California Passes Recreational Marijuana Bill Prop 64

California Passes Recreational Marijuana Bill Prop 64

Adult Use of Marijuana Act allows residents to possess and grow weed, though legal purchase may take up to a year

http://img.wennermedia.com/article-l...4b8b608f7f.jpgCalifornia has passed Proposition 64, a law legalizing recreational marijuana. Fredric J. Brown/Getty

By Kory Grow
5 minutes ago

California voters passed the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, also known as Proposition 64, Tuesday, making it legal to smoke marijuana recreationally in the state, according to the Associated Press. Californians may now grow and possess pot, but Los Angeles Times reports they won't be able to purchase it legally until dispensaries are properly licensed. The state has until January 1st, 2018 to begin issuing licenses. The Times estimates it may take up to a year for lawmakers to set up the rules necessary to regulate the marijuana industry.

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The newly passed proposition allows adults 21 and older to use marijuana however they'd like in their own homes and in licensed businesses, according to Ballotpedia. Citizens may possess up to 28.5 grams of marijuana and grow up to six plants at their private home, as long as they're locked and not visible to the public. It also allows the state to tax the cultivation and sale of pot; cities and counties may also impose their own taxes. Revenue from the taxes will go to drug research, youth programs and other community resources related to regulating the marijuana industry.

Much like laws regulating alcohol, it is still illegal for Californians to drive under the influence of marijuana. Users may also not smoke in public places or wherever smoking tobacco is illegal. In addition, they cannot possess it on school grounds, daycare centers or youth centers where children are present.

If people under the age of 18 are found to be using marijuana, they will have to attend drug education and counseling programs and perform community service. People who sell pot without a license face up to six months in jail and up to a $500 fine. People who smoke weed in public face up to a $100 fine, and people who are caught smoking in public places or near a school face up to a $250 fine.

People currently serving time for weed-related offenses covered under the law are now eligible for re-sentencing.

Medical marijuana has been legal in California since 1996, though it is still illegal at the federal level. For decades, the DEA has classified marijuana as a "Schedule I" substance, which it defines as "drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse"; other Schedule I drugs include ecstasy and heroin. While a number of states have allowed medical marijuana use – and Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Alaska have passed laws allowing recreational use – the Department of Justice has not been exercising its right to prosecute people using the drug.

http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/...rop-64-w448877

This is a huge relief. No more quack medical marijuana clinics. No more petty arrests in place of real law enforcement. No more gangsters making easy money. No more rebellious hubris over sitting around stoned. No more CAMP.

That's all over. This is the way it should have been fifty years ago. How many wasted and ruined lives from pointless prison time? How much wasted money and time in the courts and law enforcement?

The future of marijuana in the market place? In that quiet little space next to the expensive liquor at your local grocer next to the tobacco. And we will learn to spurn it like tobacco too. The radical politics of marijuana is officially dead and good riddance.

Florida OKs medical marijuana amendment

Marijuana Legalization Election Results: CA, MA, NV Passes; AZ Rejects; ME Up for Grabs

The five states have voted on full legalization, while four other states could legalize medical marijuana.

By Marc Torrence (Patch National Staff) -
November 9, 2016 9:24 am ET

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http://cdn20.patchcdn.com/users/2285...51675-1159.jpg

California, Massachusetts and Nevada have voted to legalize recreational marijuana in their states, while Arizona rejected its measure and Maine was still too close to call Wednesday morning.

The results of the three statewide marijuana initiatives on the ballot Tuesday night, especially in massive California, could make for a landmark moment in efforts to legalize the recreational drug and push toward a repeal of federal cannabis prohibition.

Four other states — Arkansas, Florida, Montana and North Dakota — passed ballot measures legalizing medical marijuana.

"This is obviously a positive development, particularly with the size of California," Morgan Fox, a spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project, told Patch by phone early Wednesday morning. "The money that was going into the hands of criminals is going to be going into legitimate businesses."

In states where these initiatives passed, the new laws will pave the way for openings of recreational marijuana stores and public spaces where people can smoke publicly, as happened in Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Alaska, where weed is already legal.

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SEE ALSO: Full Presidential Election Results As They Come In

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States were reporting high voter turnout, likely because of the highly charged presidential race at the top of the ticket.

Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap reported strong voter turnout throughout the state Tuesday morning. "Voter participation is high," Dunlap said in a statement. Turnout was also strong across much of Massachusetts.

http://patch.com/us/across-america/m...ca-ma-az-nv-me

They can NOT sell CA. Marijuana in liquor stores, 7-11 or WalMart.

They can only sell it in licensed Marijuana Stores.


Voters legalize pot in California.
Here's what will happen next


Patrick McGreevy Contact Reporter

Voters on Tuesday approved Proposition 64, an initiative that will make California the most populous state in the nation to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, setting state officials in motion to build a massive retail sales system to accommodate the new law.

The ballot measure was buoyed by a flood of $16 million in campaign cash from supporters including former Facebook President Sean Parker.

The approval of the ballot measure would create the largest market for marijuana products in the U.S. It comes six years after California voters narrowly rejected a similar measure. Activists lauded the expected passage as an important moment in a fight for marijuana legalization across the U.S.

“Proposition 64 will allow California to take its rightful place as the center of cannabis innovation, research and development,” said Nate Bradley, executive director of the California Cannabis Industry Assn.

The initiative allows Californians who are 21 and older to possess, transport and buy up to 28.5 grams of marijuana and to use it for recreational purposes. That expands the law that 20 years ago legalized marijuana for medical use in California.

California is the largest of five states that were considering the legalization of recreational marijuana use Tuesday and approval here was seen as a milestone in the effort to end prohibition of pot nationwide. Another four states — Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Alaska — have previously legalized pot.

“I think it’s the beginning of the end of the war on marijuana in the United States,” said Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who was the leading voice of the campaign. “I think it will have repercussions internationally, particularly in Mexico and Latin America. And there are a million people who tomorrow can begin the process of clearing their records.”

The new California initiative would allow adults to grow as many as six plants for personal use. In addition, the ballot measure allows retail sales of marijuana by licensed shops and imposes a 15% excise tax.

Although the measure’s passage would immediately allow adults to possess and grow marijuana, there may not be places to legally purchase it for some time.

The measure only allows non-medical marijuana to be sold by state licensed businesses, and it gives the state until Jan. 1, 2018, to begin issuing sales licenses for recreational retailers.

The approval of Proposition 64 sets off a scramble by state agencies, law enforcement, university researchers and local governments to prepare California for a system that allows people to legally buy and use recreational marijuana.

