2014

The momentum for marijuana legalization continues in the US, but Australia's New South Wales rejects medical marijuana even for the terminally ill. There's plenty more news, too.

A Maryland gubernatorial candidate and a Maine legislator both call for marijuana legalization, politicians are in trouble for using drugs (at least one of them a bonafide hypocrite for it), and marijuana law reforms appear to be advancing internationally, except in one Australian state. That's just for starters.

There's a lot going on in the world of drug policy. Here are the stories we noted in our new Chronicle AM daily survey this week.

Remember Bernie Goetz? He made the news again over the weekend, and so did Florida's medical marijuana initiative. There's also drug policy news from around the world.

Marijuana and medical marijuana activism continues, a prescription drug monitoring bill moves in Pennsylvania, a West Virginia official jumps to conclusions on drug testing results, and Israelis are switching from hash to buds.

Budweiser sponsors a medical marijuana campaign event in Arkansas, California localities continue to grapple with regulating the business, and there is action afoot in Utah. And that's not all.

Portland's police chief demonstrates why local initiatives are only a start, a new Urban Institute report has ideas for reducing the federal prison population, the Irish parliament rejects marijuana legalization on its first go round, and more.

Marijuana policy reform questions are on the ballot in Colorado, a trio of Michigan localities, and Portland, Maine, tomorrow.

Portland, Maine, has become the first East Coast city to vote to legalize marijuana possession, and it did so overwhelmingly.

Voters in Colorado and Michigan approve marijuana measures (and so do voters in Portland, Maine--see our news brief), another New Mexico anal drug search victim emerges and the Mexican military moves into Lazaro Cardenas.