After Coloradans decreed in 2000 that the cannabis plant had medical value, scientific evidence has had to play catch-up with the anecdotal cases. The list of claims of healing powers of marijuana is long, while the list of full-scale U.S. studies on medicinal benefits is short, largely because pot use is still against federal law and doesn't get many federal research dollars. Colorado voters approved the medical use of pot in 2000 and recreational use in 2012. [continues 801 words]
There's no way to put a positive spin on the latest news on marijuana use in Colorado since the passage of Amendment 64. Usage has gone up, and what had been mostly anecdotal evidence just got a serious confirming boost from the federal government's National Survey on Drug Use and Health. In fact, the percentage of Coloradans over 12 who reported using marijuana in the previous month for the years 2012-13 rose to the second highest in the country- 12.7 percent- after Rhode Island. [continues 284 words]
No State Stats on Impact From Year of Legalized Marijuana Sales DENVER (AP) - A year after marijuana sales became legal in Colorado, the impact on tourism is difficult to assess. At least 18 companies offer bus tours of marijuana facilities, and a Denver bed and breakfast markets itself as a "bud and breakfast," the Denver Post reported. But state-funded agencies aren't promoting marijuana tourism, and no statistics are available on its impact. Colorado Tourism Office Director Al White said promoting pot-oriented travel could put the state in danger of violating laws. Marijuana is still illegal under federal statutes. [continues 182 words]
The arbitrary classification of cannabis as a prohibited drug because it is habit-forming prevents children with ravaging diseases from pursuing the happiness promised by the nation's founders ("Desperate to get pot for ill kids," Dec 22). Isn't it more humane to exchange a child's suffering from dozens of seizures daily for a child almost seizure-free when the only price is having a marijuana habit? The public must demand the national legalization of medical marijuana. Rod Meyers, Bryn Mawr, rodmeyers@aol.com [end]
Dispensaries Number 10 Instead of 18 Allowed Clark County commissioners on Monday rejected dozens of applicants for medical marijuana dispensaries, including eight who already won approval from the state. The 5-1 action, with Commissioner Tom Collins opposed, sets the county up to have 10 dispensaries in unincorporated areas instead of the 18 allowed under state law. County officials said they are hopeful the state will grant provisional certificates to applicants who already have county permits but currently lack state approval. [continues 1053 words]
The Ruling Limits the Ability to Seize Family Members' Homes That Were Used by Drug Dealers. In a potentially precedent-setting decision, a Pennsylvania appellate court has restricted the circumstances under which prosecutors can seize homes used by convicted drug dealers. The 5-2 majority opinion by Commonwealth Court applies to homeowners who can show they had little or no involvement in the illegal activity. The ruling in the case involving a 69-year-old West Philadelphia widow, and the settlement of two seizure cases in a federal lawsuit Dec. 20, constitute twin setbacks for the city's civil forfeiture program. [continues 464 words]
Latest Public Hearing Draws Smaller Crowd A public hearing on the revised version of proposed rule changes for the state Medical Cannabis Program on Monday drew far fewer people than a June hearing on the first version, and it was generally less contentious. One woman wondered aloud if the hearing was deliberately scheduled during the holidays in order to reduce attendance. The 50 people who spoke had many of the same criticisms of the proposed rule changes that were voiced last summer, but several also said they were pleased with the revisions. [continues 608 words]
Re: "Apply due process to forfeiture - Powerful tool has become another government idea gone awry, says David Simpson," Dec. 23, Viewpoints. Thanks to Rep. David Simpson for calling attention to the most corrupting influence in law enforcement: civil asset forfeiture. According to an analysis of 43,000 state and local reports submitted to the Justice Department Equitable Sharing Program, nearly $2.5 billion was seized. In up to 81 percent of the cases, no indictment was ever filed. Civil forfeiture laws presume seized property to be tainted. Property owners must prove in court that their money or property was acquired legally in order to get it back. This is almost always more expensive than giving up the legally acquired property. [continues 109 words]