Updates from Sacramento »

“We’re in a period of massive transformation in cannabis policy,” said Assemblyman Rob Bonta (D-Oakland), a leading lawmaker on marijuana issues.

The issue of when people can legally buy marijuana is one that the state Legislature is expected to grapple with when it returns in January.

Bonta said lawmakers will likely consider allowing existing medical dispensaries to be given temporary, interim power to sell marijuana for recreational use until the new licensing system is in place.

“We have to consider honoring the spirit of the law and making it work,” Bonta said. “If it’s legal to use but there is nowhere to buy, then I think we could consider a special, conditional, time-restrained license that could be operative for a short period of time while we bridge into the new regime that Proposition 64 envisions. That is definitely possible.”

Some in the industry would prefer to let cities and counties approve temporary licenses to sell recreational pot to avoid delays while people are allowed to possess marijuana.

“If you don’t fill that vacuum with regulated sales, then people are going to go to the black market,” Bradley said.

The Legislature will also have to decide whether to reconcile differences between Proposition 64’s regulation of recreational pot and the law approved last year by the Legislature for medical marijuana — or to have two different regulatory schemes.

The state is expected to create a task force to look at which rules to merge.

Some of the changes will be easy. The name of the state agency that will regulate and license marijuana sales will immediately change from the current Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulation to the state Bureau of Marijuana Control to reflect its broader mission.

Lori Ajax, who was appointed to head the bureau last spring, is hiring staff and holding public meetings to draft regulations on issues that include licensing.

The approval of Proposition 64 also triggers a five-year, $15-million study by the California Highway Patrol to develop standards and protocols for determining when a marijuana user is too impaired to safely drive a vehicle.

The campaign this year had a big advantage over the failed effort of six years ago. With financial support from Parker and New York hedge fund billionaire George Soros, the campaign was able to raise about 10 times brought in by the opposition.

Newsom, the face of the campaign, argued that the national "war on drugs" has failed while disproportionately hurting minority residents and wasting law enforcement resources.

Proposition 64 was opposed by most major law enforcement groups, including the California Assn. of Highway Patrolmen, the Peace Officers Research Assn. of California, and the California Police Chiefs Assn.

Opponents, who also included California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, cited problems including teen drug abuse and impaired driving experienced in states where recreational use was previously legalized.

California Gov. Jerry Brown has voiced concerns in the past about marijuana use affecting worker productivity but did not take a position on Proposition 64, despite a request by five former heads of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency that that he oppose the measure.

http://www.trbimg.com/img-5822bc47/t...07/300/300x169
10 things you need to know about legalized pot in California

It will continue to be illegal to smoke marijuana in public and at locations where tobacco use is outlawed, including restaurants and theaters. Violators will face fines.

Smoking pot is also prohibited within 1,000 feet of a school, daycare or youth center when children are present. In addition, motorists cannot smoke marijuana while driving.

The initiative bars the marketing of marijuana products to minors, which means ads would not be able to use symbols, language, music or cartoon characters aimed at appealing to those who are underage.

Federal law will continue to designate marijuana as an illegal drug, and federally regulated television and radio states are not allowed to advertise illegal drugs. If federal law should ever change, the ballot measure would require that broadcast, cable, radio, print and digital marketing only be displayed where at least 71.6% of the audience is reasonably expected to be 21 or older.

In addition to the excise tax, the ballot measure would charge a cultivation tax on growers of $9.25 per ounce for flowers and $2.75 per ounce for leaves. Cities and counties could also create their own excise taxes.

The state taxes are expected to generate up to $1 billion annually to be used to cover the state’s enforcement costs, allow research into impaired driving and pay for drug prevention, job placement, mental health treatment and drug abuse treatment.

Aaron Herzberg, an attorney and partner with marijuana product firm CalCann Holdings, said he expects California’s action to reverberate throughout the nation.

“Approving recreational marijuana in California, the sixth-largest economy in the world, and a state that often sets the trend nationwide, is the death knell of a failed policy of prohibition,” Herzberg said.

http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-p...108-story.html

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

They can NOT sell CA. Marijuana in liquor stores, 7-11 or WalMart.

They can only sell it in licensed Marijuana Stores.

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That will change after the market drops out. Making marijuana legal for commercial sale changes everything. The death of Prohibition meant the death of the speakeasy, those hot spot businesses raking in cash over providing a venue for drinking illegally. You could also get a medical license to consume alcohol then. Back then too, doctors suddenly decided that alcohol had medicinal properties.

Right now commercial marijuana looks pretty prosperous, but this is driven by the fact that it is still local by state. It is the same prosperity that put "Dutch" on the map as a tourist destination. The Netherlands remains a prosperous area for cannabis sales for the same reason. It is a source of attraction for those from other regions looking for a place to get stoned without threat of law enforcement. Legal sales localities are also a draw for those who continue to distribute illegally in states not yet legalized.

The federal government needs to lift its ban on marijuana and leave it to the States. The feds should also consider a legalization program for all recreational drugs, regulate the sales by quantity and quality, make it domestic only, no imports or exports, license all players, who must be US CITIZENS ONLY, tax the sales under the FairTax, use part of the revenue to fund better education of the real risk and consequences of using drugs, and fund free rehab on demand without stigma for anyone who wants or needs it, then stop worrying about it.

In California, Marijuana Is Smelling More Like Big Business - The New ...

www.nytimes.com/.../in-california-marijuana-is-smelling-more-like-big-business.html
Apr 11, 2016 - The opening of the marijuana industry here to corporate dollars has caused a ... Medical marijuana sales in California hit $2.7 billion last year, ...


Legal U.S. Marijuana Market Will Grow To $7.1 Billion In 2016: Report

www.forbes.com/.../legal-u-s-marijuana-market-will-grow-to-7-1-billion-in-2016-rep...

Apr 19, 2016 - Legal marijuana has never been a bigger business. ... market estimation of between $35 and $45 billion dollars, based on data from the USDA, ...

Appeals court rules feds can't prosecute medical marijuana cases ...

www.foxnews.com/.../appeals-court-rules-feds-cant-prosecute-medical-marijuana-cases-...
Aug 16, 2016 - Appeals court rules feds can't prosecute medical marijuana cases unless state law violated. Published August .... A small step towards sanity...

