Author Archives: ushempmuseum
Philadelphia: District Attorney To Cease Prosecuting Marijuana Possession Offenders
Philadelphia officials announced today that they will no longer prosecute marijuana possession offenses. In October 2014, Philadelphia enacted a municipal ordinance reclassifying cases involving the possession of up to 30 grams of cannabis to a non-summary civil offense, punishable by a $ 25 fine – no arrest and no criminal record. Since that time, annual … Continue reading
Travel Writer and Television Host Rick Steves Briefed Congress On Marijuana Policy
Steves House Briefing Yesterday on Capitol Hill, bestselling guidebook author and travel host Rick Steves held two briefings to address marijuana prohibition to a gathering of members of Congress and their staff. Inspired by Europe’s pragmatic approach to drug policy, with success measured by harm reduction rather than incarceration, Steves said that he is motivated to … Continue reading
New Federal Legislation To Protect Legal Marijuana States And Businesses
Representative Lou Correa (D-CA) has introduced the Sensible Enforcement Of Cannabis Act which would essentially codify the protections that were outlined in the now-rescinded Cole Memo. Upon the introduction, Rep. Correa said, “To date, eight states have legalized recreational cannabis, and twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia, representing more than half of the American population, … Continue reading
Update: Federal Judge Reserves Decision After Hearing Arguments In Washington, et.al v. Sessions
Today, Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York heard oral arguments on the motion to dismiss Washington, et.al v. Sessions, et.al, a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Schedule I classification of cannabis under the Controlled Substances Act. The federal government argued to have the case … Continue reading
Federal Judge To Hear Arguments Wednesday In Legal Fight Challenging The Constitutionality Of Marijuana’s Illicit Status
A judge for the Federal District Court in Manhattan will hear arguments Wednesday in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of federal cannabis prohibition. Lawyers for the plaintiffs in the case include NORML Legal Committee member Joseph Bondy and Empire State NORML Director David Holland. The 98-page complaint contends that the federal government “does not believe, … Continue reading
Study: Cannabis Is Safe And Effective For Elderly Patients
Cannabis therapy is safe and effective among elderly patients diagnosed with chronic pain, according to clinical data published online ahead of print in the European Journal of Internal Medicine. Researchers from Hebrew University and the Ben Gurion University of Negrev in Israel assessed the use of therapeutic cannabis over a period of six months in … Continue reading
Virginia NORML Considered Instrumental in Passage of Medical Marijuana Expansion Legislation
Virginia NORML has been focused on securing access and protection from prosecution for all patients since 2016. This session, our efforts paid off with unanimous passage of our Let Doctors Decide legislation, supported by the Joint Commission on Healthcare, in both the House and Senate. Patients like Nikki Narduzzi, who is now our coalition director … Continue reading
Federal Medical Marijuana Protections Temporarily Extended, Again
After a brief government shutdown, congressional leadership voted to enact a six-week continuing resolution that maintains present federal spending levels and priorities through March 23, 2018. The resolution extends medical cannabis patient protections imposed by the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer amendment until that date. The amendment, which has been in place since 2014, maintains that federal funds cannot be used to prevent … Continue reading
Weekly Legislative Roundup 2/9/18
Welcome to this week’s edition of NORML’s Weekly Legislative Roundup! First, I’d like to highlight a key development at the federal level pertaining to established medical marijuana businesses and consumers. The protections for lawful medical marijuana patients and businesses from the Department of Justice provided by the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer budget amendment was temporarily extended through March … Continue reading
Seattle To Vacate Criminal Convictions For Former Marijuana Offenders
Following in the footsteps of San Francisco, Seattle city officials announced today that they will be vacating the criminal convictions of former marijuana offenders. Seattle’s mayor and city attorney plan to ask the courts to vacate all misdemeanor marijuana possession convictions that were prosecuted before the plant was legalized in Washington state in 2012. Between … Continue reading