Delegates to national conventions in Colorado are well aware of legal retail marijuana, and not just because they might have slipped in a visit to a dispensary. Some conventions have used Colorado's cannabis laws to incorporate working panels on the ways legal pot can affect their business sectors. "The legality of marijuana certainly impacts our industry," said Stuart Ruff, director of meetings and events for the Risk and Insurance Management Society, which brought 9,700 attendees to Denver in April. "There are a lot of misperceptions about the (Colorado) law, and we want our members to be educated." [continues 294 words]
Ben Holmes gently lowers the turntable needle onto the album, and Traffic's "Medicated Goo," begins to play. Steve Winwood's wistful tenor sweeps through the Centennial Seeds laboratory: "My own homegrown recipe'll see you through." "Everyone stole from Stevie Winwood," Holmes says, his foot tapping as he injects a syringe of dark, syrupy liquid into his gas chromatograph. No one is stealing from Holmes, a self-taught scientist, engineer, farmer and cannabis seed geek who next month will take a rare step to apply for a patent on a laboriously created cannabis superstrain. [continues 1862 words]
The year began with one of the nation's biggest ATM sponsors refusing to allow its machines to be in businesses with ties to the marijuana trade, and it ends with the first credit union of its kind at the precipice of opening its doors. For the recreational marijuana trade, the roads into and out of 2014 are a study in contrasts, where the initial lockdown against access to banking services appears to be cracking, even as the drug remains illegal under federal law. [continues 1105 words]
Even moderate marijuana use among teens and young people was shown in a study this year to cause abnormalities in the developing brain. Yet as Colorado and other states legalize recreational pot use, the public perception is that it is generally safe. A nationwide NBC/Wall Street Journal poll in March found that most people thought that alcohol, tobacco and sugar are more harmful to a person's health than smoking pot. The survey echoed results finding more teens think it's safe to use marijuana - although so far, it hasn't shown up in rising usage in Colorado. [continues 586 words]
One year after retail marijuana joined medical pot as a legal product, the number of marijuana-related arrests in Denver public schools has grown by 6 percent. Opponents predicted that legalizing the drug would encourage more teens to use it. But statistical data showing what change, if any, there has been in the number of teenagers using pot are so far spotty, at best. "Ultimately, we should be looking at rates of use, not rates of enforcement," Mason Tvert, spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project, said of the arrest data provided by Denver police. [continues 928 words]
Tom Rael's first epiphany came two years ago when he looked up from his drink and caught his reflection in the bar mirror. His eyes were red and dull because he was perpetually stoned, toking every hour or so to maintain a constant high. His face was slack and prematurely lined. He looked too old for someone barely 30. "What have you become?" he asked himself. He stopped drinking, but he kept smoking. Cannabis was natural, he figured, so it was harmless, right? But two years later, he went to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting and listened to someone describe a dry drunk, resentful and constantly simmering with anger and frustration. Rael felt a jolt of recognition. [continues 1314 words]
The City of Rochester recently passed a medical marijuana ordinance to regulate the activity in the city of nearly 4 square miles. City Council unanimously adopted the measure at its Dec. 15 meeting after roughly three months of drafting. The measure designates industrial areas on the south side of the city for any potential licensed medical marijuana growing operations. "We're required to provide a place for the legal use of medical marijuana," City Manager Jaymes Vettraino said. "We've been diligent to make sure it's the right place and the right use for our community." The ordinance was modeled after other communities' efforts to regulate medicinal marijuana, such as nearby Auburn Hills and a handful of other municipalities, Vettraino added. [continues 120 words]
