Marijuana

Washington state’s initiative to legalize marijuana, which will be on the November ballot, could raise up to $1.9 billion in new tax revenue over five years, if the federal government allows it.

The drought that has hit much of the country has also affected Ohio’s marijuana crop, The Plain Dealer reports.

Patients in New Jersey with a doctor’s recommendation to use marijuana to treat certain health problems will be allowed to register for identification cards starting Thursday. The state plans to open its first medical marijuana dispensary in September.

The number of marijuana plants that have been eradicated nationwide has dropped over the past three years, while the amount of bulk processed marijuana seized by authorities has doubled.

Medical marijuana may worsen driving skills, but typical sobriety tests do not detect the impairment, a small study suggests.

After the Los Angeles City Council voted this week to shut down the city’s 762 marijuana dispensaries, medical marijuana advocates said they will work to overturn the ban.

An expert panel warned Tuesday that legalizing marijuana in just one state could drive down prices and encourage more people to use the drug, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Teenagers are more likely to start smoking cigarettes or marijuana in June or July than in any other month, according to a new government study.

Three-quarters of teenage patients in substance abuse treatment programs in Denver, Colorado said they used someone else’s medical marijuana, according to a new study.

Recent findings indicate that students who smoke marijuana during college may be risking longer-term health says Amelia Arria, PhD, scientific director of the Parents Translational Research Center.

Parents are finding it more difficult to have discussions with their children about why they shouldn’t use drugs, as a growing number of states are allowing medical marijuana, or considering legalizing recreational use of the drug, the Associated Press reports.

The Justice Department is using a civil statute, aimed at seizing the assets of drug trafficking organizations, against medical marijuana dispensaries in California, Reuters reports. By using the law, the department is avoiding expensive and potentially embarrassing criminal prosecutions.

A growing number of state legislatures are debating marijuana policy, according to the Associated Press. The discussions are being fueled by an increasingly open-minded public, as well as an enthusiastic base of voters who support legalization.

Arizona, which has one of the country’s strictest rules regarding medical marijuana sales, is beginning the complicated process of regulating medical marijuana dispensaries, according to The New York Times.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is looking to compromise with state senators who oppose his plan to decriminalize open possession of small amounts of marijuana, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Neighborhoods with medical marijuana dispensaries are no more likely than other areas to have crime, according to a new study conducted in Sacramento, California.

A measure on the Colorado ballot in November about marijuana legalization could have an effect on the presidential election, the Associated Press reports.

Penalties for college athletes who test positive for marijuana differ between the Southeastern Conference and the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the Associated Press reports.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo will ask the state legislature on Monday to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana in public view, according to The New York Times.

A new poll finds 46 percent of California voters say they favor legalization of marijuana for general or recreational use by adults. Eighty percent support doctor-recommended use for severe illness, according to the Los Angeles Times.

In Michigan, 44 residents younger than 18 have a medical marijuana card, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Medical marijuana laws are posing a challenge to colleges, NPR reports. Since marijuana is illegal under federal law, colleges that allow students to use medical marijuana on campus are at risk of losing federal funding.

A federal appeals court has ruled that the Americans with Disabilities Act cannot be used to protect medical marijuana dispensaries from being shut down.

Teens and young adults who listen to high-volume digital music with ear buds, or who visit music venues such as clubs or concerts, are at greater risk of substance abuse than their peers who don’t engage in so-called risky music-listening behaviors, according to a new study.

Medical marijuana was a key issue in this week’s Democratic primary race for Oregon Attorney General. A retired state judge who was supported by advocates of the issue defeated a former federal prosecutor who oversaw raids on medical marijuana growers.