Marijuana

Oregon and Alaska voted to legalize recreational marijuana use on Tuesday. In Washington, D.C., residents voted to allow possession of marijuana, but not retail sales of the drug, Reuters reports.

Initiatives on the ballot in Oregon and Alaska on Tuesday, that would legalize recreational marijuana, are too close to call, according to NBC News. If the states approve the measures, they will join Colorado and Washington state, where recreational marijuana is already legal.

Report card grades for members of the U.S. House of Representatives, issued by the pro-marijuana legalization group Drug Policy Alliance, do not fall neatly along party lines. Some conservative members of Congress are among the 49 House members who earned an A+, while some prominent Democrats are among the 141 members who received an F.

Top headlines of the week from Friday, October 24- Thursday, October 30, 2014.

Top headlines of the week from Friday, October 17 to Thursday, October 23.

A new study finds it is unlikely that a person exposed to secondhand marijuana smoke will test positive for marijuana themselves.

Sales of recreational marijuana in Colorado continued to climb this summer, according to data from the state’s Department of Revenue. Sales reached $34.1 million in August, up from $29.3 million in July.

The national trend toward legalizing marijuana is impeding the fight against prescription drug abuse, according to the Acting Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Marijuana retailers in Colorado are responding to reports of tourists who have had bad experiences after consuming large amounts of THC by offering products with lower amounts, the Associated Press reports.

A campaign to warn young people about the dangers of marijuana, which likens those who use the drug to laboratory animals, is getting mixed reviews, according to The Wall Street Journal.

A review of 20 years of marijuana research concludes there are real risks to using the drug, according to U.S. News & World Report. These include increased risk of car crashes, dropping out of high school and cognitive impairment.

Teenagers who experience a traumatic brain injury are at increased risk of using marijuana, drinking alcohol and smoking, a new study finds. They are also at risk of getting poor grades, HealthDay reports.

The Colorado Supreme Court on Tuesday heard arguments in a lawsuit brought by an employee of Dish Network who was dismissed after he tested positive for marijuana. The employee, Brandon Coats, has a state-issued medical marijuana license.

Marijuana entrepreneurs are starting to become involved in politics by donating to candidates who support their cause, according to the Associated Press. Members of Congress who once returned checks from the industry are now keeping them, the AP notes.

Daily marijuana use is at the highest rate among college students since 1981, according to the national Monitoring The Future study. Last year, 5.1 percent of college students used marijuana daily or almost daily (20 or more times in the prior 30 days), up from 3.5 percent in 2007.

A marijuana advocacy group is planning to launch an ad campaign in Colorado to counter the state’s marijuana education effort, ABC News reports.

The rate of drug and alcohol use among American teens continues to decline, a new government study indicates. Teens’ use of tobacco also dropped.

For the first time in more than 10 years, the percentage of positive drug tests among American workers has increased, according to a company that conducts the tests. The increase is fueled by a rise in use of marijuana and amphetamines, Quest Diagnostics found.

Sales of recreational marijuana have surpassed sales of medical marijuana for the first time in Colorado, according to an analysis of state tax revenues. Whether recreational marijuana will become a profit center for the state remains in question, Time reports.

Females may build up a tolerance to marijuana faster than males do, a new study of rodents suggests. People with an increased tolerance to drugs may be more likely to become addicted, The Huffington Post reports.

Teens under age 17 who use marijuana every day are 60 percent less likely to graduate from high school, compared with their peers who have never used the drug, a new study finds.

A new government report finds 9.4 percent of Americans ages 12 and older said they used illicit drugs in 2013. Almost 20 million said they used marijuana, according to HealthDay.

A new study of teens treated at an outpatient substance abuse clinic found many showed symptoms of marijuana withdrawal.

Colleges in states where medical marijuana is legal are telling students the drug is not allowed on campus, even if they have a doctor’s recommendation.

Some banks and credit unions are starting to do business with legal marijuana sellers, The Washington Post reports.