The Sun Sentinel article, "Marijuana-Friendly States to Get a Break from DEA" (Dec. 16), indicates that with the passage of the latest federal spending bill, the Feds will no longer enforce the anti-sales laws of marijuana in those 32 states (and D.C.) that have legalized it. This marijuana approval occurred despite the fact that no valid scientific proof exists of the positive, long-term medical effect of marijuana. The National Institute on Drug Abuse has documented a host of negative effects, including impaired intelligence, altered moods, increased risk for leukemia, increased susceptibility to bronchitis, transmittance of birth defects, impairment of brain functions, as well as impaired bodily coordination. They further report that the chances for a heart attack are 5 times greater after smoking pot and the chances for a car accident doubles. Has our government lost its mind by foisting increased risks of health issues and automobile accidents on the American public? Has the thirst for more tax money from marijuana sales overwhelmed the need of the public for better safety and health? James Derr, Deerfield Beach [end]
Having just read about I-STOP/PMP (Internet System for Tracking Over-Prescribing/Prescription Monitoring Program) in New York State, I thought I would share my view on the very similar system we have in Ontario called the Ontario Narcotics Control Act. This act was implemented sneakily by our provincial government, and has made many people's lives much more difficult than need be. I don't deny that there are those who abuse certain prescription drugs, and they will always be with us no matter how many bills are passed, but the government is now treating pretty much everyone as an addict through this act, and getting and renewing certain opiate painkillers has become an odyssey. If one wishes to go on vacation for a few weeks, getting the required amount of meds can be likened to going through the inquisition. [continues 100 words]
Mountain towns dependent on tourists are reaping the rewards of legal marijuana. As the towns swell with visitors-skiers in February and March, summer vacationers in July and August-so do their sales-tax coffers. "Most of our sales seem to be to our visitors," said John Warner, a dentist and the mayor of Breckenridge, which is tracking toward $8.8 million in marijuana sales in 2014. "Some people might think of it as a sin tax, and a lot of people don't like sin taxes. But it's certainly helpful to our community." [continues 421 words]
That harried, Friday-evening moment when you're switching gears from work brain to party mode, gathering what you'll need for a fun night out - keys, phone, bottle of wine for the dinner party you're attending - has changed quite a bit in post-legalization Colorado. Some are adding a vape pen or infused tincture to their date-night clutches. Others will pre-pack a bowl or one-hitter before heading out - or they'll chew on a 10-milligram edible on their way to the party. And those running low on supplies can swing by the pot shop on their way to the dinner and maybe grab a pre-rolled joint as a gift to the evening's hosts. [continues 1515 words]
Melissa Vitale had never considered a career in marijuana when she moved her family to Colorado from Austin, Texas, a little over a year ago. An accountant and former fifth-grade teacher, she long thought marijuana should be legalized but had no designs on working in the industry. "When you're a mom, it's not the easiest thing to manage in your life," the 41-year-old said of her occasional cannabis use. "I do not and would not smoke in front of my children." [continues 1349 words]
Ask farmers where they procured hemp seeds to plant last spring, and youmay get an answer like this one from Bill Billings: "I got them from Mother Nature and God. That's all I can say." Don't-ask, don't-tell characterizes Colorado's newest cash crop. Like its genetic cousin marijuana, hemp is legal under state law. But conflicts with federal law leave the future uncertain for the state's hemp industry. The plant looks like marijuana but has little or no THC, the psychoactive ingredient that makes pot smokers high. [continues 358 words]
Look all you want, and you'll find nary a marijuana tourism brochure at kiosks operated by Colorado's official travel bureaus. Yet that institutional prohibition hasn't stopped thousands of cannabis tourists from visiting Colorado to experience the phenomenon of legal marijuana. "This is just awesome," said Mike Goldstein of Staten Island, N.Y., who visited Denver with three friends in early December. "I think it should be legal everywhere. You raise taxes, and you take it out of the hands of organized crime." [continues 532 words]
Legalizing recreational marijuana has spawned a surge of activity in some unexpected places and pumped formerly "dark" money into the larger economy. Estimates are that cannabis sales nationally this year will total about $2.6 billion, with Colorado claiming about a third of that or $840 million, according to rough estimates from ArcView Group. Some of that money is funneling down to accountants, software developers, trademark lawyers, lighting vendors, general contractors and a long list of others supporting the new industry. [continues 702 words]
