It's one of those all-weed news days, with Republicans reaching the tipping point on marijuana legalization, Canadian provincial leaders demanding quick action on legalization, and more.
Poll Finds For First Time More Republicans Support Marijuana Legalization Than Oppose It [17]. A new YouGov.com survey has support for legalization nationwide at 55%, in line with other recent polls, but also finds that for the first time, more Republicans support ending pot prohibition than continuing it. Among GOP voters, 45% favored legalization and 42% were opposed. As recently as January 2014, 60% of Republicans opposed legalization. The shift comes not because Republicans are warming to marijuana, but because they trying to suppress it is a waste of money, YouGov pollster Peter Moore said. "The most interesting thing about this is, literally, that the Republican attitude towards marijuana itself hasn't changed that much. The only thing that's changed is the attitude toward prohibition."
Medical Marijuana
Guam Lawmakers Reject Proposed Medical Marijuana Rules [18]. Lawmakers Wednesday unanimously passed a measure to reject the health department's latest draft of proposed rules and regulations as too strict. The move came after stakeholders and the public raised concerns about the latest draft. "They have stated that this set of rules and regulations will not be beneficial to patients for a number of reasons, including the high fees and strict layers of regulations," Sen. Tina Muna Barnes told her fellow lawmakers during the session.
Illinois Judge Orders State to Reconsider Rejecting Medical Marijuana for Migraines [19]. Cook County Circuit Court Associate Judge Rita Novak has overturned the Department of Public Health's denial of a petition to add migraines to the list of conditions for which medical marijuana can be recommended. That doesn't mean that migraines will necessarily be added to the list, but the department must now reconsider its decision.
International
Canadian Provincial Premiers Call for Quick Action on Marijuana Legalization [20]. Meeting in Whitehorse, Yukon, provincial heads of government called on the federal government to move quickly on legalizing marijuana. The premiers said they wanted to avoid a situation of patchwork enforcement and distribution across the country. The Liberal federal government has said it will legalize marijuana and has recently created a task force to do so.