Blog

ASA Activist Newsletter - 2014 Year in Review

Paul Marini | January 06, 2015

ASA’s 2014 Year in Review Federal Ceasefire in Medical Cannabis States States Pass or Implement Cannabis Access Laws ASA Report Reveals Limitations of Current State Laws Landmark Cannabis Business Guidelines Released, Certification Program Launched Federal Supply of Research Cannabis Increased...

Read more

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.

Read more

Why I Am Going

Paul Marini | January 05, 2015

I will be joining hundreds of other medical cannabis advocates in Washington, DC, March 27-31 for ASA’s third annual National Medical Cannabis Unity Conference and Citizen Lobby Day. I am going because, in the wake of last year’s historic vote to...

Read more

Marijuana Victory in DC is the Result of State Resistance and Nullification

Paul Marini | January 03, 2015

Shane Trejo, Tenth Amendment Center While Pres. Obama’s signature on the massive spending bill passed by Congress last month resulted in another huge expansion of federal power in many areas, the bill also shows how the states actually won a...

Read more

New year brings new restriction on medical marijuana enforcement

Paul Marini | January 01, 2015

Andrew Edwards, Long Beach Press-Telegram A single paragraph on the 88th page of the 701-page spending bill passed by Congress last month contains language that may signal a de-escalation of the federal government’s war on medical marijuana.

Read more

Feds Back off Medical Marijuana Enforcement in 32 States and DC

Paul Marini | December 29, 2014

ProCon.org On Dec. 16, 2014, President Barack Obama signed into law the "Cromnibus” spending bill (public law no. 113-235). The law provides $1.1 trillion dollars to fund the government through summer 2015 and also includes a section that prohibits the...

Read more

Happy New Year, California!

Paul Marini | December 29, 2014

Contents: Message from the CA Director: Happy New Year, California! News: National, California, Humboldt County, Los Angeles, Oceanside Public Meetings & Events: Oakland, Santa Cruz, Los Angeles, San Diego, Washington DC Court Support: Redding Take Action Now: Support the Medical Marijuana Organ Transplant Act, Join...

Read more

Congress Ends Federal Ban on Medical Marijuana

Paul Marini | December 24, 2014

Laurel Joss, Autism Daily Newscast The United States Congress quietly ended the ban on medical marijuana in a provision tucked away in the 1,603-page spending bill. The Rohrabacher-Farr medical marijuana amendment prohibits the justice department from spending federal money to...

Read more

Recreational Vs. Medical Pot Issues Draw Battle Lines in Tacoma Washington

Paul Marini | December 24, 2014

Marguerite Arnold, Main Street The city of Tacoma, Wash. has now offered up the next serious challenge to I-502, the voter initiative to legalize recreational cannabis for adults over 21 in the nation's second "recreational market." The city is now...

Read more

What will Congress' new tolerance for medical marijuana mean for people facing federal drug charges?

Paul Marini | December 23, 2014

Jake Thomas, The Inlander It's just one paragraph in a 1,600-page document that lays out how the federal government will spend $1 trillion through September of next year. But for some, it could mean not serving a long prison sentence....

Read more