The recent U.S. Justice Department move giving Native American tribes the green light to legalize marijuana on their reservations gives us pause. While we respect the sovereign right of tribal governments to run their affairs as they see fit, the situation in the Coachella Valley is somewhat unique. The close proximity of tribal territory and adjacent cities gives decisions made by one entity tremendous impact on the entire region. This is especially true in Palm Springs, where the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians has authority over 32,000 acres in the western Coachella Valley, including a checkerboard grid of sections encompassing about half the city. [continues 1110 words]
Editor, Regarding your Dec. 15 op-ed, not only should medical marijuana be made available to patients in need, but adult recreational use should be legal and regulated. Drug policies modeled after alcohol prohibition have given rise to a youth oriented black market. Illegal drug dealers don't ID for age, but they do recruit minors immune to adult sentences. So much for protecting the children. Throwing more money at the problem is no solution. Attempts to limit the supply of illegal drugs while demand remains constant only increase the profitability of drug trafficking. For addictive drugs like heroin, a spike in street prices leads desperate addicts to increase criminal activity to feed desperate habits. The drug war doesn't fight crime, it fuels crime. [continues 77 words]
American Indian tribes are now free to join states like Colorado that have legalized the sale and growing of marijuana, according to the U.S. Justice Department, but tribes considering the venture should pay heed to some of this state's lessons. First, establishing a legal framework for a federally banned drug is not easy and the lure of tax revenue from pot sales may not turn out to be all that was expected. Second, homemade hash oil extraction with butane should be banned. It is dangerous and should be allowed only by manufacturers. [continues 159 words]
WHAT'S ONE TOKE OVER THE LINE HERE? Eric Jackson points out, "We all know it's illegal to drive while intoxicated, and that it's illegal to have open containers of alcohol in a vehicle - but what about using marijuana? "Let's say a person has a medical marijuana card," he emails. "Is there an 'open container' law for pot? I ask because I observed a man toking on a marijuana pipe while stopped at a stoplight in Rio Rancho. Is it illegal to partake of marijuana while driving, even if one has not reached a level of intoxication that would cause impairment?" [continues 592 words]
I SPENT 26 years as a State Police officer fighting the drug war, 14 of those years as an undercover officer working every kind of case, including billion-dollar heroin trafficking conspiracies. I have seen the ravages of both drug use and current drug policy. The consequences of addiction in an illegal marketplace are far greater than the addiction alone. Users don't know how much of their purchase is heroin or whether it has been cut with an agent such as Fentanyl, a drug many times stronger than heroin. [continues 112 words]
Licensing a Convoluted Trial for Marijuana Business Aurora's venture into recreational marijuana has experienced a few bumps in its short time since inception Oct. 1 - from its complicated licensing process to a lawsuit questioning a license that was issued to a company denied a license in Massachusetts. Last month, Metro Cannabis sued Aurora, claiming the city "manipulated the process" in its failed effort to secure one of the 24 recreational marijuana licenses from the city. Also, the license issued to the Good Chemistry pot shop on East Iliff Avenue in Aurora is under scrutiny because the company misled the city of Boston by claiming it had endorsements from top city officials and politicians. It was denied a medical marijuana license there this year, but is allowed to reapply in 2015. [continues 398 words]
Irate about harmful spillover from Colorado's marijuana legalization, two neighboring states sue to overturn it. The attorneys general of Nebraska and Oklahoma have asked the Supreme Court to declare unconstitutional Colorado's law legalizing marijuana. The lawsuit states that, "The Constitution and the federal anti-drug laws do not permit the development of a patchwork of state and local pro-drug policies and licensed-distribution schemes throughout the country which conflict with federal laws." Many conservatives have criticized Nebraska and Oklahoma for being "fair-weather federalists" because their claims hinge, in part, on Gonzales v. Raich, a 2005 Supreme Court decision, upholding the broad reach of Congress's power to regulate commerce. [continues 907 words]