That's a fraction of the business. The entire illegal drug trade is over a $300 billion a year industry, 70% of it is marijuana, over $240 billion a year of it comes in over the Southern Border. Every year that we don't legalize and regulate, that's $300 billion of our money that leaves our country, never to be seen again. You add the costs of illegal immigration needed to run and operate the illegal drug trade, including welfare, education, health care and crime, which is more than $113 billion a year, that's over $400 billion a year plus the costs of job loss and unemployment, and every 10 years that's $4 trillion of our economy up in smoke, gone forever, because of the War on Drugs.

It's time to wake up and get smart. It's time to legalize and regulate the illegal drug trade, tax it under the FairTax and use portions of this revenue to better educate and rehabilitate all paid for by drug users who buy the products.

If they legalize for the Tax $$$...then a percentage of those taxes need to be put in a separate FUND paying for the crime, overdoses, hospital costs, car accidents and all other costs associated for the repercussions of this!

This is just another get rich quick scheme that has unintended consequences.

They think they are going to make a fortune...then spend that tax money on their slush funds...then screw the taxpayers to pay for the damages incurred. NO NO NO

Taxpayers should not pay for any damages!

From the article:

. . . It also allows the state to tax the cultivation and sale of pot; cities and counties may also impose their own taxes. Revenue from the taxes will go to drug research, youth programs and other community resources related to regulating the marijuana industry.

Much like laws regulating alcohol, it is still illegal for Californians to drive under the influence of marijuana. Users may also not smoke in public places or wherever smoking tobacco is illegal. In addition, they cannot possess it on school grounds, daycare centers or youth centers where children are present. . .

California just legalized marijuana, and it's going to have a huge impact on the economy

• Ben Gilbert

• 7h
• 21,607

California is the world's sixth largest economy, only outpaced by the US (as a whole), China, Japan, Germany, and the UK. The Golden State's economic output for 2015 came in at $2.46 trillion.

Let's be clear: We're talking about a single US state economy compared with those of entire countries. California, on that scale, is number six.

And that's why it's such a tremendously big deal that California just fully legalized marijuana, just like Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and Alaska before it.

http://static4.businessinsider.com/i...0832622185.jpgCustomers buying products at the Harvest Medical Marijuana Dispensary in San Francisco on April 20, 2016. AP Photo/ Haven Daley

We're not talking about de-criminalization, or police de-prioritization.

We're talking about alcohol-style regulation and sale of marijuana to adults, age 21 and up. We're talking about legally allowed personal cultivation, state/local taxation of retail sales/distribution, and re-evaluation of sentences/records for people charged with marijuana offenses.

We're talking about outright, full-on legalization of marijuana. And in the world's sixth largest economy, that means billions of dollars.

http://static5.businessinsider.com/i...ize_arrows.jpgWho doesn't like charts? New Frontier Data / Arcview Market Research

California's Proposition 64 passed on November 8, and retail sales are set to begin by January 1, 2018. Residents and visitors can start legally consuming marijuana immediately, as of 12:01 a.m. on November 9, but have nowhere to legally purchase cannabis for recreational use until 2018.

All of which is to say: Tax revenue isn't going to start rolling in until 2018.

When it does, California's looking at an additional $1.5 billion flooding into the marijuana market. That number swells to just shy of $3 billion in 2019, and nearly $4 billion by 2020, based on the latest report from New Frontier Data and ArcView Market Research.

And to be clear, that's on top of the already booming medical marijuana market — the total size of the cannabis market would reach $4.27 billion in 2018, and would grow to $6.45 billion by 2020.

The ballot initiative was overwhelming supported in California: 56% of voters supported Prop. 64, compared to just 44% opposed.

http://static5.businessinsider.com/i...7687418765.jpgThe Adult Use of Marijuana Act raised more than enough signatures to get Proposition 64 added to the state ballot in November. AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

Beyond the tremendous market growth above, the state of California itself stands to earn a substantial chunk of cash from marijuana legalization.

There are two specific taxes that Prop. 64 applies to legal marijuana:

1. Cultivation tax: $9.25/oz. for "flowers" (buds) and $2.75/oz. for "leaves" (trimming from the marijuana plant that's often used to produce derivative THC-based products).
2. Retail tax: 15% tax on the retail price (with inflation adjustment starting in 2020).

In addition, local governments could apply additional taxes; they could also offer tax-free benefits in an effort to encourage marijuana industry growth.

So, what's the impact in dollars?

Anywhere from, "high hundreds of millions of dollars to over $1 billion annually," according to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's office. That's before factoring in, "reduced criminal justice costs of tens of millions of dollars annually."

California joins two other states that voted in favor of fully legalizing marijuana this November: Massachusetts and Nevada. Maine is also on the verge of legalization, though votes are still coming in as of publishing.

http://www.businessinsider.com/marij...conomy-2016-11

Never thought I'd live to see the day government aided and prospered in the distribution of marijuana. IMO, this is a big mistake that will only make the drug more accessible to children and contribute to the destruction of young minds and families. Greed is not an excuse for stupidity. And anyone that thinks this will end the illegal drug trade is not thinking clearly.

I really do not understand how the people in California who over the years have worked so hard to stigmatize anyone who smokes tobacco passed this. I mean really, on the same ballot the voters passed prop 56. An $2.00 tax increase per pack, with equivlant increase on other tobacco products and electronic cigarettes. Revenues to be used primarily to augment spending on health care for low-income (Californians).
I guess it would be cheaper for cigarette smokers to switch to smoking home grown pot.

Every time California says that taxes are going to be put in a fund for anything they include the wording that the state can use the money for some sort of emergency and the state always finds a reason to take the money. If all the money that was supposed to go to our schools and education wasn't redirected somewhere else, we would have the best schools in the country.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MontereySherry

. . . I guess it would be cheaper for cigarette smokers to switch to smoking home grown pot.

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They can grow their own tobacco and roll it themselves and not pay any taxes on their cigarettes. :cool:

http://www.alipac.us/f9/warning-big-...4/#post1525177

Our city prohibits marijuana dispensaries within the city, delivering marijuana within the city or cultivating marijuana in the city except 6 plants in private homes. The police dept sent out a message explaining prop 64 stating the law and limits and saying they will enforce the law to the fullest extent.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MontereySherry

Every time California says that taxes are going to be put in a fund for anything they include the wording that the state can use the money for some sort of emergency and the state always finds a reason to take the money. If all the money that was supposed to go to our schools and education wasn't redirected somewhere else, we would have the best schools in the country.

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The same thing has happened in N.C. with the lottery. The lottery passed years ago with the promise that all the profits would be funneled into education. The lottery received voter approval through false pretense.

