Breaking news out of Congress! Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) is leading a new bipartisan bill that would modify the federal Controlled Substances Act, so that anyone acting in compliance with a state marijuana law would be immune from federal prosecution.

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher

The Respect for State Marijuana Laws Act would protect marijuana users, dispensary operators, and other individuals who have been courageous enough to help take production and sales above ground into state-regulated markets.

Three Republicans and three Democrats have currently co-signed the bipartisan bill: Reps. Rohrabacher, Justin Amash (R-MI), Don Young (R-AK), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Steve Cohen (D-TN) and Jared Polis (D-CO).

If you don’t see your member of Congress on that list, please use our online action center to urge them to co-sponsor the Respect State Marijuana Laws Act and then urge your friends to do the same!

Rep. Kelly Alexander

North Carolina State Rep. Kelly Alexander, Jr. (D-Mecklenburg) introduced a bill to downgrade the penalty for simple possession of marijuana in the state.  H637, which was co-sponsored by seven of Rep. Alexander’s Democratic colleagues, passed first reading Wednesday and was referred to the House Committee on Judiciary.

Currently, individuals in North Carolina convicted of possession of under a half-ounce of marijuana typically receive a fine and a suspended sentence. While the existing law keeps most marijuana consumers out of jail, it still leaves individuals with stigmatizing criminal records.

Under H637, those found possessing less than an ounce of marijuana would receive a civil infraction rather than a suspended sentence and a rap sheet. The bill also allows past offenders to have their records expunged.

If you live in North Carolina, ask your lawmakers to join Rep. Alexander in bringing sensible reform to the state then  urge your friends and family to do the same.

Thousands of medical marijuana patients in the United States rely on the drug to alleviate a multitude of symptoms from cachexia to nerve pain; nevertheless, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) still considers it a Schedule I controlled substance that has no accepted medical use.

Despite this law-enforcement-agency-approved “analysis,” doctors are conducting their own research. In Israel, the Meir Medical Center is recruiting Crohn’s Disease sufferers for a study on the ability of marijuana to treat the inflammatory bowel disease, which affects 400,000-600,000 North Americans.

In San Francisco, for more than five years, doctors at California Pacific Medical Center have been studying the effects of the marijuana compound cannabidiol (CBD) on metastatic cancer cells (i.e., very aggressive tumor cells).  In their recently published large-scale animal trial, brain scans revealed the disruption of tumor cells after CBD was used to switch off a specific gene regulator.

These promising results left researchers optimistic and they believe that the findings warrant human trials. They will work to secure funding in the upcoming months for two trial groups, one for brain cancer and the other for breast cancer.

Will these and other studies finally convince our government that science, not myth, should dictate how we approach marijuana?

Former NFL defensive end and linebacker Jason Taylor appeared on CNN’s inaptly named roundtable show (Get To) The Point last week, where he said some cringe worthy statements about marijuana policy reform:

“Just because the status quo is not working on law enforcement right now does that mean that, ‘You know what we can’t beat it so let’s just legalize it and do it?’ … Well you know what, it’s against the law to rob banks. If we can’t control it, just legalize it. What’s next? What’s next? I mean really, what’s next?”

Aside from equating marijuana use to robbing banks, Taylor also likened it to crack and suggested that legalizing and regulating marijuana would result in the legalization of cocaine, ecstasy, and other “crazy outside-the-box drugs.”

In another bizarre – but this time awesome – moment in sports-related news, legendary sportscaster Bob Costas named Ludacris as his favorite rapper for being the first to “name check” him and then proceeded to quote the following lyric from Luda’s “Hip Hop Quotables” song:

“Now I roll up torpedoes, get blunted with rastas

For a hefty fee, I’m on your record like Bob Costas.”

On Tuesday, reported in the New Times Broward-Palm Beach, the Florida State Attorney’s office in Manatee Country dropped all charges against Cathy Jordan’s husband, Robert, once it was established that Cathy needs marijuana for medical reasons.

Law enforcement officers raided the Jordan home on February 25 after a state employee who was visiting a neighbor spotted some marijuana plants on their property. After confiscating the plants, deputies referred the case to prosecutors, listing Robert for potential cultivation charges.

