (Creative Commons)
The bloody Filipino drug war model spreads to Bangladesh, Congress continues to undercut District of Columbia marijuana and drug policy, a new poll has the Oklahoma medical marijuana initiative cruising toward victory next month, and more.
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US Surgeon General Jerome Adams talks harm reduction and evidence-based opioid treatment. (Creative Commons)
The US Surgeon General has some surprisingly frank words about harm reduction and evidence-based drug policy, Cory Booker's Marijuana Justice Act picks up another sponsor, Arizona's Supreme Court throws out a state law criminalizing the use and possession of medical marijuana on campus and more.
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Black market fentanyl is not just wreaking havoc on the streets of American cities. (Creative Commons)
A Border Patrol agent goes to prison for helping pot smugglers, an NYPD cop gets nailed for agreeing to transport drugs for cash, a Florida crime scene tech gets busted stealing drugs from dead people, and more.
An amendment protecting medical marijuana in states where it is legal has made it into the House's Justice Department appropriations bill, Illinois legislators approve medical marijuana in schools, the Utah initiative campaign is turning into a pitched battle, and more.
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Colombian coca grower. A new report says more legal markets for the crop could reduce violence. (dea.gov)
A solid majority of New Mexicans support marijuana legalization, the House passes a limited prison -- but not sentencing -- reform bill, an Open Society Foundations report calling for increased opportunities for legal coca sales in Colombia, and more.
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Afghanistan had its largest opium poppy crop ever last year, the UNODC reports. (UNODC)
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio wants to see an end to public pot smoking arrests, Utah medical marijuana supporters are fending off a court challenge, the "Philippine disease" appears to be spreading to Bangladesh, Afganistan sees a bumper poppy crop, and more.
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Price gouging on the opioid overdose reversal drug needs to stop, Democratic House members say. (PA Health Department)
There's too much weed in Oregon, Utah medical marijuana foes try another tack to block the initiative, Africa gets its first medical marijuana dispensary, and more.
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Marijuana is now legal in nine states, but what about those old convictions? (IRIN News)
Michigan legalization initiative foes urge the legislature to legalize it, an Ohio legalization initiative can begin signature gathering, a federal drug treatment bill exclusively targeting opioids advances, and more.
There's good and bad news on hemp today, a new Rhode Island marijuana legalization bill is filed, San Antonio moves toward the first legal needle exchange in Texas, and more.
Marijuana policy continues to roil New York, a US territory is on the verge of legalizing it, marchers protesting the killing of Keeven Robinson by Louisiana narcs demand justice, and more.