The black market for marijuana in Colorado isn't what it used to be. Nine or 10 years ago, the narrative of illicit cannabis in the state focused on illegally grown product filtering in from Mexico, California and elsewhere. Now it seems officials and experts are more concerned about Colorado-grown marijuana infiltrating other states, a trend that is seeing a significant upward trajectory, according to data obtained by The Denver Post. "In a lot of ways, our legal industry has become the black market for other states," said Tom Gorman, director of the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. [continues 1426 words]
Gov. John Hickenlooper emerged as Colorado's reluctant supervisor in the first year of legal recreational marijuana, tasked with administering a law he didn't support as the state set a model for the nation. The Democrat's difficult stance created frequent awkward moments, even as it helped set the tone for the state's cautious approach to legal pot after voters approved the 2012 ballot initiative. The most notable came at a campaign forum in October when Hickenlooper made national headlines for saying Colorado voters were "reckless" to legalize marijuana, forcing him to walk it back and call it "risky" instead. [continues 788 words]
Colorado's Department of Public Health and Environment surprised the marijuana industry in October by proposing a ban on candy, brownies and other edibles and drinks infused with cannabis. Edibles accounted for a surprising 45 percent of marijuana sales and a majority of the regulatory headaches in the state's first year of legal recreational pot. Within hours, the growing rapid-response marijuana lobby swooped in and beat back the proposed ban. "For the year 2014, edibles has been the most difficult issue for the industry," said Michael Elliott, executive director of the powerful Colorado lobbying outfit Marijuana Industry Group. "And largely we've solved it." [continues 1774 words]
A year ago, as Colorado cities and towns were preparing for the first recreational marijuana stores to open, most were optimistic they were prepared. Still, many officials held their breath. Local government leaders from Denver to smaller cities and rural hamlets say the pivotal first-year rollout went smoothly, and in some cases it has proved quite profitable for local coffers. "To be able to pull that off in that short amount of time, and to one year later have a pretty good understanding of what the rules of the road are, it's a pretty monumental achievement," Kevin Bommer said. As deputy director of the Colorado Municipal League, he has tracked the experiences of cities and towns across the state. [continues 1811 words]
One year after he became, unofficially, the first legal recreational marijuana customer in America, Sean Azzariti sits on a couch in Denver's 3D Cannabis Center and looks up to see ... himself. The 4-foot-wide photo hanging over the couch shows Azzariti, an Iraq war veteran chosen for the ceremonial first purchase for his advocacy on post-traumatic stress disorder, cocooned by cameras on Jan. 1. The subsequent year - media requests, speaking gigs, advocacy awards, cannabis celebrity - washed by in what Azzariti calls "waves of awesomeness." Shane Martin checks out the grow room Jan. 1 after buying recreational marijuana at 3D Cannabis Center in Denver. (RJ Sangosti, Denver Post file) [continues 1428 words]
As one of the people charged with implementing marijuana legalization in Colorado, Ron Kammerzell thought he had considered everything. And then inexperienced users bit off more than they could chew, and reports of people consuming too much edible pot at once started to add up. "That really wasn't on anyone's radar," Kammerzell said. The proliferation of marijuana infused edibles stunned state and industry leaders, making it one of the biggest surprises during the first year of legal recreational marijuana sales. Potent cookies, candies and drinks-once considered a niche market-now account for roughly 45 percent of the legal marijuana marketplace and led to the most high-profile marijuana controversies in 2014. [continues 706 words]
Growing illegal marijuana in rented houses across Colorado's front range and illicitly selling it throughout the state isn't for everyone, but it was once a way of life for Oscar. And the 36-year-old loved everything about his job, from the $80,000 income to his work schedule that left time for snowboarding to his simple daily regimen amid the awkwardly towering pot plants occupying his various living rooms and basements. "The heyday on a really good ounce was $350 in 2003 to 2008," said Oscar, whose real name isn't Oscar, but he was speaking to The Denver Post under conditions of anonymity. "But then the scale started to tip. (The ounces) went down to $300 - and this was really good weed. [continues 1601 words]
