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Alabama Legislature drops resistance, OKs medical marijuana
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Alabama lawmakers overcame years of resistance and gave final passage to medical marijuana legislation on Thursday, capping a long and emotional debate in which key Republican lawmakers described switching sides in favour of the proposal. The House…
How the Gaetz probe grew from sex trafficking to medical pot
ORLANDO, Fla. – When Rep. Matt Gaetz vacationed in the Bahamas in 2018, he was joined by a doctor who donated to his campaign and a former colleague in the Florida Legislature. The Republican congressman, Dr. Jason Pirozzolo and Halsey…
Marijuana social equity: Seeds planted but will they grow?
DENVER – Terrence Hewing was working for a package delivery company in 2007 when police approached his cargo van in suburban Denver. He was early for a pickup, and someone out for a walk called authorities after seeing him napping…
Should states set pot policy by its potency? Some say yes
NEW YORK – As marijuana legalization spreads across U.S. states, so does a debate over whether to set pot policy by potency. Under a law signed last month, New York will tax recreational marijuana based on its amount of THC,…
Swap the crop? New York hemp farmers eager to grow marijuana
ALBANY, N.Y. – Legal marijuana is coming to New York and hemp farmer Samir Mahadin sees it as a potential lifeline. Farmers dealing with depressed prices for plants that produce CBD are eager to take part in a statewide marijuana…
New Mexico governor signs bill to legalize recreational pot
SANTA FE, N.M. – New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed legislation Monday legalizing recreational marijuana use within months and kicking off sales next year, making it the seventh state since November to put an end to pot prohibition. The…
Marijuana growing equipment may have caused LA explosion
LOS ANGELES – Equipment from a marijuana grow in a Los Angeles home’s garage may have caused an explosion that shattered the structures, trapping one man in the debris and sending another to the hospital with critical burn injuries, authorities…
Virginia becomes first Southern state to legalize marijuana
RICHMOND, Va. – Virginia became the first Southern state to legalize marijuana Wednesday, as lawmakers voted to approve Gov. Ralph Northam’s proposed changes to a bill that will allow adults to possess and cultivate small amounts of the drug starting…
New Mexico primed to join US recreational pot wave
New Mexico is joining a wave of states that are legalizing recreational marijuana as its Democrat-dominated Legislature sent a package of cannabis bills Wednesday to a supportive governor. Lawmakers used a marathon two-day legislative session to push through marijuana legalization…
New York is latest state to legalize recreational marijuana
New York adults over the age of 21 can now possess and use marijuana — even in public — under a legalization bill signed Wednesday by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, though legal sales of recreational-use cannabis won’t start for an estimated…
Virginia governor seeks to accelerate marijuana legalization
Adults in Virginia could legally possess and grow small amounts of marijuana beginning in July, about three years sooner than initially envisioned, under changes the governor proposed Wednesday to legislation passed earlier this year. “Our Commonwealth is committed to legalizing…
New York lawmakers agree to legalize recreational marijuana
ALBANY, N.Y. – New York is poised to join a growing number of states that have legalized marijuana after state lawmakers reached a deal to allow sales of the drug for recreational use. The agreement reached Saturday would expand the…
5 White House staffers lose jobs over drugs, marijuana use
Five White House staffers have been fired because of their past use of drugs, including marijuana, press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday. Marijuana has become a delicate issue for President Joe Biden’s administration because 15 states and Washington, D.C., allow…
Virginia lawmakers vote to legalize marijuana in 2024
RICHMOND, Va. – Virginia lawmakers gave final approval Saturday to a bill that will legalize marijuana for adult recreational use, but not until 2024, when retail sales of the drug would also begin. With a compromise bill clearing the House…
Jamaica faces marijuana shortage as farmers struggle
KINGSTON, Jamaica – Jamaica is running low on ganja. Heavy rains followed by an extended drought, an increase in local consumption and a drop in the number of marijuana farmers have caused a shortage in the island’s famed but largely…