Cathy, the namesake to medical marijuana legislation, the Cathy Jordan Medical Cannabis Act, has been using marijuana to alleviate her ALS-related symptoms since 1989. The bill, which would allow patients to possess up to four ounces of marijuana and grow up to eight marijuana plants, has stalled for the year in Florida’s GOP-controlled legislature.

If you are a Florida resident, please contact your lawmakers and ask them to support medical marijuana.

Rep. Lang and Sen. Haine

As Illinois lawmakers consider granting qualified patients legal access to medical marijuana, Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie) and Sen. Bill Haine (D-Alton) took time to support House Bill 1 in the State Journal Register.

The two Illinoisans comprehensibly expounded on the bill’s contents, describing a heavily monitored system that could not only serve as a national model, but also raise revenue, help offset regulatory and law enforcement costs, and finance effective anti-drug campaigns.

More importantly, they reminded readers that behind House Bill 1 were real people:

Medical marijuana isn’t as much an issue of law and order as it is of basic human rights. But patients using medical marijuana should not be treated any differently from those who use prescription drugs obtained from a pharmacy. Together, these polices recognize public will, the safety concerns of our communities, and above all else, the needs of those suffering Illinois residents for whom marijuana is the best medicine in providing relief to help them manage untreatable pain in their daily lives.

We’ve come a long way, but we need your help to get over the finish line. If you live in Illinois, please ask your legislators to support medical marijuana, then send this message to your friends and ask them to do the same. Thanks!

Congratulations to Liz Wohl, this year’s adult runner-up in the Denver Post Peeps diorama and sculpture contest. Wohl’s “Peeposition 64: Peeps’ Bake-Off” depicts Peeps responsibly enjoying the newly legalized marijuana in the comfort of their own home.

She says she thought about dressing her Peeps in tie-dye and dreadlocks, but “didn’t want to be cliche. It’s a nice house, they’re in compliance — they have their six plants,” says Wohl. She added a Gov. Peepenlooper to the party, complete with Goldfish crackers and Cheetos. Judges liked the topicality, details and humor of this one.

(Photo: Kathryn Scott Osler, The Denver Post)

It used to be that if a celebrity were caught smoking marijuana, he or she would have to perform a whole song and dance to the tune of regret and shame. There’d be the pulled endorsements, the heartfelt public apology via print, the heartfelt public apology via talk show circuit, and the hefty donation to a drug rehabilitation center. And even after all the tears and penitence, some careers just couldn’t recover.

Luckily, more and more celebrities are refusing to apologize for using a substance that is safer than alcohol, and more sectors of society are refusing to stigmatize them for it.

With social followings in the millions, entertainers like Rihanna and Justin Bieber are in a unique position. They have a platform to educate people about the comparative dangers of marijuana versus alcohol and to reach out to elected officials to promote policy change. We can only hope that as the fear of ruined careers dissipates further, more celebrities will take advantage of that platform and help out the people who face much harsher consequences for making the safer choice: everyone else.

Some, such as Brad Pitt, have already started.

On Tuesday, in pharmacies across the Czech Republic, medical marijuana was made available to patients suffering from cancer, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, or psoriasis. Marijuana is available by prescription only, and must be imported from the Netherlands or Israel since a cultivation program is not yet included in the law.

The Czech Senate overwhelmingly voted in favor of a medical marijuana bill earlier this year, and President Vaclav Klaus signed the bill into law on February 15.

The law does not mandate that medical marijuana be covered by health insurance nor does it allow for home cultivation by patients. Regardless, the country has some of the most lenient marijuana laws in Europe. Possession of five or less plants is merely a misdemeanor, and fines for possession of 15 grams or less are on par with parking citations.

April is Alcohol Awareness Month, which in Portland means it’s time for the annual Spring Beer & Wine Fest. Locals may notice something different about this year’s festival: a massive sign reminding onlookers that marijuana is safer than alcohol.

MPP’s latest billboard, located at Southwest 13th and Alder Streets, features a glass of beer, a glass of wine, and a marijuana leaf below the words “Beer,” “Wine,” and “Safer.”

“Our goal is to make this year’s beer and wine festivals as educational as they are enjoyable,” said Roy Kaufmann, MPP’s Oregon representative. “We know Oregonians are proud of our craft beer, wine, and spirits, but the objective fact remains that marijuana is less toxic and less addictive than alcohol, and it is far less likely to contribute to violent and reckless behavior.”