Denver first U.S. city to legalize social marijuana in clubs, bars, restaurants

Trump’s pick for attorney general: ‘Good people don’t smoke marijuana’

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images...rYZ_bigger.jpgTommy ChongVerified account‏@tommychong

The Hollywood sign was changed to say Hollyweed today

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Tommy Chong ‏@tommychong 10 Nov 2016

Get America Stoned Again

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WHY OPPOSE LEGALIZATION

Marijuana, called weed, is a weed. The idea that a weed can be regulated, is speculative. Can we tax and regulate dandelions?

Poppot’s reasons to oppose marijuana legalization are:

1) Legalization is promoted as a new and fast way to make money. The National Cannabis Industry Association describes the marijuana business summit in Denver on June 24-25, 2014: “Where Commerce Meets Revolution.” The marijuana lobby has advanced its cause as a money-making activity during the Great Recession. As the mortgage industry sold itself with the goal of quick profits on the backs of others, the pot industry is pushing marijuana as the next great “get-rich” quick scheme for sales entrepreneurs.

2) Like the tobacco industry, the marijuana industry knows that in order to keep a a steady stream of buyers, young and under-aged users need to get “hooked” on their product.

3) Every time pro-pot propagandists put out their message, they send a message to the children that pot is harmless. The issue of pot legalization is not about adult users and their freedom, but the deceptive messages aimed at the young. This message can only get stronger after marijuana advertising becomes legal.

4) The talk of legalizing marijuana raises the risk that someone who cares for your child — a babysitter, a bus driver, day care worker or teacher — may be under the influence and endangering the child. A recent 20/20 segment showed the problem of lifeguards on pot.
Last summer a crane operator in Philadelphia killed 6 and injured 13 while demolishing a building. He tested positive for recent usage of marijuana. The pot lobby’s suggestion that marijuana comes without harm raises the risk that our children will be harmed by someone using marijuana, or will harm themselves with it.

5) Claims that legalizing marijuana would put criminals and cartels out of business are not based on fact. The Washington Postreported that Mexican cartels have switched to selling heroin in response to pot’s legalization in Colorado. We have heroin epidemics in many parts of the country. Most of the young people who have died from heroin began their drug use with marijuana. Isn’t legalization just making the downfall from drugs faster?

Tax and Regulate Won’t Work

6) Claims that legalization will bring in tax money don’t account for the cost of drug abuse, drug education and health care. Since mental health treatment is now mandated and the US has universal health care, the true cost of legalization could be 10 times greater than the tax income, which will require a bureaucracy to regulate and collect.

7) Claims that the justice system is unfair and that the War on Drugs hasn’t worked appeal to the strong anti-government, anti-regulatory sentiment. There are easier ways to keep unjust punishments from happening, like changing the sentencing guidelines. Smart Approaches to Marijuana proposes a different, health-based approach to justice. The percentage of people who go to jail for marijuana aloneis less than 1 % of those in state prisons. Most places do not incarcerate for marijuana possession unless other crimes are committed. The record has been intentionally exaggerated to sway public opinion.

8) Marijuana legalization has no precedent in the modern world. In the Netherlands, where marijuana has been tolerated in coffeehouse since the 1970s, recent restrictions were put in place. Uruguay, which has 3-1/2 million people, is the only country that has legalized marijuana, and only within the past year. The jury is still out on it. To compare to US to smaller, less powerful countries without diverse populations is faulty logic.

In Great Britain, more comparable the US, cannabis was transferred from a class B drug to class C in 2004, removing the threat of arrest for possession. In response to the problems seen and after noting a marked increase in mental health problems, including bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, it was reclassified back to Class B in 2009. Sweden and Denmark, for example, tightened their laws on marijuana and saw all forms of drug abuse go down.

9) Those who compare marijuana prohibition to alcohol prohibition don’t mention that AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) was founded in 1935, the year after the 13-year prohibition ended.
Marijuana lobbyists state that the 1937 Act which put nationwide marijuana prohibition in place, was a conspiracy. They don’t mention that California banned it in 1913, New York in 1914 and at least 30 states by 1930. Why ignore past experience?
http://www.poppot.org/wp-content/upl...972.png?111614Not Safer than Alcohol

10) Marijuana is not safer than alcohol. There are 450,000 hospital emergency room visits for marijuana in the US each year, higher than for alcohol, and this alone is a huge public health cost. While driving stoned is slightly less risky than driving drunk, stoned driving is not safe at all, and has been the cause of many deaths in Colorado since 2009, when medical marijuana became an industry.

11) Regulation is not working in Colorado and Washington and medical marijuana provides a cover for pot abuse in California and other states. Despite the popularity and high cost of marijuana in Colorado, the taxes have fallen short of expectation and don’t include the other societal costs, including children killed in fires and toddlers taken to hospital emergency room after ingesting marijuana edibles.

12) Comparisons to individuals who used marijuana with no apparent harm to their mental capacity are deceptive. Steve Jobs may have used pot, but few people begin with an IQ comparable to his. Astronomer Carl Sagan sung the praises of marijuana, but never used it before age 27, after his brain stopped developing. Winston Churchill was a brilliant statesman and an alcoholic, but his example can’t prove that alcohol abuse comes without harm.

13) We don’t know which young people will use marijuana and be negatively affected, or go to increasingly dangerous drugs. There is not a typical profile for youth who are susceptible to drug abuse. However, the downward spiral of starting with marijuana, then advancing to opiate pain killers, and then onto to heroin (sometimes with cocaine and ecstasy in the mix) is typical.

Drug Prevention

We can’t claim that everyone who tries marijuana will be harmed by it, or that one person’s reaction will be the same in another person. When we take unnecessary risks, we don’t necessarily know which risks will have bad and possibly fatal consequences.

The threat of jail should NOT be the reason for kids to stay off marijuana, though the vast majority of pot users who don’t commit other crimes never go to jail. The current discussion of legalization centers on individual liberty, if government can make money by taxing it and the criminal justice system. It does not mention how children will be affected by it, the most important factor.
In short, we aim at prevention through education. This education includes learning and understanding the motivation of the marijuana industry. It’s faulty logic to think to marijuana legalization will keep it away from youngsters and prevent drug abuse. We hope that your children will not begin to use marijuana, at least not during adolescent or the teen years when the risks are strongest. We can’t recommend one approach to avoid the risk, other than being a good role model and being present in their lives. We also suggest that, if the signs of a problem occur, don’t be passive and rationalize that all kids use drugs. Don’t wait for your child to hit rock bottom.