Federal Data Show the Estimated Percentage of Regular Users Rose to the Second-Highest Level in the U.S. As marijuana legalization took hold in Colorado, the estimated percentage of regular cannabis users in the state jumped to the second-highest level in the country, according to new federal data. When asked, roughly one out of every eight Colorado residents over the age of 12 reported using marijuana in the previous month. Only Rhode Island topped Colorado in the percentage of residents who reported using marijuana as frequently. [continues 485 words]
The Fairbanks North Star Borough appears to be moving quickly toward considering regulations for the legal sale of marijuana in the borough following statewide voter approval of Ballot Measure 2 last month. Mayor Luke Hopkins deserves some praise for moving ahead briskly to ensure the borough is ready, saying he wants to introduce proposals as early as February for consideration by the Borough Assembly. And he's doing it with community involvement. He said he plans to create a panel that will begin work in January and include representatives of the local municipal governments as well as people from the fields of law enforcement, education and substance abuse treatment. And he expects to also include people who have championed legalized marijuana. [continues 327 words]
Mainstream Pot Guide Not Afraid to Get Down in Weeds DENVER - Jake Browne sauntered into his neighborhood marijuana shop recently and asked the "budtender" for a look at his wares. The lanky attendant spread half a dozen Mason jars across the counter, each holding a fat, fragrant bud of cannabis. "Mmmm," Browne purred as he opened a jar of Jack Flash. "Smells like drain cleaner and urine. Sounds unappetizing, but it's actually great." He sniffed another. "You get a nice Grape Skunk off of that," he said. "You can smell the sandalwood and cardamom spice notes." [continues 668 words]
False Witness Ronnie Coogle said he didn't mind snitching for the Tampa Police Department, even when it meant lying and faking drug deals. But his life changed forever when one of his targets wound up dead. The scene beaming from the bedroom television wasn't special, another drug bust in a decaying north Tampa neighborhood. Ronnie 'Bodie' Coogle squinted at the screen. He recognized that street, lit by ghostly pulses of red and blue. 'Bodie,' his wife said, lying beside him. 'You see this?' Coogle turned up the volume as the 11 o'clock news cut to cops in black ballistic vests, standing amid the inky silhouettes of sabal palms. After a minute he sat up and grabbed his cellphone. [continues 4657 words]
Poor, miserable, depressed people take drugs. That's the way it always has been and that's the way it always will be. It's a fact of modern life. Our solution to this situation is a "war on drugs." The reality is that it's not a war on drugs, it's a war against people. There is no doubt that the government has the right and obligation to regulate the sales of addictive, destructive and deadly substances. However, it should not come as a surprise that people will possess these substances regardless of sales regulations. It should not be a crime. By eliminating "possession" laws, the biggest point of contention between citizens and the police would be effectively removed. It really is nobody's business what "substance" an otherwise law-abiding citizen may have in their possession, even to the police. The police should really have no business searching people's bodies and effects for these substances. It's ludicrous, it's ridiculous, and it is certainly unfair to the downtrodden in our society. ... Give the police a break. Let's stop tasking them with enforcing ridiculous laws and fighting our drug war. It's not fair to them or to the people. Paul Denny, Leland [end]
Support it or not, there's no denying that this was a watershed year for marijuana. Within hours of the new year, the nation saw the first legally sanctioned sales of marijuana for recreational use in modern history. Throughout, states considered and often passed expanding access to the drug and, as recently as last weekend, Congress was interfering in D.C.'s pot policies and promising to stay out of the states. Here are 22 of the most significant moments for marijuana in 2014. [continues 904 words]
