Marijuana

Opponents of the Massachusetts medical marijuana law passed Tuesday say they are concerned about how the drug’s distribution will be regulated, and whether the state can prevent abuses.

Voters in Colorado and Washington approved measures to legalize the possession and sale of marijuana for recreational use, becoming the first U.S. states to do so. A similar measure in Oregon was defeated, Reuters reports.

A study released by a Mexican think tank concludes if three U.S. state initiatives to legalize recreational marijuana are approved by voters in today’s election, proceeds for Mexican drug trafficking syndicates could be reduced by up to 30 percent.

Voters in six states will consider measures that deal with the recreational or medical use of marijuana on Tuesday. In Colorado, Oregon and Washington state, voters will decide whether their states will become the first to allow recreational use of the drug.

A new report concludes more than 10,000 people are arrested each year in Colorado for possession of marijuana.

A new poll finds 54 percent of voters in Washington state say they are in favor of a measure that would legalize small amounts of marijuana for recreational use among adults 21 and older.

Regular use of natural or synthetic marijuana has been linked with cases of cyclic nausea and vomiting, according to research presented at the American College of Gastroenterology meeting this week.

A Justice Department official says the federal government will not change its position on the legalization of marijuana, even if voters in Colorado, Washington state or Oregon approve measures to legalize recreational use of the drug.

Both critics and supporters of a measure on the November ballot that would legalize small amounts of marijuana possession for those over age 21 in Colorado say the state could see an influx of “marijuana tourists” if the initiative passes.

The marijuana advocacy group Americans for Safe Access asked a federal appeals court this week to force the Drug Enforcement Administration to hold a hearing to consider research on the drug’s benefits. The group wants marijuana reclassified so it is no longer considered a dangerous drug with no medical value.

Proponents of marijuana legalization measures in Oregon, Washington and Colorado have attracted some conservative backers with arguments about states’ rights and a mistrust of federal government, the Associated Press reports.

Disagreements have arisen on both sides of the debate about a measure that would legalize recreational use of marijuana in Washington state, The New York Times reports. The divisions are making it difficult to predict the outcome.

Over the past 25 years, an estimated 240,000 people in Washington state have been arrested for marijuana possession, according to a study by an advocacy group. The study was released as Washington voters are considering a measure on the November ballot to legalize and tax marijuana sales at state-sanctioned stores.

The presence of medical marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles, estimated to number between 500 and 1,000, makes it simple to obtain the drug for recreational use, according to critics of the storefronts. The City Council last week repealed a ban on the dispensaries that it had recently passed.

One of the biggest points of contention about marijuana is whether or not it can be considered medicine, according to Kevin Sabet, PhD, Policy Consultant and Assistant Professor, University of Florida. He says that while smoked crude marijuana is not medicine, marijuana does have medicinal properties – found in its individual components.

The Los Angeles City Council has voted to repeal a new ban on medical marijuana shops. The vote leaves the city without any regulation of its estimated 1,000 medical marijuana dispensaries, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Marijuana is one of the most hotly debated drugs of our time, according to Kevin Sabet, PhD, Policy Consultant and Assistant Professor, University of Florida. He says that while sifting through the rhetoric about the drug can be difficult, it is important to know what the research has established. There is now a plethora of scientific studies about the use of the drug and its public health implications.

Critics of ballot initiatives to legalize recreational marijuana in Oregon, California and Colorado are focusing on mothers, according to Reuters.

Polls suggest there is substantial voter support for initiatives in Colorado and Washington that would allow recreational use of marijuana, according to The Wall Street Journal. Voters in Oregon, where a similar measure will appear on the ballot in November, are split.

Estimates vary widely about how much tax might be collected from marijuana sales if recreational use of the drug is approved by voters in Colorado, Oregon and Washington this November, the Associated Press reports.

Supporters of a measure that would repeal a new Los Angeles City Council ban on medical marijuana dispensaries have gained enough signatures to put the initiative on the upcoming March ballot.

A new study finds that young men who use marijuana have an increased risk of testicular cancer, according to ABC News.

As the evidence mounts of the negative effects of medical marijuana laws in various states, it’s even more important for parents to recognize that marijuana needs to be on their parenting radar screen, say researchers from the Treatment Research Institute.

Nine former administrators of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration have written a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, urging him to oppose three state measures on the ballot this November that would legalize recreational marijuana.

High-potency marijuana, and the synthetic form of the drug, known as “K2” or “Spice,” can harm a developing embryo’s brain, a new study concludes.