Actor Carroll O’Connor, who lost his son Hugh to drugs in 1995, famously said, “Get between your kid and drugs, any way you can, if you want to save the kid’s life.”

http://www.poppot.org/marijuana-legalization-is-wrong/

Here Is What You Need to Know About North Carolina's Marijuana Laws

July 26, 2016

Here are some facts about the current state of marijuana legislation in North Carolina:

1. The North Carolina legislature approved a significant reduction of penalties for marijuana possession back in 1977, far ahead of the current flood of decriminalization movements.
2. Possession of one half ounce or less of marijuana is a Class 3 misdemeanor which has a maximum fine of $200, any prison sentence has to be suspended under state law.
3. Possession of one half ounce to 1.5 ounces of weed is a Class 1 misdemeanor that may include 1 to 45 days behind bars and holds a discretionary fine for the first offense with a maximum fine of up to $1,000.
4. Any more than that and you are looking at 3 to 8 months of prison and a discretionary fine for your first offense.
5. North Carolina took a small step in the right direction when a CBD-focused law was enacted in 2014. The law prevented an enormous number of patients from safe access to cannabis and did not provide any source of extracts from within the state.
6. A comprehensive medical marijuana law (HB 78) was introduced in February 2015 to the state legislature that provided citizens protection from prosecution who suffer from a variety of serious medical conditions to use and possess marijuana. Later that march, the House Judiciary Committee struck the bill down.
7. Much like Alabama, blacks and whites use marijuana at a strikingly similar rate, however, while blacks make up 20% of the state population, they account for 50% of marijuana-related arrests.

https://www.merryjane.com/culture/he...marijuana-laws


Written on July 26, 2016 by
Blake Taylor

Blake Taylor worked for a leading medical/recreational marijuana grower in the Seattle area and has been a freelance writer for four years.

28 Legal Medical Marijuana States and DC

Laws, Fees, and Possession Limits

http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/f...ates-map-2.png

State	Year Passed How Passed (Yes Vote) Possession Limit
Marijuana State Laws – Summary Chart from ProCon.org
1.Alaska	1998 Ballot Measure 8 (58%) 1 oz usable; 6 plants (3 mature, 3 immature)
2.Arizona	2010 Proposition 203 (50.13%) 2.5 oz usable; 12 plants
3.Arkansas	2016 Ballot Measure Issue 6 (53.2%) 3 oz usable per 14-day period
4.California	1996 Proposition 215 (56%) 8 oz usable; 6 mature or 12 immature plants
5.Colorado	2000 Ballot Amendment 20 (54%) 2 oz usable; 6 plants (3 mature, 3 immature)
6.Connecticut	2012 House Bill 5389 (96-51 H, 21-13 S) 2.5 oz usable
7.Delaware	2011 Senate Bill 17 (27-14 H, 17-4 S) 6 oz usable
8.Florida	2016 Ballot Amendment 2 (71.3%) Amount to be determined
9.Hawaii	2000 Senate Bill 862 (32-18 H; 13-12 S) 4 oz usable; 7 plants
10.Illinois	2013 House Bill 1 (61-57 H; 35-21 S) 2.5 ounces of usable cannabis during a period of 14 days
11.Maine	2013 Ballot Question 2 (61%) 2.5 oz usable; 6 plants
12.Maryland	2014 House Bill 881 (125-11 H; 44-2 S) 30-day supply, amount to be determined
13.Massachusetts	2012 Ballot Question 3 (63%) 60-day supply for personal medical use (10 oz)
14.Michigan	2008 Proposal 1 (63%) 2.5 oz usable; 12 plants
15.Minnesota	2014 Senate Bill 2470 (46-16 S; 89-40 H) 30-day supply of non-smokable marijuana
16.Montana	2004 Initiative 148 (62%) 1 oz usable; 4 plants (mature); 12 seedlings
17.Nevada	2000 Ballot Question 9 (65%) 2.5 oz usable; 12 plants
18.New Hampshire	2013 House Bill 573 (284-66 H; 18-6 S) Two ounces of usable cannabis during a 10-day period
19.New Jersey	2010 Senate Bill 119 (48-14 H; 25-13 S) 2 oz usable
20.New Mexico	2007 Senate Bill 523 (36-31 H; 32-3 S) 6 oz usable; 16 plants (4 mature, 12 immature)
21.New York	2014 Assembly Bill 6357 (117-13 A; 49-10 S) 30-day supply non-smokable marijuana
22.North Dakota	2016 Ballot Measure 5 (63.7%) 3 oz per 14-day period
23.Ohio	2016 House Bill 523 (71-26 H; 18-15 S) Maximum of a 90-day supply, amount to be determined
24.Oregon	1998 Ballot Measure 67 (55%) 24 oz usable; 24 plants (6 mature, 18 immature)
25.Pennsylvania	2016 Senate Bill 3 (149-46 H; 42-7 S) 30-day supply
26.Rhode Island	2006 Senate Bill 0710 (52-10 H; 33-1 S) 2.5 oz usable; 12 plants
27.Vermont	2004 Senate Bill 76 (22-7) HB 645 (82-59) 2 oz usable; 9 plants (2 mature, 7 immature)
28.Washington	1998 Initiative 692 (59%) 8 oz usable; 6 plants
Washington, DC	2010 Amendment Act B18-622 (13-0 vote) 2 oz dried; limits on other forms to be determined
Marijuana State Laws – Summary Chart from ProCon.org

http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/v...ourceID=000881

Which States Have Legal Marijuana?

Johnny Green November 17, 2016, 12:26 pm

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The 2016 Election ushered in a new era in the marijuana world. 2012 saw the first states legalize recreational marijuana (Colorado and Washington). I will never forget the feeling in Denver the day after the 2012 Election. I was at the first ever Marijuana Business Conference and Expo hosted by Marijuana Business Daily back then, along with many other marijuana movement members. We all kept giving each other that look of ‘can you believe this is true!?’ the entire event. We were living in a post prohibition society, even if it was just in two states. For the record the event is in its fifth year, and had over 10,000 people attend it this year I’m told, up from 300ish the first year!

2014 was particularly fantastic for me personally because its when Oregon voted to legalize recreational marijuana, along with Alaska and Washington D.C.. I have been experiencing the benefits of legalization ever since. The 2016 Election had a different feel. Whereas the other elections were definitely significant, 2016 felt like the ‘beginning of the end’ for prohibition in America. Since Election Day a number of states have started exploring the idea of legalization. There have also been increased calls for the feds to end federal prohibition too.

