California

ArcView analyzes state of world legal cannabis markets in 2019

Planet WatchCalifornia's ArcView Market Research and its affiliated BDS Analytics have released a "2019 Update" to the 6th edition of their report on The State of Legal Marijuana Markets, which was published back in June. The Update takes stock of events in the second half of the year, and anticipates that worldwide spending on legal cannabis will grow 39.1% to $17 billion in 2019.

Tulsi Gabbard, cannabis and the single-issue dilemma

Posted on January 24th, 2019 by Bill Weinberg and tagged , , , , , , , , .

TulsiAmong the current crowded field of Democratic hopefuls for the 2020 presidential race, at least a handful have progressive positions on cannabis. Among these, the most outspoken on the question has probably been Hawaii's Tulsi Gabbard—who, unfortunately, has deeply problematic stances on some other very critical issues.

Cannabis impacts on adolescent brain: skeptical views overlooked (surprise)

Posted on January 17th, 2019 by Bill Weinberg and tagged , , , , , , .

Reefer MadnessIn what is starting to smell like an anti-cannabis media campaign, headlines erupt this week on the possible deleterious effects of cannabis on the developing brains of young teens. Again, the accounts are one-sided—and the political assumptions behind them flawed.

Recent days have seen successive stories in the media on the supposed mental health hazards of cannabis—seeming to signal a backlash to recent gains in normalizing the plant and overcoming the stigma.

Efforts mount to expunge old cannabis convictions

Posted on January 15th, 2019 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , , , , , , , , .

leafWith cannabis now legal in 10 US states as well as Canada, demands are growing to wipe out past convictions for personal possession. Politicians have started to respond—but not fast enough for some advocates.

HR 420 introduced to deschedule cannabis

Posted on January 14th, 2019 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , , , , , , .

capitolA House bill to legalize cannabis, removing it from the Controlled Substances Act and treating it like alcohol, is wryly dubbed HR 420. It isn't the first such bill in Congress—but with the recent change in House leadership, this time it may actually stand a chance of passing.

Vermont high court: smell of cannabis doesn't justify search and seizure

Posted on January 10th, 2019 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , , , , , , .

constitutionIn a win both for cannabis freedom and racial justice, Vermont's top court ruled in favor of a motorist whose car was searched on the ostensible basis that a state trooper smelled pot—and the probable basis that he is African American.

Podcast: the dialectics of cannabis liberation

leafIn Episode 24 of the CounterVortex podcast, Bill Weinberg notes the historic strides toward liberation of the cannabis plant in 2018, from the fabled four corners of the Earth. Yet under capitalism, every advance also opens new contradictions.

Growing acceptance of medical marijuana for veterans —but some still in 'exile'

Posted on November 11th, 2018 by Bill Weinberg and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , .

VA medical marijuana accessAs evidence mounts for the efficacy of cannabis in treating PTSD, medical marijuana is fast being normalized in the veterans' community. But many have been "exiled" from their home states that have no medical marijuana programs—and the federal Department of Veterans Affairs is only beginning to demonstrate any tolerance on the question.

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