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NORML’s Eleven Surprising Things About Marijuana That Seniors Need to Know
[Editor's note: Going into Tuesday's historic vote in six states on legalization and medical cannabis ballot initiatives, one of the last, but not too unsurprising hold out demographics in America to fully embrace cannabis law reform are senior citizens. Please share the below essay, a distillation of author Laurel Dewey's wonderfully readable book Betty's (Little Basement) Garden, with friends and family in Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Montana, Arkansas and Massachusetts. Also, checkout the great work of the Silver Tour, coordinated by Robert Platshorn, which is the premiere public advocacy project today [...]
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NORML Reaches 420,000 Facebook Friends
In ‘stoner’ numerology, no number holds greater allure than ‘420‘… At approximately 5:30PM (eastern) on ‘Halloweed’ the organization’s 420,000th friend on the massive social network site Facebook signed up to become a NORML supporter. Next goal: Reach half million Facebook friends by year’s end!
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Final Week Polls Indicate Washington State Likely to Pass Marijuana Legalization
In what is likely to be one of last polls coming out of Washington State prior to Election Day, Initiative 502 to regulate marijuana is still holding strong to the commanding lead it has developed over the past few months. Data released from King 5 and SurveyUSA has I-502 leading among likely Washington voters, 56% stated they would vote yes on the measure with only 37% planning to vote no. There are just 7% still undecided. This continues a several month trend of Washington’s I-502 leading in the polling data. [...]
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7 Simple Ways YOU Can Help Legalize Marijuana
We are entering the final week before Election Day and our efforts to educate Americans about marijuana law reform have never been more important. Polls show that victory is within grasp with Colorado’s Amendment 64, Washington’s I-502, and Massachusetts’ Question 3 all recently tracking towards a win, but it will still be a close race to the finish in all states. Help us raise awareness for these important initiatives and Smoke the Vote next Tuesday by helping us take the message viral in the final stretch. Below you will find [...]
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Smoke the Vote: Final Week Election Update
With just one week left until the election, there have been some recent news to report on, including two new campaign ads and several new polls. WASHINGTON New Approach Washington, the campaign behind the state’s I-502 to regulate marijuana, has released a new television ad focusing on the ways regulation will help control youth use. In the ad, a Washington mother discusses the issues of the black market and how cannabis legalization can help protect our children. “Young people have easy access to marijuana, and of course drug dealers don’t [...]
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US News & World Report: “Should Marijuana Use Be Legalized?”
Next Tuesday, three voters in three states — Colorado, Oregon, and Washington — will be deciding on statewide ballot measures to legalize the adult possession, use, and distribution of cannabis. Today, US News & World Report ‘Debate Club’ asks its readers: “Should marijuana use be legalized?” I, along with Alison Holcolm (New Approach Washington), provide commentaries in favor of ending cannabis prohibition. [Update: MPP's Morgan Fox also now has a commentary here.] An excerpt from my op/ed appears below: Marijuana Regulation Works and Prohibition Fails via US News & World [...]
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Michigan Cities To Vote On Cannabis Depenalization Measures Next Week
Voters in Arkansas, Colorado, Massachusetts, Montana, Oregon, and Washington will not be the only ones deciding on marijuana policy on Election Day. Voters in four Michigan cities — totaling over a million people — will also decide on Tuesday whether to legalize or depenalize the adult use of cannabis. Voters in Detroit will decide on Proposal M, which removes criminal penalties pertaining to the possession on private property of up to one ounce of marijuana by adults over age 21. In Flint, Michigan voters will decide on a citizens’ initiative [...]
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Marijuana Arrests Decline In 2011, But Still Total Half Of All Illicit Drug Violations
Police made 757,969 arrests in 2011 for marijuana-related offenses, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s annual Uniform Crime Report, released today. The total is a decrease from past years. During the years 2006 to 2010, police annually made over 800,000 arrests for cannabis violations. According to the report, marijuana arrests now comprise one-half of all illicit drug arrests in the United States. Approximately 43 percent of all drug violations are for cannabis possession. “As in past years, the so-called ‘drug war’ remains fueled by the arrests of minor marijuana [...]
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Women Needed to Legalize Pot
The NORML Women’s Alliance is calling on women nationwide, who believe in the controlled regulation of marijuana to host a phone banking party with your like-minded sisters and encourage women to vote “Yes” on CO’s Amendment 64. Organizing a phone banking event to call women voters in CO is the most important contribution you can make in this election (and the cheapest). We need to reach as many women as possible.
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12 Days to Go: Latest Poll Shows Colorado’s Amendment 64 to Regulate Marijuana Gaining Support
The latest polling data for Colorado’s Amendment 64, that aims to regulate marijuana like alcohol, reveals a growth in support since the previous survey data, and the amendment looks to be marching its way towards victory on November 6th. Public Policy Polling surveyed 904 likely voters in Colorado from October 23rd to 25th and found they support Amendment 64 by 53%. Only 43% were opposed and the number of undecideds has shrunk to 5%. The bump in support can be, in part, thanks to the closing of the gender gap, [...]
