Tag Archives: marijuana

The Burlington Free Press reports: As of today, recreational use of marijuana is legal in Vermont — within boundaries of some clear and not-so-clear rules. Vermont becomes the ninth state to legalize marijuana and the first state to do so through its state legislature. Gov. Phil Scott signed the law in January with “mixed emotions.” But authorities can’t answer some …

The BBC reports: Canada’s parliament has passed a law legalising the recreational use of marijuana nationwide. The Cannabis Act passed its final hurdle on Tuesday in a 52-29 vote in the Senate. The bill controls and regulates how the drug can be grown, distributed, and sold. Canadians will be able to buy and consume cannabis legally as early as this …

CBC News reports: The Liberal government’s bill to legalize recreational marijuana has cleared another vote in the House of Commons — but it still has to get a final stamp of approval from an unpredictable Senate before it can become law. The Senate had proposed 46 amendments to The Cannabis Act but the Liberal government rejected several major ones last …

USA Today reports: President Donald Trump said Friday he’d likely support a bipartisan bill that would end the federal ban on pot and defer to states’ laws on marijuana legalization — a break from Attorney General Jeff Sessions stance on cannabis enforcement. Trump told reporters he “probably will end up supporting” the bill, which Sens. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., and Elizabeth …

The New York Daily News reports: Mayor de Blasio will tell the NYPD to stop arresting people for public pot smoking — and launch a new group to officially prepare the city for the outright legalization of marijuana in New York. De Blasio, who has long opposed making recreational pot legal, now says he thinks legalization is inevitable and is …

Bloomberg reports: The U.S. marijuana industry has a new spokesman: John Boehner. The Republican former Speaker of the House has joined the advisory board of Acreage Holdings, a company that cultivates, processes and dispenses cannabis in 11 U.S. states. Boehner’s endorsement, after saying nine years ago he was “unalterably opposed” to legalization, could be considered a watershed event: Marijuana has …

Bloomberg reports: When the U.S. Justice Department said last week it was reversing policy on the $7 billion marijuana business, it failed to first notify federal officials who advise banks in states where the drug is legal, sources in Congress said. The announcement by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a longtime critic of legalizing marijuana, caused confusion among banks about …

The Associated Press reports: Attorney General Jeff Sessions is going after legalized marijuana. Sessions is rescinding a policy that had let legalized marijuana flourish without federal intervention across the country. That’s according to two people with direct knowledge of the decision. They were not allowed to publicly discuss it before an announcement expected Thursday and spoke on condition of anonymity. …

The Associated Press reports: Californians may awake on New Year’s Day to a stronger-than-normal whiff of marijuana as America’s cannabis king lights up to celebrate the state’s first legal retail pot sales. The historic day comes more than two decades after California paved the way for legal weed by passing the nation’s first medical marijuana law, though other states were …

Bloomberg reports: For Jack in the Box Inc., the warm smell of marijuana is rising in the air. As California prepares for legal recreational pot on Jan. 1, the fast-food chain is partnering with a digital media company backed by rapper Snoop Dogg on a new “munchie” meal aimed at cannabis enthusiasts. While marijuana’s connection to fast food is well-established, …

The Las Vegas Sun reports: American shoppers will take to malls, warehouses and brick-and-mortar outlets today for what has long been one of the most lucrative days for retail companies across the country. In Nevada, for the first time, Black Friday will include legal recreational marijuana. And just like big-box retailers, pot stores are rolling out the deals in hopes …

Gallup reports: Americans continue to warm to legalizing marijuana, with 64% now saying its use should be made legal. This is the highest level of public support Gallup has found for the proposal in nearly a half-century of measurement. The trajectory of Americans’ views on marijuana is similar to that of their views on same-sex marriage over the past couple …

The Hill reports: Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) is introducing legislation to end the federal prohibition on marijuana and encourage states to legalize pot. The legislation, which Booker will formally roll out later Tuesday during a Facebook event, would amend the Controlled Substance Act to eliminate marijuana’s status as a Schedule 1 drug—a move that would decriminalize marijuana at the federal …

The Boston Herald reports: Gov. Charlie Baker today signed a bill that reshapes the state’s marijuana legalization law, kick-starting an 11-month sprint until pot shops can legally open statewide — during which officials will have to build an entire bureaucracy from the ground up. Flanked by lawmakers key to crafting the legislation, Baker signed into law several changes to the …

The New York Times reports: Fulfilling a campaign pledge, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau introduced legislation on Thursday to legalize the recreational use of marijuana in Canada. Many nations have either decriminalized marijuana, allowed it to be prescribed medically or effectively stopped enforcing laws against it. But when Mr. Trudeau’s bill passes as expected, Canada will become only the second nation, …

The Huffington Post reports: Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Monday restated his opposition to marijuana use and offered an ominous warning about state-level marijuana legalization efforts, suggesting that such policies would open states to “violence,” as well as potential repercussions from the federal government. “I don’t think America is going to be a better place when people of all ages, …

From the Hollywood Reporter: The Hollywood sign was vandalized to read “Hollyweed” early Sunday morning. A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department said in an apparent New Year’s prank, someone was able to climb onto the mountaintop and place tarps over the sign for it to read “Hollyweed.” The incident was caught on surveillance cameras and LAPD is investigatgating …

The Associated Press reports: Having spent nearly three decades crusading for relaxed marijuana laws in Massachusetts, Bill Downing is greeting the state’s new recreational marijuana law with a mix of satisfaction and trepidation. The voter-approved measure took effect on Thursday, making it legal for adults to possess, grow and use limited amounts of pot. “I am both celebrating and worrying …

ABC News recaps: Bill Maher’s months-long on-air campaign to persuade President Barack Obama to appear on his HBO show “Real Time” culminated Friday evening with the airing of the president’s sit-down interview with the left-leaning host. The 40-minute interview was taped Tuesday at the White House in the Roosevelt Room. The interview was wide-ranging, with the pair discussing the election, …

From the Los Angeles Times: An initiative that would legalize the recreational use of marijuana in California officially took its place on the Nov. 8 ballot on Tuesday as its campaign took a commanding lead in fundraising to battle the measure’s opponents. The Secretary of State’s Office certified that a random sample showed sufficient signatures among the 600,000 turned in …