The recent spike in heroin deaths—which is real-- is being attributed to heroin mixed with fentanyl. We wring our hands about overdoses, but do little to make effective treatment widely available. Policy changes must be made to end this scandal explains David L. Rosenbloom, PhD, Professor at Boston University School of Public Health.
Democratic governors around the country are reluctant to support the legalization of marijuana, despite enthusiasm for the idea among voters in their party. The New York Times reports the governors are concerned about managing legalization, as well as being perceived as being soft on crime by Republicans.
A new survey finds 75 percent of Americans think it is inevitable that recreational marijuana will become legal across the country, ABC News reports. The survey also found a growing number of Americans support ending mandatory minimum prison sentences for non-violent drug offenders.
A number of state legislatures are considering bills banning synthetic drugs, requiring education for doctors who prescribe opioids, and expanding the use of the drug overdose antidote naloxone this session, explains Sherry Green, CEO of the National Alliance for Model State Drug Laws.
Both supporters and critics of marijuana legalization see 2014 as a key year, which could either slow or hasten their efforts, The New York Times reports.
A survey of high school seniors suggests marijuana legalization will lead to increased use of the drug among teens. The survey found 10 percent of seniors who said they don’t currently use marijuana said they would try it if the drug were legal.
A Florida congressman this week called the Obama Administration’s policy on marijuana “schizophrenic,” according to CBS News.
As the first legal marijuana stores open in Colorado, and Washington state gets ready to issue licenses for producing, processing and selling marijuana, momentum is building in other states to legalize the drug, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The American Medical Association’s House of Delegates voted this week to reaffirm its opposition to marijuana legalization, according to U.S. News & World Report.
A new poll finds 64 percent of Americans say it is unacceptable for a company to fire employees for using marijuana during their free time in states where the drug has been legalized.
Portland, Maine and three Michigan cities have approved measures that legalize the possession of marijuana, the Seattle Post Intelligencer reports.
A Gallup poll has found a majority of Americans say marijuana should be legalized. The poll found 58 percent favor legalization, a 10 percent increase since last year.
The outcome of a marijuana legalization vote in Portland, Maine on November 5 could indicate whether the East Coast is ready to follow the lead of Colorado and Washington state, the Associated Press reports.
Marijuana legalization advocates are seeking signatures of registered voters in California, Arizona, Oregon and Alaska, Bloomberg reports. The advocates are hoping to put legalization measures on the ballot in those states in 2014.
A marijuana legalization advocacy group currently has the highest number of votes in a contest in which the winner will have their ad produced and submitted for broadcast during the Super Bowl.
Legislators in the lower house of Uruguay voted to approve a bill to legalize marijuana, The New York Times reports. The country’s Senate is expected to approve the bill as well. President José Mujica supports the measure.
A video ad promoting the legalization of marijuana was pulled from a screen outside a NASCAR event at the Indiana Motor Speedway Friday, several hours after it began running, USA Today reports.
Medical marijuana trade associations, dispensary owners and advocacy groups are concerned that full legalization of the drug will negatively impact their industry, according to Politico.
A group that advocates for the legalization of marijuana will run a video ad outside a NASCAR race in Indianapolis this weekend, USA Today reports. It will be the first time such an ad will appear so close to the entrance of a major sporting event.
Pope Francis spoke out against legalizing drugs in Latin America, and called drug cartels “merchants of death,” Wednesday during his visit to Brazil.
A new survey finds many parents favor either legalizing marijuana for recreational use, or decriminalizing the drug, while 70 percent support legalizing medical marijuana. Most parents say the legal age for marijuana use should be 21, USA Today reports.
Majorities of voters in both Colorado and Washington State passed ballot initiatives approving marijuana for recreational use this past November, and in each state, lawmakers have struggled to implement a post-legalization regulatory framework that makes sense, and that protects children and teens.
U.S. National Drug Control Policy Director Gil Kerlikowske told an international meeting this week that legalizing drugs will not be a “silver bullet” that will make organized crime disappear.
A report released by the Organization of American States calls for a discussion on legalizing or decriminalizing marijuana, the Associated Press reports.
Legalizing marijuana will not solve the country’s drug problem, the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, Gil Kerlikowske, said Wednesday.
Get Support
