Medical Marijuana

Maryland Senator David Brinkley said that if re-elected, he plans to introduce a bill that would legalize the use of marijuana for medical purposes. A similar bill passed the Senate during the last session, but the House version failed.

Sen. Nick Scutari said the Health Department's draft regulations for growing, distributing and buying medical marijuana set up too many roadblocks for people the law was designed to help. He wants to force the state to rewrite what he says are overly restrictive rules that make the program unworkable. Scutari said he'll introduce a resolution Monday challenging the proposed regulations.

Arizonans appear to be ready to approve medical marijuana for the third time. A new statewide poll shows 52 percent of likely voters in support of Proposition 203. Only 33 percent are opposed, with the balance undecided.

A survey shows that some 80 percent of Pennsylvanians are in favor of making marijuana legal for medical purposes. The survey, by two Franklin & Marshall College staff members, also showed that 33 percent of the state’s voters favor the outright legalization of marijuana.

New Jersey officials setting up the state's new medical marijuana program got a pipeful from people hoping to get one of the six Alternative Treatment Center Licenses that the new law calls for initially. It was a raucous assault on the recently revealed regulations crafted by Dr. Susan Walsh and her staff at the Department of Health and Senior Services.

Marijuana in Montana isn't just for legal medicinal or unlawful recreational purposes - it's also a booming business. That message was loud and clear among caregivers and others who attended the Medical Marijuana Growers Association gathering in Helena this week.

The question whether Bay State residents be allowed to use, grow and buy marijuana for medical use will be on the ballot next month. The Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition is behind the public policy question.

Using events in Colorado as a backdrop, Robert J. Corry, Jr., a criminal defense attorney, opines on President Obama's actions regarding medical marijuana policy. He says, in part, that "Obama has done the opposite of what we thought, and what he promised. Instead of caging that tiger, he has unleashed it."