Policy

How Will Legalization Impact the Beer Industry?

The legalization of adult-use marijuana in Colorado and Washington has created an enormous new market worth billions of dollars per year. With about $83 billion in 2013 sales, according to a report by Mintel, the U.S. beer industry has grown a bit concerned, particularly as other states consider legalization. CNBC’s Arjun Kharpal recently posited that […]

How Dangerous is Marijuana, Really?

A new 20-year research study found that smoking marijuana could be extremely detrimental to health. According to the report, one-in-six teenagers who smoke cannabis will become dependent on it. It doubles their risk of developing psychotic disorders and can disrupt normal intellectual development if used regularly. Long-term use could also increase the risk of getting […]

Colorado Dispensaries Target Inexperienced Users with a Milder Buzz

Many adult-use marijuana retailers have been branching out to novice cannabis users with milder edible products. The marketing shift has been compared to selling beer and wine alongside whiskey and vodka in the alcoholic beverages industry. For example, the Dixie One watermelon cream soda contains just 5mg of THC – marijuana’s psychoactive ingredient – which […]

Was Colorado’s Legalization of Cannabis ‘Reckless’?

Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper has been largely supportive of the state’s legalization of recreational and medical cannabis, but during a debate sponsored by the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, he called the movement “reckless”. “I think for us to do that without having all the data, there is not enough data, and to a certain […]

Marijuana and motor vehicle safety: An impending public health dilemma

Original article was republished on CFN with permission from KevinMD.com. Since 1996, 21 states have approved the legalization of marijuana for medical use. More recently, Washington and Colorado have legalized the use of recreational marijuana, with California and Oregon not far behind. The health risks associated with marijuana have been well documented in a number […]

Medical Cannabis Gains Broad Support in Pennsylvania’s Senate

Pennsylvania’s Senate approved a medical marijuana bill in a 43-7 vote last week, but time is running out to legalize the drug this year. While the move marks the first time in state history that either chamber approved a medical cannabis bill, advocates are quick to point out that the bill’s future in the House […]

Police Veteran Stars in Oregon’s Cannabis Legalization Ad Campaign

Advocates for the legalization of cannabis in Oregon launched a $2 million advertising campaign featuring a 33-year police veteran. Pete Tutmark, a former patrol sergeant and deputy sheriff, criticized the “broken” system that diverts resources from important crime solving to drug arrests and encouraged Oregonians to vote “yes” on Measure 91 during the upcoming November […]

Cannabis Ballot Initiative Surfaces in Mississippi for November Elections

Mississippi for Cannabis recently filed to place a ballot initiative on the November 2016 election ballot in Mississippi. The petition’s organizer, Kelly Jacobs, made the filing on Monday with the Secretary of State’s satellite office in Hernando. “Now we are waiting for official approval from the Mississippi Secretary of State, and the Attorney General which […]

TNMNews Discusses Elderly Care, Dabbing and Addiction

The National Marijuana News (TNMNews) will premiere its third talk radio show on Internet radio station Live365 on September 30, 2014 as well as on the company’s website at: www.TNMNews.com. TNMNews is the unbiased news source covering the political, economic, medicinal, and cultural issues surrounding the ever changing medicinal and recreational marijuana industry. This episode’s featured […]

Is Support for Cannabis Legalization Waning?

The U.S. cannabis industry has seen a number of big wins through 2013, including medical legalization in 23 states and Washington D.C. and adult-use legalization in Colorado and Washington. But, support for cannabis legalization may be shrinking in 2014, according to a new survey by the Public Religion Research Institute. The 4,500-person survey found that […]

Uruguay’s Market Opens to Foreign Growers

Uruguay has been finalizing the terms of a tender for the 20 tons of marijuana that it intends to grow each year with hopes for a first crop by December. So far, 22 companies have registered to bid, including eight local companies, 10 foreign companies, and four partnerships. The government plans to led the winning […]

Chicago Mayor Calls for Reduced Penalties for Marijuana

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel petitioned Illinois lawmakers to reform sentencing laws for low-level drug offenses, which would include ticketing rather than arresting those caught with small amounts of marijuana. In 2012, the mayor had backed a chance in Chicago law that would decriminalize marijuana in the nation’s third largest city, while statewide changes could have […]

Cannabis Legalization Could Generate $3 Billion in Annual Tax Revenue

The United States could generate more than $3 billion in annual tax revenue if all 50 states implemented a flat 15% excise tax on marijuana, according to NerdWallet, a personal finance website. These revenues do not include medical marijuana tax revenue or reduced government spending on law enforcement, which means that the real benefit could […]

Washington DC Poll Shows Strong Support for Legalization

Washington DC voters appear to be more than ready to legalize marijuana, according to a new poll by NBC4, Washington Post, and Marist. With support trending at around 65%, the legalization Ballot Initiative 71 should be able to easily pass in the upcoming elections on November 4, 2014. The ballot initiative would permit adults to […]

Australia’s Prime Minister Supports Medical Cannabis

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has thrown his support behind the legalization of medical cannabis in a letter to talkback radio host Alan Jones. In the letter read live on Wesneday, Mr. Abbott indicated that no further testing should be needed on the drug if it’s legal in similar jurisdictions. The drug has been legalized […]

