Author Archives: ushempmuseum
SMART Bill Reintroduced in Congress
Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (D-WA-1) Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (D-WA-01) has reintroduced the State Marijuana And Regulatory Tolerance (SMART) Enforcement Act (H.R. 3534). This bill prohibits state-sanctioned marijuana consumers and businesses from being prosecuted by the federal government. By a margin of more than 6 to 1, Americans say that individual states should be able to make … Continue reading
Study: History Of Marijuana Use Associated With Decreased In-Hospital Mortality In Trauma Patients
Trauma patients who test positive for marijuana upon their admission to the intensive care unit are less likely to die during hospitalization than are age-matched controls, according to data published online ahead of print in The Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery. A team of researchers from the University of Arizona analyzed the in-hospital … Continue reading
Bill To Exclude Hemp From The Controlled Substances Act
Congressman James Comer (R-KY-1) and 15 co-sponsors have reintroduced legislation to amend the federal Controlled Substances Act to exclude industrial hemp. Currently, the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 labels hemp as a Schedule I drug. H.R. 3530 excludes low-THC strains of cannabis grown for industrial purposes from the federal definition of marijuana. The majority of … Continue reading
Never Underestimate The Power Of A Single Face To Face Interaction
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is following through on his 2015 pledge to legalize and regulate the adult use of cannabis. Presently, Liberal Party backed legalization legislation is making its way through Parliament, which hopes to implement the new public policy by mid-2018. But, as Toronto Star reporter Susan Delacourt writes, Trudeau was not always … Continue reading
Poll: Americans’ Support For Marijuana Law Reform At All Time High
A record percentage of American voters support reforming the nation’s marijuana laws, according to polling data released by Quinnipiac University. Sixty-one percent of voters believe that “the use of marijuana should be made legal in the United States” — the highest percentage ever reported by the poll. Support for legalization is strongest among those between … Continue reading
NORML Chapters Hope to Bring Marijuana Discussion To Congressional Town Hall Meetings
NORML Chapters around the country are currently organizing efforts to engage their representatives on the issue of marijuana law reform during the upcoming congressional recess where members of the House and Senate will host town hall meetings in their districts. In addition to providing unique opportunities for face-to-face interactions with congressional representatives, town hall meetings … Continue reading
Poll: Nearly Six In Ten Voters Say Legalizing Marijuana “Makes Societies Better”
Nearly six in ten voters ages 18 and older believe that “legalizing marijuana makes societies better,” according to the results of a recently published Harvard-Harris poll. Fifty-seven percent of respondents answered the question affirmatively. Forty-three percent of respondents said that marijuana legalization makes societies “worse.” Only 14 percent of poll respondents believe that cannabis should … Continue reading
Yet Another Study Finds That Cannabis Use Is Not Independently Linked With IQ Decline
Cannabis use by teens is not independently linked with adverse changes in intelligence quotient or executive functioning, according to longitudinal data published online ahead of print in the journal Addiction. A team of investigators from the United States and the United Kingdom evaluated whether marijuana use is directly associated with changes over time in neuropsychological … Continue reading
Commission On Opioid Crisis To Trump: Declare Emergency, Ignore Science
Per The New York Times: WASHINGTON — President Trump’s commission on the opioid crisis asked him Monday to declare a national emergency to deal with the epidemic. The members of the bipartisan panel called the request their “first and most urgent recommendation.” Mr. Trump created the commission in March, appointing Gov. Chris Christie of New … Continue reading
80 Years Ago Today: President Signs First Federal Anti-Marijuana Law
Eighty years ago today, on August 2, 1937, President Franklin Roosevelt signed House Bill 6385: the Marihuana Tax Act into law. The Act for the first time imposed federal criminal penalties on activities specific to the possession, production, and sale of cannabis. Congress’ decision followed the actions of 29 states, beginning with Massachusetts in 1914, … Continue reading
