Anthony Martinelli

Anthony is co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of TheJointBlog. He has worked closely with numerous elected officials who support cannabis law reform, including as the former Campaign Manager for King County (WA) Councilmember Dave Upthegrove. He has been published by multiple media outlets, and is a former contributor for Village Voice Media. Anthony can be reached at TheJointBlog@TheJointBlog.com.

Most commented posts

  1. North Carolina Bill to Legalize Medical Cannabis Approved by House of Representatives — 244 comments
  2. Veterinarian Administers Medical Marijuana to Dogs, Says it Works Wonders — 187 comments
  3. Initiative to Legalize Cannabis Receives Approval from Mississippi Secretary of State — 140 comments
  4. Washington Governor Signs Bill to Close Dispensaries, Reduce Patients’ Rights — 93 comments
  5. Washington Bill to Shutdown Dispensaries Passes House Committee — 92 comments

Author's posts

California Court Rules Possessing Marijuana in Prison is Not a Felony

According to a new ruling from a California appeals court,  prison inmates who possess small amounts of marijuana are not guilty of a felony crime. According to NPR, the court ruled that because marijuana is legal in the state, it can’t be a felony in prison.

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Study: Strong Majority of Hospice Professionals Support Medical Marijuana

A large majority of hospice  professionals support medical marijuana, according to a new study published in The Journal of Palliative Medicine and published online by the U.S. National Institute of Health. For the study – titled A survey of hospice professional regarding medical cannabis practices – researchers surveyed a nationally representative sample of 310 hospice professionals …

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New Mexico Adds Opioid Use Disorder and Other Ailments as Qualifying Medical Marijuana Condition

New Mexico health officials on Thursday expanded the list of qualifying conditions for the state’s medical cannabis program to include opioid use disorder and several others, reports the Associated Press. In addition to adding opioid use disorder, officials added Alzheimer’s disease, autism spectrum disorder and three degenerative neurological disorders. First-year Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D), a former …

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Presence Of THC In Blood is Not Associated With Crash Culpability, Finds Study

According to a new study, drivers who test positive for THC do not possess a significantly increased risk of being responsible for a non-fatal motor vehicle accident. For the study, researchers at the University of British Columbia compared the likelihood of crash responsibility in drivers testing positive for THC and/or other substances as compared to …

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Study: Medical Marijuana Legalization Associated With Lower Opioid Prescription Rates

According to a new study published by the journal Preventive Medicine, medical marijuana legalization is associated with reduced opioid prescription rates. The study, titled “Association between cannabis laws and opioid prescriptions among privately insured adults in the US,” analyzed how different cannabis laws influenced the rate of opioid prescriptions among adults from different age groups in 2016. According …

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Illinois Senate Approves Bill to Legalize Marijuana

Legislation to legalize marijuana for everyone 21 and older has been passed in an overwhelming vote by the Illinois Senate. The Illinois Senate voted Wednesday to pass the bill, sending it to the House for consideration with just a couple days left in the legislative session. The vote was 38 to 17, with just two …

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Over 150 Athletes Sign Letter to World Anti-Doping Agency Asking for Removal of Marijuana from Prohibited List

Over 150 current and former athletes have signed a letter that’s been sent to the World Anti-Doping Agency, asking them to remove marijuana from its list of prohibited substances. Retired NFL players Jake Plummer and Ricky Williams, famed boxer Mike Tyson and cyclist Floyd Landis are among the athletes who submitted the letter through Athletes …

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California is Moving Forward With a Plan to Establish Marijuana Banks

The Associated Press is reporting that California is quickly moving forward with a plan to establish a system of banks to work with the marijuana industry which is legal under state law, but illegal under federal law. Given that legal marijuana businesses are shut out of the traditional banking system by federal laws, proponents of …

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Vermont and New Hampshire May Delay Votes on Marijuana Proposals

Marijuana legalization measures in both Vermont and New Hampshire have hit a roadblock, reports the Associated Press. In Vermont, marijuana has been legal since July 1, 2018, when a lawmaker-approved measure took effect. However, the law established no legal means of actually purchasing marijuana (they are the only state to legalize marijuana without allowing marijuana …

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Arkansas First Ever Medical Marijuana Dispensary Now Open

The first legal medical marijuana dispensary in state history is now open in Arkansas. It took 2.5 years after voters legalized the medicine, but Arkansas’ first medical marijuana dispensary opened its doors on Saturday, reports the Associated Press. Doctor’s Orders RX in Hot Springs was the first dispensary to be officially licensed by the state, …

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