Politics

New Year’s Day, 2019, marks the five-year anniversary of the first legal, recreational cannabis sales in Colorado. The first person to make that historic purchase, and the first of its kind in the nation, was a Marine Corps veteran...

The UN’s Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) failed to reschedule cannabis at the 61st Session in Vienna, Austria, last month, bucking the expectations of activists. Per an anticipated recommendation from the World Health Organization (WHO), many believed the CND would...

As 2019 approached, Alaska citizens debated if it should be the first state to create a legal structure for on-site marijuana consumption, and cannabis retailer Jake Warden wanted to make his chance to add to the discussion mean something. “I’m...

Lab testing is an integral part of the legal landscape surrounding cannabis. Today, any cannabis product that you purchase from a licensed facility is required to undergo a series of tests by a state-accredited lab. These tests help ensure...

RICHMOND, Va. — When it comes to marijuana, Virginia has lagged behind many states where the drug has been decriminalized or legalized for recreational use. With lawmakers approving an expansion of the state’s medical marijuana program in 2018, supporters of...

As Democrats prepare to govern with majorities in both houses of New York’s legislature and a popularly re-elected governor, liberal priorities that have been bottled up since 2010 are on the verge of becoming a reality. Expanded voting rights, an...

In a rare show of bipartisan cooperation, Congress members signed into law the first significant criminal justice reform bill in a generation on Dec. 21, 2018. The First Step Act of 2018, which passed overwhelmingly in the Senate and the House,...

(This is an abridged version of a column that appears in the November-December issue of Marijuana Business Magazine.) Hemp is making strides faster than activists dreamed even a couple of years ago. Farmers are planting thousands of acres. Processors are adding warehouse space...

PORTLAND, Ore. — The last year was a 12-month Champagne toast for the legal marijuana industry as the global market exploded and cannabis pushed its way further into the financial and cultural mainstream. Liberal California became the largest legal United...

by Kevin Mahmalji, NORML Outreach Director December 30, 2018 As Illinois lawmakers continue to consider input from various stakeholders for legislation that would legalize the possession and use of marijuana for adults 21 and up in 2019, some advocates are...