ASA in the News

Hundreds expected in Olympia as lawmakers weigh medical pot

Paul Marini | January 22, 2015

Gene Johnson, Associated Press The Cannabis Patient Protection Act found little support among cannabis patients Thursday as lawmakers considered the proposal for overhauling the state's medical marijuana system.

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Man Seeks Dismissal Of Medical Marijuana Charges, Citing New Federal Protections

Paul Marini | January 21, 2015

Matt Ferner, Huffington Post A Washington man who, like his family, faces years in prison if convicted in a high-profile federal case over growing marijuana, says the feds should drop their case because it conflicts with new medical marijuana protections...

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Will a new spending restriction end the Kettle Falls Five case?

Paul Marini | January 19, 2015

Jacob Sullum, Reason.com Last month, after Congress approved an omnibus spending bill that bars the Justice Department from spending money to "prevent" states from "implementing" medical marijuana laws, I suggested that the fate of the Kettle Falls Five would be...

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5 things to know about lawmakers’ efforts on marijuana

Paul Marini | January 18, 2015

Gene Johnson, Associated Press Medical marijuana activists feel like they have their back to the wall as the Legislature tries to rein in an unregulated system that many people believe is unfairly competing with heavily taxed recreational pot sales in...

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Michigan sees another dip in medical marijuana patients

Paul Marini | January 18, 2015

Charles E. Ramirez, The Detroit News The number of patients in Michigan's medical marijuana program declined for the second year in a row in 2014, according to state statistics reviewed by The Detroit News.

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Washington Man Who Faces Years In Prison For Growing Medical Marijuana Has Cancer

Paul Marini | January 16, 2015

Matt Ferner, Huffington Post A Washington state man who is facing at least 10 years in prison if convicted in a high-profile federal case over growing medical marijuana for personal use has been diagnosed with cancer.

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Civil Forfeiture Case Could Set Federal Precedent In Northern California if not Nationally

Paul Marini | January 14, 2015

Marguerite Arnold, Main Street In what many in the marijuana advocacy and legal community are calling a potentially landmark legal precedent for medical marijuana dispensaries nationally, a Northern California federal judge has thrown out a civil forfeiture case against a...

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Medical marijuana grower finds no relief in federal law change

Paul Marini | January 07, 2015

John Agar, Grand Rapids Press A man charged in a marijuana grow operation hoped to have charges dismissed based on a new law preventing federal funds being used to go after legitimate medical-marijuana growers in states where it is legal.

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Potential changes to Washington's pot laws and how other states laws are working

Paul Marini | January 07, 2015

Jake Thomas, The Inlander In Washington state, the big news this week was proposed changes to the state’s medical marijuana system, which has been kept separate from the recreational system in order to ensure that patients have access to the...

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Why the Seattle Woman Who Wants to End Mass Incarceration Is Defending Pot Prosecutions

Paul Marini | January 06, 2015

Heidi Groover, The Stranger If you care about pot policy in this state, there’s a sentence you need to read. It’s buried in some legal jargon and it doesn’t seem that sexy at first, but stick with me.

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