The marijuana reform movement snowball is bigger than ever, and seems to get bigger every day. That has led to a lot of people asking the question ‘which states have legal marijuana?’ It’s a simple question, but as with most things marijuana related, the answer is not straight forward. 8 states and Washington D.C. have voted to legalize marijuana, however, not all of the states have implemented legalization.

As it stands right now, marijuana is legal in California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Colorado, and Washington D.C. for recreational purposes.

Nevada legalization will not take effect until January 1st, 2017. Although it’s worth pointing out that Reno and Clark County (which includes Las Vegas) have already stated that they will treat marijuana as if legalization is already in effect.

Massachusetts’ legalization initiative will take effect on December 15, 2016.

Maine is the wild card, in that legalization does not take effect there until ’30 days after the Governor certifies the election results.’ Maine’s Governor does not like marijuana legalization. You can now also add to that a pending vote recount request by marijuana opponents in Maine. Even if the Governor certifies the election results, the legal challenge could delay implementation.

That’s the scoop on recreational states. There are currently 28 states that have legalized medical marijuana, although not all of them have implemented their laws. For instance the 2016 class of medical states (Arkansas, North Dakota, and Florida) have approved medical marijuana, but those initiatives have not taken effect yet. There are many states that do not permit medical marijuana home cultivation and/or don’t have any dispensaries open. In those states, marijuana is technically legal in some instances, but a person wouldn’t be able to tell that by looking at the current situation, if that makes sense. For an up-to-date list of medical marijuana states, including those that have CBD-specific laws, I suggest checking out NORML’s website. There’s lots of good info over there!

http://www.weednews.co/which-states-...gal-marijuana/

As I see it, the best plan is to legalize, regulate, tax under the FairTax, use some of the tax revenue that only drug users pay to fund better education programs and free rehab on demand without stigma for those who want or need it. Make it a domestic only enterprise, no imports, no exports to avoid all international involvement, complications and implications, and own and operate the trade A to Z by Licensed US Citizens Only. Require all buyers of legal age to watch a film and read pamphlets prior to their first purchase so all purchasers are informed about the real risk and consequences of using drugs. Also attach warning and side effect labels on all sales like or similar to the labels used in pharmaceutical sales.

States can have their own variations to suit their residents. But the feds need to legalize, regulate, tax under the FairTax, educate and provide free rehab for anyone who wants or needs it. At that point, our free society has done all it can do to protect our people while still preserving their liberty.

Medical Marijuana is a Big Lie

Pot lobby and investors set to reap massive profits from lack of honest reporting
by Jonathan Talcott | Updated 13 Sep 2016 at 3:29 PM


The words sound so reassuring — “medical marijuana.” Pot as medicine. You can almost hear teens caught smoking a joint telling their parents, “But, Mom, it’s not what you think. It’s medical marijuana!”

But let’s get one thing straight. Medical marijuana is a big lie. Even the name implies something that is not true.

The legalization of marijuana for medical or recreational use is a public health catastrophe across America.

Hillary Clinton has praised medical marijuana, suggested rescheduling the drug; and the Democratic Party platform calls for the eventual legalization of pot. Even Donald Trump has suggested medical marijuana might be all right, although he favors keeping pot illegal. This November, 10 states are voting to either permit medical marijuana to be sold or to take the more extreme step of “legalizing” the recreational use of marijuana.

Unfortunately, everyone is being duped.

The legalization of marijuana for medical dispensation or general recreational use is a public health catastrophe happening in slow motion across our country. While marijuana use and possession remains illegal under federal law regardless of changes in state law, the Obama administration’s decision not to enforce federal law in those states that vote to legalize the drug under state law has effectively gutted the federal prohibition against marijuana use and possession in many parts of the country.

The concept of medical marijuana has allowed those who favor marijuana’s ultimate legalization to cloak the drug in a mantle of legitimacy. This is a trick that was tried by tobacco companies two generations ago. The myth of medical marijuana — that it somehow benefits people who smoke it — actually hides the truth that it is a dangerous, highly addictive drug with no known medical benefits that can seriously damage a smoker’s physical and mental health.

Non-Medical Cannabis Use

• The most probable adverse psychosocial effect in adolescents who become regular users is impaired educational attainment. Regular cannabis use in adolescence might also adversely affect mental health in young adults, with the strongest evidence for an increased risk of psychotic symptoms and disorders.

Source: http://www.mobile.legaliser.nu

There are several things the pot lobby won’t tell you, but a read of the medical science is clear.
Marijuana is harmful to people in so many different ways it is truly astounding. Like cigarettes, smoked marijuana contains numerous known carcinogens. While lung cancer rates among marijuana smokers are hard to track, cancer and carcinogens go hand-in-hand.

Marijuana has been shown to increase substantially the rate of mental illness in regular users. The incidences of psychotic episodes or schizophrenia is about six times greater among regular marijuana users.

Suicide is another side effect of marijuana use. One recent study, published in the Lancet Psychiatry journal in 2014, showed a seven-fold increase in the likelihood of suicide among regular teenage marijuana users as compared to the general population. Further, it is well established in the medical literature that marijuana use is associated with higher rates of suicide in the general population.

Related: High-ly Unmotivated

But even setting aside these dramatic existential threats to people's physical and mental health, marijuana has been shown to make people stupider, permanently. The average drop in IQ suffered by regular marijuana users is something like eight points. This is roughly equivalent to the IQ drop caused by being exposed to lead paint chips as a child. And lead paint has been outlawed!
Beyond IQ, simple memory is damaged by regularly smoking pot. The most recent studies show permanent memory loss is the end result of regular pot use.

Have you ever met anyone who is truly better off from using marijuana? Pothead is a word in our modern lexicon for a reason.

More generally, have you ever met anyone who is truly better off from using marijuana regularly? Pothead is a word in our modern lexicon for a reason. The lack of motivation engendered by regularly ingesting THC is also well documented and clearly apparent to any person who has seen a close friend or relative go down this path.

The advocates for medical marijuana would prefer to ignore all of these adverse health effects. They would prefer to focus our attention instead on the oil derived from cannabinoids in the pot plant that may treat certain rare forms of epilepsy or the anecdotal evidence of the calming effect of pot smoking on elderly people with cancer. Certainly research into the effects of any drug that may help people should be pursued. But legalizing the sale of smokable weed and edible gummy bears laced with THC is hardly justified by these unproven and ancillary benefits found in the cannabis plant.

