Medical Marijuana

The head of the Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a hearing on the federal response to medical marijuana in 20 states and legal marijuana in two states. He has asked Attorney General Holder to testify. The hearing will be September 10.

An initiative campaign that aims to make Florida the first Southern medical marijuana state has passed an important early hurdle. It's looking at the November 2014 ballot -- if the legislature hasn't acted by then.

Dispensaries get regulation in Oregon, a dispensary will open in Delaware, and they're already popping up in Arizona. There's more medical marijuana news, too.

Two years after signing a medical marijuana bill into law, Delaware Gov. Jack Markell is finally moving to get a dispensary up and running. He had been scared off by a federal threat letter, but no longer.

Oregon is about to join the ranks of states with licensed, regulated medical marijuana dispensaries.

Under pressure, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) issued a conditional veto of a bill allowing children to use medical marijuana, but said he would approve it if the legislatue made changes. Now the Senate has done so, and the Assembly is expected to act shortly.

Medical marijuana wars continue in California, a Michigan town gets intrusive, Nevada prepares to rake in the dough from dispensaries, and Washington patients organize in the face of legalization.

One Arkansas medical marijuana initiative has been approved for signature-gathering, while a second still must win ballot title approval. But it looks like there will be two initiative campaigns there this year.

Gov. Pat Quinn (D) Thursday signed into law the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Act, making Illinois the 21st medical marijuana state.