The Asset Forfeiture Program operated by the Department of Justice has long been controversial. Civil asset forfeiture regulations allow officials to seize property and money if it is believed the money comes from illegal activities, including activities related to the cultivation or sale of cannabis products. Civil forfeiture cases allow…
Congress passed on omnibus spending bill in December of 2015, which included some significant reforms and changes to federal drug policy. While the spending bill did not give advocates for marijuana-law reform everything they wanted, the spending bill did incorporate some important legislation that provides protection to patients who use…
In March of 2015, three United States senators introduced a federal bill which would have a dramatic impact on changing the way the federal government treats medical marijuana. The bill is called the CARERS act, which stands for the Compassionate Access, Research Expansion, and Respect States Act, and it was…
As marijuana decriminalization or legalization moves through the states, one senator is finally taking real action at the federal level. CBS News reports Senator Bernie Sanders has introduced legislation to end the federal prohibition on marijuana. The Sander’s bill is called the Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act, and its aim…
Generally speaking, it has been medical marijuana advocates who gather the support and voter signatures to get the issue on the ballot. Whether a state calls them ballot initiatives, propositions, items, referendums or any other term, this is a true example of democracy in action. Interestingly, the majority of the…
According to a recent news report from The Cannabist, the United States House of Representatives has just passed the Rohrabacher-Farr Medical Marijuana Amendment, but failed to pass the McClintock-Polis Amendment. First, let’s take a closer look at the bill that did pass, pursuant to a house vote. The Rohrabacher-Farr Medical…
Despite the legality of medical marijuana in California and the legality for recreational use in a few other states and decriminalization in 22 others, it is still illegal to possess marijuana pursuant to federal law. Opponents of medical marijuana progress are fighting to enforce these old laws. According to a…
In the United States, Congress has created and maintained a federal schedule of controlled substances since the 1970s. Drugs are classified on one of five schedules, depending on a comparison between the addictive nature of a drug, the potential health concerns, and whether there are approved medical uses for a…
The benefits of marijuana in treating depression, anxiety, and other symptoms of PTSD are being studied nationwide. Medical researchers have long suspected a link between the possible benefits of marijuana treatments for PTSD, but have not had the financial support or government approval to succeed in any long-term or extensive…
State and federal law enforcement officials are always on the lookout for illegal drug activity. This includes illegal possession, distribution, and trafficking of marijuana. In the state of California, where medical marijuana has been legalized, illegal grow operations, the black market, and thousands of recreational users make the state ripe…