A Florida deputy goes rogue, an Arkansas volunteer narcotics deputy uses snitches to steal stuff, a Georgia narcotics office manages to destroy the local dope squad, and more.
Chronicle
SPORE is taking its psychedelic activism nationwide through a new nonprofit. (Creative Commons)
A federal appeals court has ordered the DEA to promptly respond to a lawsuit over stalled medical marijuana research applications, a Florida legalization initiative passes an early milepost, a psychedelic activist group goes national, and more.
Chronicle
Federal employees will see prescribing of opioids tightened up in a bid to reduce abuse. (Creative Commons)
Hemp and CBD are now legal in Ohio, a federal agency has proposed letting people with low-level drug convictions work in credit unions, the Trump administration moves to tighen up opioid prescribing for federal employees, and more.
Chronicle
Andrew Cuomo (D) couldn't get legalization through the legislature, but he has now signed a decrim bill. (Creative Commons)
New York's governor signs a bill deepening pot decriminalization, a new congressional bill would let students with marijuana possession convictions get access to federal aid -- if they complete drug treatment -- and more.
Chronicle
Burlington, VT, is the latest jurisdiction to report massive declines in traffic stops after marijuana legalization. (CC)
Traffic stops in Vermont's largest city declined precipitously after marijuana legalization, a broad coalition urges the FDA to limit a ban on felons participating in the hemp industry, Florida's hemp legalization law is making it almost impossible to prosecute pot possession offenses, and more.
Chronicle
Colombian legislators want to block President Duque's plan to dump herbicides on coca fields (and farmers). (DEA)
Arkansas sees yet another marijuana legalization initiative filed, the Florida legalization initiative campaign nears a milepost, Colombian legislators seek to block their rightist president's repressive drug policies, and more.
Chronicle
Despite some setbacks, marijuana reform continues its progress across the US in 2019.
A federal bill to clear the way for more medical marijuana research has been filed, a fight is brewing over Utah's grower licensing decisions, and more.
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Marijuana-Hemp-Plant-Green-Haze-Herb-1545759 CC Max Pixel_18.jpg
A marijuana banking bill gets a Senate committee hearing, a new poll finds pot is popular progressive policy plank, Juneau approves on-site marijuana consumption, and more.
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Joe Biden seeks to make political amends for his past criminal justice history. (Creative Commons)
Democratic presidential contenders stake out marijuana and criminal justice positions, a North Dakota legalization initiative is approved for signature-gathering, Vancouver wants a safe drug supply of illicit opioids, and more.
Chronicle
Drug reform and criminal justice scholar Mark Kleiman has died at age 68. (Creative Commons)
A leading academic voice on drug and criminal justice policy has left us, skyhigh Virginia pot arrests prompt calls for reform, Brazil's rightist government moves to silence critical voices on drug policy, and more.
Chronicle
There's a bit more room in the federal prisons today after 2,200 inmates walked free under the First Step Act. (Supreme Court)
More than 2,000 federal drug prisoners walk free today under First Step Act reforms, the drug czar touts declining drug overdose numbers and blames Obama, Texas prosecutors balk at low-level pot prosecutions now that hemp is legal, and more.
Chronicle
Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman gets life in prison, but somebody has already replaced him. (SEDENA}
The CDC reports that the overdose crisis may have peaked in 2017, El Chapo is sentenced to life in prison for exporting tons of cocaine and other drugs to the US, North Carolina lawmakers want to ban smokable hemp, and more.
Chronicle
The popular Blue Dream strain is available for $2 gram or $45 an ounce in one Oregon shop. That's not unusual (CP/Flickr)
Utah announces a short delay in medical marijuana licenses, Iowa lawmakers reject even exploring medical marijuana expansion, Hawaii's governor vetoes a bill that would have allowed inter-island transport, and more.
Chronicle
Berkeley could soon join neighboring Oakland in decriminalizing natural psychedelics. (Greenoid/Flickr)
In a sign of marijuana's momentum, a Senate committee will take up a pot banking bill next week, Ohio backs away from barring drug felons from food stamp eligibility, the Berkeley city council takes up decriminalizing natural psychedelics, and more.
Chronicle
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena makes up lies to support his plan to execute drug offenders. (Creative Commons)
Columbus, Ohio, is moving to decriminalize up to seven ounces of weed, an expungement bill could clear the records of 235,000 Michigan pot offenders, Sri Lanka's president tells a whopper, and more.
It's an all-marijuana Monday, with New Hampshire's Republican governor signing an expungement bill, North Dakota activists filing a legalization initiative petition, a poll showing near majority support for legalization in the United Kingdom, and more.
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Equipment to test controlled substances for contaminants would be decriminalized under a North Carolina bill. (SSDP)
The UN will probe drug war killings in the Philippines, murders in Mexico hit a monthly high, the North Carolina Opioid Epidemic Response Act is now on the governor's desk, and more.