The use of marijuana stretches back more than 2,000 years. For most of American history, marijuana was legal under both federal and state law. The decline in the use of medical marijuana was accelerated by the development of other drugs, such as aspirin and opium-derived drugs. Thus, the advances in medicine helped to replace marijuana in the treatment of pain and other medical conditions. In 1970, President Nixon signed the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act, which includes the Controlled Substances Act, as part of the "war against drugs." Congress classified marijuana as Schedule I drug because of its high potential for abuse, the lack of accepted medical use and the absence of accepted safety standards in medically supervised treatment. [continues 608 words]
A national organization that has raised $8 million over two years to fight substance abuse is urging West Virginia legislators to pass two laws designed to reduce drug overdose deaths. Shatterproof, a nonprofit headquartered in Connecticut, supports a "Good Samaritan" law that would give immunity to people who call 911 to report a drug overdose. Another measure would expand the availability of a life-saving medicine called naloxone, which reverses the effects or heroin and prescription painkillers. West Virginia has the highest drug overdose death rate in the United States. [continues 565 words]
MAPS receives $2 million grant from Colorado for Study of Medical Marijuana for PTSD Last week, fired UA researcher Sue Sisley learned that the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment awarded the psychiatrist $2 million to her sponsor, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), for their marijuana study for symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in 76 U.S. veterans. According to MAPS, Colorado's Medical Marijuana Scientific Advisory Council recommended that MAPS receive the grant in late November. The state's decision followed the Council's recommendation, giving MAPS the largest of eight grants awarded by CDPHE. All of the other grantees are major research universities. [continues 451 words]
Last week, Oklahoma and Nebraska sued Colorado over actions Colorado has taken that have resulted in the trafficking of illegal drugs into Oklahoma and Nebraska. We didn't take this action lightly. As you know, I have been an ardent defender of Oklahoma's ability to determine its own policies and laws, free from undue federal intrusion. But that isn't to say that there is no place for federal law. Of course there is - that is precisely why our Founders came together in 1789 to draft a constitution. My battles have been against federal actions that exceed the powers our Founders granted to the federal government in the constitution. [continues 578 words]
Oklahoma has filed a lawsuit against Colorado's marijuana law. The concern seems to be that marijuana from Colorado is coming to Oklahoma. That concerns me too. What can we do to reduce Colorado's market share? In fact, what can we do to reduce the market share for all imported and black market marijuana in Oklahoma? How can we keep the profits here and generate tax money to help Oklahoma? This used to be the problem with the tattoo business. Oklahomans were spending gasoline money and travel time going to other states for tattoos. [continues 119 words]
Justice Department is attempting to solve a problem that almost no one knew about with a solution that almost no one asked for. The results -- so far, confusion and uncertainty -- have been entirely predictable. The department announced this month that it would permit marijuana legalization on 300 or so Indian reservations in 30 states. The decision has perplexed American Indian leaders, who say that the last thing many tribes want is more lax federal law enforcement. Whatever one may think of legalizing marijuana -- and there are plenty of causes for concern, especially regarding its health effects - -- the way to do it is not to let Attorney General Eric Holder simply pick and choose which federal drug laws he will enforce. Yes, prosecutors have discretion, and it may make sense to use it when a state's voters decide to legalize pot. It makes less sense when local officials not only haven't asked, but also rely on the federal government for law enforcement, as is the case with Indian reservations. [continues 364 words]
About one of every 100 U.S. adults is in prison. That's five to 10 times higher than in Western Europe. One of us is a former Treasury secretary, the other directs a criminal-justice institute. But we've reached the same conclusions. America's overreliance on incarceration is exacting excessive costs on individuals and communities, as well as on the national economy. Sentences are too long, and parole and probation policies too inflexible. There is too little rehabilitation in prison and inadequate support for life after prison. [continues 902 words]
Inside United States