A drug derived from pot, Marinol, is actually already available with a prescription to help treat pain relief. THC in pill form may have some benefits that outweigh the detriments, and this also may be true of cannabinoids derived from the marijuana plant. But this argues in favor of research or more applications to the Food and Drug Administration for drug approvals not legalizing medical marijuana.

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Then why have 23 legislatures passed some form of medical marijuana law? The short answer in many cases is because they have been duped. A more sinister and equally likely explanation is that they have been bribed. The legislators see the money pushing for the ultimate legalization of marijuana and they decide to get behind it to help their cronies rather than fight the good fight for the public health. Schizophrenic pot smokers are not very able to defend themselves and explain their story. Instead, people like former congressmen push their buddies in the state legislature to legalize medical marijuana so a company they are affiliated with can be awarded one of the few licenses to dispense pot legally.

Related: Drugged-Driving Deaths on Rise in Colorado

Of course, the game is not really about medical marijuana. People following the issue have known for years that the "medical" part of the equation was always a big lie — meant to act as a stepping stone to full legalization and commercialization of pot for any use. The acceptability of marijuana, brought on first by appealing to our common compassion, is a public health disaster. And it's being pushed by a small group of people who want to get rich — very rich — off pot use by others. Meet the new big tobacco, ladies and gentlemen.

Greed is driving the new industry. Big Pot is looking to replace Big Tobacco as the new, new thing for young people. And just as Big Tobacco tried to wrap itself in the aura of the medical industry by hiring doctors to endorse its products, Big Pot is selling its bogus story of the safety and "benefits" of pot by pushing for medical marijuana. Don't be fooled again.

Jonathan Talcott is a Washington, D.C.-based attorney and the chairman of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to educating people about the dangers of using marijuana.

https://www.lifezette.com/healthzett...-is-a-big-lie/

Marijuana and the California Water Shortage

January 2, 2017
by Anthony Martinelli
By Vincent Ballantine, WikiLeaf.com

The current California water shortage is the state’s worst drought in 1,200 years.

Since 2012, dramatic decreases in both rainfall and snowfall have left the state’s reservoirs at a fraction of their normal capacity. And although utilities managers have artificially widened these reservoirs and drilled deeper into the water table to access backup sources of water, such measures aren’t exactly sustainable.

What Caused the California Water Shortage?

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This water shortage has dramatic implications for California’s agricultural industry.

The Golden State (and Central Valley in particular) is not only a major agricultural supplier for the United States; it’s the fifth-largest food producer in the world.

The bulk of our almonds, lemons, artichokes, and tomatoes come from California. They have all have been hit with state-mandated water conservation measures, driving down crop yields and driving up costs. Another extremely popular local crop is cannabis, with thousands of acres grown in Humboldt County alone. Now, with the state’s residents having voted to legalize recreational use and sale, cannabis will become even more integral to California’s economy. So how will California’s water shortage affect its cannabis production?

The drought is due in large part to an area of high atmospheric pressure that was situated in the Pacific Northwest and nicknamed the “Ridiculously Resilient Ridge.” The ridge hung over the region for a good part of 2014 and diverted storm patterns away from the West Coast, pushing them up towards Canada and then towards the Eastern Seaboard. This caused Washington, Oregon, and California to miss the winter snowfall that ordinarily would have built up their mountain snowpacks and then melted into Southern California’s lowlands.

The East Coast was hit with an unusual number of winter storms, leaving the West Coast dangerously dry

Although some rainfall in October 2016 has relieved drought in northern parts of the state, much of California remains parched. On top of that, a weather phenomenon dubbed La Nina could cause a warm and dry winter, prolonging drought conditions.

California’s Conservation Plan

California has resorted to drastic measures to make sure its scant water keeps flowing. Beginning in 2015, Governor Jerry Brown instituted mandatory conservation policies to cut water consumption by 25%, restricting communities from irrigating non-essential grass on football fields, front lawns, and roadway medians; Brown later extended the restrictions to household appliances, mandating low-flow shower heads and hose nozzles. The state’s agriculture industry has also been hit with restrictions. In June 2015, the California Water Resources Control Board required farmers to cut water usage by 25% — resulting in hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland lying fallow and a 17% decrease in agricultural sales.

The state has had significantly more trouble enforcing these water austerity measures for cannabis farmers.

California currently allows permits for farmers who can document that their product is sold to medical consumers

These legal farmers must follow the Control Board’s best practices, which include rainwater collection systems and drip (rather than flood) irrigation.

But black market cannabis crops still exist, and they can consume a lot of water — depending on its size, a cannabis plant can consume anywhere between one to ten gallons of water per day. Illicit growers have no reason to abide by the stated usage limits, and can turn to illegal measures like drilling or diverting streams to access as much water as they need. Some conservation officials have said that by using water irresponsibly, illegal cannabis farmers are responsible for threatening California’s endangered salmon.

California’s legalization of recreational weed this month might be a double-edged sword for its water problem. In theory, legalization will force illegal farmers to go legit in order to keep up with the newly legal competition, compelling them to cooperate with state regulatory boards. This would mean less illegally-diverted water.

Population Influx

On the other hand; California will likely be hit with a population influx comparable to Colorado’s “green rush”. With cannabis entrepreneurs seeking out state permits and arable land in droves. The state’s water reserves are struggling to handle their existing agricultural burden; with $400

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billion in debt, it may be tough for Brown’s administration to ignore millions in monthly cannabis revenue; especially considering that neighboring Nevada, which also legalized recreational cannabis on November 8th, stands to profit from any potential business that California can’t accommodate.

Traditional farmers have had some success adapting to California’s drought by dry-farming their crops. The method involves storing occasional rainfall and encouraging deep root development to tap into groundwater sources; tomatoes, apples, and entire vineyards of grapes can flourish with dry farming; yielding products that are less-waterlogged and have a more organic, flavorful taste. And although cannabis could conceivably be dry-grown, processed bud that appears dark and desiccated doesn’t usually sell as well in a market that’s become accustomed to picture-perfect, hydroponically grown weed.

The Future of California’s Water

Besides a shortage of reliable water for irrigation; growers in California also need to be wary of the increased risk of wildfires. The state’s severely dry vegetation has made for easy kindling in a summer of record temperatures; allowing blazes to burn unchecked through large regions; as of September 2016, there were at least six major fires burning throughout California, altogether damaging about 184,000 acres of land. Cultivator Mike Ray lost an entire crop due to the Butte fire of 2015; his devastation is a harrowing warning for potential farmers whose expensive operations, whether indoors or outdoors, are at risk of going up in the wrong kind of smoke.