Alberta Poll Shows Broad Support for Legalized Cannabis

Canada’s Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (“MMPR”) program has generated significant interest among both patients and investors, but the movement to legalize recreational marijuana could push the industry to even greater heights. While the country has been ramping up its anti-marijuana efforts, support for legalization among Canadians seems to be picking up steam. In a […]

Cannabinoids Beats Antidepressants in Treating PTSD

Cannabinoid use soon after a traumatic event may prevent post-traumatic stress disorder-like (“PTSD”) symptoms in rats, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Haifa in Israel. Nachshon Korem and Irit Akirav of the university’s Department of Psychology compared the use of cannabinoids with other alternatives, like opioids, in preventing the symptoms. […]

Pennsylvania Considers Medical Marijuana Legalization

Pennsylvania may become the next state to legalize medical marijuana as the senate prepares to reconvene on September 15th. Senate Bill 1182, titled the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Act, passed the senate’s Law and Justice Committee unanimously on June 27th and will now be up for vote in the Appropriations Committee and then the […]

Women May Be More Sensitive to Marijuana Than Men

Health organizations around the world hold women to a different standard when it comes to alcohol, but the differences in marijuana absorption between genders may be even greater, according to new research. U.S. researchers found that female rats were at least 30% more sensitive than males to tetrahydrocannabinol (“THC”) – the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana […]

Study Suggests Marijuana May be Addictive

Marijuana has been long touted as a non-addictive drug, which differentiates it from many other harmful drugs like cocaine or heroin, but a new study challenges that theory. In a new study appearing in the Journal of Addiction Medicine, researchers followed the outcomes of 127 teens treated for outpatient substance abuse, finding that 84% of […]

States with Legalized Marijuana Reported Fewer Prescription Overdoses

States that have legalized medical marijuana have lower rates of fatal overdoses from prescription medications, according to a new study in JAMA Internal Medicine. Researchers compared the death rate in 13 U.S. states where medical marijuana has been legalized and found a 25% reduction in prescription drug overdose death each year compared to states where […]

Lawmakers Puzzle Over Establishing Legal Limits for THC on the Road

The legalization of recreational marijuana in Colorado and Washington State has sparked debate among lawmakers about the legal limits for driving. While companies like Cannabix Technologies Inc. [stockquote symbol=BLOZF] are already developing cannabis breathalyzers, lawmakers still don’t know what a legal limit for driving should be amid conflicting evidence from researchers in the space. “I […]

Alaskan Legalization Behind in Latest Polls

The legalization of recreational marijuana in Alaska appears unlikely based on a recent survey by Public Policy Polling. While a May 2014 poll by the same group shows support for the movement, a more recent poll found inadequate support for the measure, despite backing from the Marijuana Policy Project. The results should be taken with […]

Legalization Efforts in Oregon Bolstered by $2.3M Ad Campaign

Oregon’s efforts to legalize recreational marijuana in November could receive a sizable boost with a $2.3 million television advertising campaign. Featuring Richard Harris, the retired head of the state’s addictions and mental health division, New Approach Oregon’s television commercial calls marijuana a “relatively benign drug” and highlights the many benefits associated with legalization. Funding for […]

Canadian Doctors Take Neutral Stance on Marijuana Legalization

The College of Family Physicians of Canada (“CFPC”), Canadian Medical Association (“CMA”), and Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada recently announced that they will not be participating in Health Canada’s upcoming anti-drug educational campaign targeted at young Canadians, adding that the campaign has become a “political football” on the country’s marijuana policy. “We […]

Cannabis-backed Crypto-Currencies Gain Traction

A new type of virtual currency that aims to become the payment solution of choice for marijuana dispensaries, retailers, and merchants has captured the imagination of speculators who sent its market capitalization above $100,000 last week. Cannabis Coin is a peer-to-peer digital currency that enables instant payments to anyone in the world. While the digital […]

Most Canadians Support Legalization but Aren’t in a Hurry

The majority of Canadians support the legalization of marijuana, but they don’t see the matter as a pressing issue. According to a new poll by Angus Reid Global, six out of every ten respondents would support pro-marijuana legalization, but they also indicated that other criminal matters were more important. The survey also indicated that British […]

Lawmakers Push for Cannabis Legalization in Costa Rica

Citizen Action Party (“PAC”) lawmakers aim to make Costa Rica the first country in Central America to legalize medical marijuana and generate millions of dollars for public institutions. During a press conference, PAC lawmaker Marvin Atencio presented his bill to regulate the production of medical marijuana and hemp in Costa Rica, which is backed by […]

Colorado Teens Smoking Less Pot After Legalization

It seems that the legalization of marijuana has made the drug a little less appealing to an at-risk group. High school usage of marijuana has fallen from 22% to 20% following the legalization of marijuana, according to a new report by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, despite the fact that only 54% […]

Colorado’s Marijuana Experiment Ruled a Success

Colorado’s legalization of recreational marijuana has been largely successful, according to a report by the Brookings Institute, an independent, nonprofit think tank based in Washington D.C. The report attributed Amendment 64’s success to efforts made by Governor John Hickenlooper, who went from an outspoken opponent to a politician determined to implement the amendment properly. “The […]