This week Uruguay will officially begin legal sales of marijuana for those 18 and older, over three and a half years after the law legalizing the plant was initially approved by lawmakers. The legalization of marijuana was first proposed by former-President José Mujica in 2012 as part of a comprehensive package of proposals aimed at …
With a 95 to 38 vote, New York’s full Assembly has given approval to a bill that would seal the criminal records of those charged with possessing marijuana. According to government statistics, there have been over 800,000 people arrested in New York for simple cannabis possession in the last 20 years, making the reaches of …
President Obama yesterday commuted the sentences of 102 more people, the “vast majority” of which have been in prison for nonviolent drug-related offenses. This brings the total number of pardons granted by Obama to 774, more than the number of commutations issued by the last 11 presidents combined. “The vast majority of today’s grants were …
Yesterday President Barack Obama commuted the sentences of 58 people serving prison time for federal drug-related offenses. This follows the commutation of 61 individuals on March 30th of this year, and 162 individuals in 2015. Each of the individuals receiving a pardon were in prison for a nonviolent drug offense, many victims of the disparity …
By Drug Policy Alliance Majorities of Republicans, Democrats and Independents Oppose Arresting People for Simple Possession of Any Drug, Want Health Insurers to Provide Treatment and Support Eliminating Mandatory Minimum Sentences for Non-Violent Drug Offenders CONCORD, NH — A substantial majority of New Hampshire presidential primary voters support decriminalizing drug possession, according to a new poll …
Maine Governor Paul LePage is drawing outrage over racist remarks he made recently about out of state drug dealers, “…with the name D-Money, Smoothie, Shifty” impregnating the “young white” girls of Maine. The comments came at a townhall meeting when LePage was asked to address substance abuse in the state. “LePage’s comments sound like those …
Earlier today the United States House Judiciary Committee gave unanimous approval to the Sentencing Reform Act, a historic bill that would reduce mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses, expand judges discretions to give sentences lower than the mandatory minimums in some cases, while making most of the sentencing changes apply retroactively. “This vote today is …
The United States Senate today passed the FY2016 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Bill, which includes language that would allow Veterans Administration (VA) doctors to recommend medical cannabis to their patients in states where medical cannabis is legal. “Veterans in medical marijuana states should be treated the same as any other resident, and should …
Tomorrow, October 28th, the Mexico Supreme Court will take the historic step of considering the legalization of recreational cannabis. The court will be deciding whether or not it’s unconstitutional for the nation to prohibit possession and cultivation of the plant. “This debate in Mexico’s Supreme Court is extraordinary for two reasons: because it is being …
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee voted 15 to 5 today to pass the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act, which would reduce mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses, expand early release programs and expand the federal “safety valve”, (which gives judges discretion to give an individual a sentence lower than the mandatory minimum). “This vote today …