California’s massive wine industry has also been hit by the effects of the drought. Areas like Paso Robles on the central coast have seen steep declines in production.

Even vineyards that have relied on dry farming or on reserves on water for drip irrigation are seeing a difference

Although less consistent water supply means a more flavorful grape, the actual quantity of grapes produced is smaller.

Although they may be able to charge more for superior wines; vineyards are facing smaller and smaller profit margins due to their deceased output.

Winter is California’s traditional “wet season” and the winter of 2016-2017 promises to be a crucial one. If the usual patterns of rainfall and snowmelt don’t return to the West Coast this year; California’s cannabis industry won’t be the only institution whose future hangs in the balance.

http://thejointblog.com/marijuana-ca...ater-shortage/

California’s Wet December Drawing To A Close With More Rain

December 31, 2016 7:46 AM

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com/AP) — California’s wet December is drawing to a close with even more rain and snow in a welcome respite amid years of drought.

A warm low-pressure storm system brought showers to Southern California starting early Friday and slowly moved east through the day as a cold weather system dropped down toward the state from the north.

Rainfall amounts were modest Friday, mostly a few tenths of an inch, but nonetheless adding to precipitation accumulations well above normal to date despite continuing drought.

Downtown Los Angeles has had around 5½ inches of rain since the start of the water year on Oct. 1, more than five times the amount that had fallen to date last year.

Nearly 17.5 percent of California — a chunk of the far north and the coastal strip south to Monterey Bay — is now free of drought indicators but a large swath of the state is still in the grip of the worst levels of dryness, according to this week’s U.S. Drought Monitor update, which noted widespread precipitation in the western U.S. since Dec. 22.

“Some of the most impressive precipitation fell across southern California and the Desert Southwest, where recent improvements have to be viewed through the lens of a multi-year drought that features lingering low reservoir levels; tree mortality; groundwater shortages; and other long-term indicators,” Brad Rippey of the U.S. Department of Agriculture wrote in the Dec. 27 national drought summary.

Friday’s second storm system was expected to arrive during the night after dropping southward from the Gulf of Alaska along the Pacific Northwest, the National Weather Service said.

The new storm was expected to be very cold, promising to lower snow levels to elevations that could make travel difficult into and through mountain ranges as it moves south through California on Saturday.

In Duarte, residents were bracing for another round of wet weather.

“We’re just gonna hang around here, have a mud party, have some friends over and stuff like that, be creative with the drinks we serve up … a little brown tin in there for the festivities,” Richard Walker, a homeowner, joked.

Forecasters said the atmosphere would dry out for New Year’s Eve celebrations in the San Francisco Bay Area. Weather was also expected to be dry but cloudy for the 128th Rose Parade in Pasadena, which will be held on Jan. 2 due to a never-on-Sunday rule.

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2016/...ith-more-rain/

And more to come.
​
California braces for waves of heavy rain, snow into the weekend


AccuWeather.com-4 hours ago
“Snow levels may get as low as 2,000 feet for a time in central and northern California prior to the precipitation's arrival,” Elliot added.

Low snow in Sierra as chain controls slow traffic returning from New Years weekend

Sacramento Bee-6 hours ago

Wed Dec 28, 2016 | 1:56pm EST

After states legalized medical marijuana, traffic deaths fell

SOURCE: bit.ly/2igtabO American Journal of Public Health, online December 20, 2016.

http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources...=LYNXMPECBR0Q9

Marijuana plants for sale are displayed at the medical marijuana farmers market at the California Heritage Market in Los Angeles, California July 11, 2014. REUTERS/David McNew


By Ronnie Cohen

(Reuters Health) - Legalization of medical marijuana is not linked with increased traffic fatalities, a new study finds. In some states, in fact, the number of people killed in traffic accidents dropped after medical marijuana laws were enacted.

“Instead of seeing an increase in fatalities, we saw a reduction, which was totally unexpected,” said Julian Santaella-Tenorio, the study’s lead author and a doctoral student at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health in New York City.

Since 1996, 28 states have legalized marijuana for medical use.

Deaths dropped 11 percent on average in states that legalized medical marijuana, researchers discovered after analyzing 1.2 million traffic fatalities nationwide from 1985 through 2014.

The decrease in traffic fatalities was particularly striking – 12 percent – in 25- to 44-year-olds, an age group with a large percentage of registered medical marijuana users, the authors report in the American Journal of Public Health.

Though Santaella-Tenorio was surprised by the drop in traffic deaths, the results mirror the findings of another study of data from 19 states published in 2013 in The Journal of Law and Economics. It showed an 8 to 11 percent decrease in traffic fatalities during the first full year after legalization of medical marijuana.

“Public safety doesn’t decrease with increased access to marijuana, rather it improves,” Benjamin Hansen, one of the authors of the previous study, said in an email. Hansen, an economics professor at the University of Oregon in Eugene, was not involved in the current study.

He cautioned that both marijuana and alcohol are drugs that can impair driving.

It’s not clear why traffic deaths might drop when medical marijuana becomes legal, and the study can only show an association; it can’t prove cause and effect.

The authors of both studies suggest that marijuana users might be more aware of their impairment as a result of the drug than drinkers. It’s also possible, they say, that patients with access to medical marijuana have substituted weed at home for booze in bars and have stayed off the roads.

Or, they suggest, the drop in traffic fatalities could stem from other factors, such as an increased police presence following enactment of medical marijuana laws.

Law-enforcement authorities have yet to devise a way to test drivers for marijuana intoxication, and have raised concerns about drivers high on cannabis.

Though traffic deaths dropped following legalization of medical marijuana laws in seven states, fatality rates rose in Rhode Island and Connecticut, the study found.

California immediately cut traffic deaths by 16 percent following medical marijuana legalization and then saw a gradual increase, the study found.

Researchers saw a similar trend in New Mexico, with an immediate reduction of more than 17 percent followed by an increase.

The findings highlight differences in various states’ medical marijuana laws and indicate the need for research on the particularities of how localities have implemented them, Santaella-Tenorio said.

Voters in Denver, Colorado approved a November ballot measure to allow public consumption of marijuana, Hansen noted. But, he said, “We don’t know the public health consequences of those types of policy changes yet.”

SOURCE: bit.ly/2igtabO American Journal of Public Health, online December 20, 2016.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-he...-idUSKBN14H1LQ