26 Feb 2013

Will High Marijuana Taxes Encourage Black Markets?

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Opponents of marijuana prohibition had one heck of a year in 2012, as voters in both Washington and Colorado passed ballot initiatives legalizing recreational use of the drug. One of the central arguments these folks used in their anti-prohibition campaign was to point out what an excellent revenue source a well-regulated and heavily taxed marijuana industry could be for states. And in a time when the federal and state governments are so hard up for revenue, the tax receipts legal … Read More

26 Feb 2013

Give This Plant its Due: Legalize Hemp

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As states of a more liberal bent battle the federal government over the legalization of medical and even recreational marijuana, another cannabis battle has reemerged in the farm states. But if pot smoking raises troubling moral and safety questions, industrial hemp does not. Activists have been struggling to legalize hemp for decades in the U.S., but only recently has the issue seemingly caught fire in Congress. Last week, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell signed on to legislation that had for … Read More

22 Feb 2013

Bill To Legalize Marijuana in Maine

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Lawmakers from opposite ends of the political spectrum unveiled a bill Thursday that would give Mainers the chance to legalize marijuana for recreational use in a statewide referendum. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Diane Russell, D-Portland, and co-sponsored by Rep. Aaron Libby, R-Waterboro, would make vast changes in Maine’s drug law, ranging from making possession of up to 2.5 ounces of pot legal to imposing a tax of $50 per ounce. Russell and others argued during a press conference Thursday … Read More

14 Feb 2013

Hemp Growing Finds Allies in Kentucky

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In 1996 the actor Woody Harrelson, who has a sideline as an activist for legalizing marijuana, was arrested in Kentucky for planting four hemp seeds. Last month Senator Mitch McConnell, the Republican minority leader, announced his support for growing hemp in Kentucky, his home state. Between those jarringly disparate events lies the evolution of hemp from a countercultural cause to an issue championed by farmers in the heartland and conservative lawmakers. On Monday, a panel of the Republican-controlled Kentucky State … Read More

12 Feb 2013

Doors Swing Open For Marijuana On Capitol Hill

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Advocates for the legalization of marijuana plan to step up their political giving and lobbying efforts now that members of Congress are taking an interest in changing federal drug laws. The lobbyists say lawmakers who wouldn’t give them the time of day are suddenly interested in meeting with them and introducing legislation following the approval of ballot initiatives in Colorado and Washington that legalized recreational use of the drug. “These were folks who wouldn’t take a call five years ago … Read More

12 Feb 2013

Senator To Introduce Legislation To Legalize MJ

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If state Sen. Daylin Leach gets his way, Pennsylvania would become the next state to legalize marijuana. The Democratic senator, who represents the 17th District in suburban Philadelphia, is to introduce legislation at a press conference today in Harrisburg to decriminalize the use of marijuana for any purpose in Pennsylvania. Leach hopes to end what he calls the “prohibition” of marijuana and treat it the same as certain types of alcohol – regulated by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board and … Read More
9 Feb 2013

U.S. Representative Massie Introduces Industrial Hemp Bill

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For Immediate Release Contact: Wednesday February 6, 2013 (202) 225-3465 U.S. Representative Massie Introduces Industrial Hemp Bill “Industrial hemp is a sustainable crop and could be a great economic opportunity for Kentucky farmers” WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Thomas Massie (R-KY) introduced federal legislation that requires the federal government to respect state laws allowing the growing of industrial hemp. H.R. 525, the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2013, amends the Controlled Substances Act to exclude industrial hemp from the definition of … Read More

9 Feb 2013

U.S. congressmen, former CIA director to testify in support of Kentucky hemp bill

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Staff report Industrial hemp is a fiber and oil seed crop with a wide variety of uses. Hemp fibers have been used to manufacture hundreds of products that include twine, paper, construction materials, carpeting and clothing.   FRANKFORT, Ky. — U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, U.S. Reps. John Yarmuth and Thomas Massie, former Director of Central Intelligence R. James Woolsey (of the Clinton Administration), and Commissioner of Agriculture James Comer will testify next week in support of an industrialized hemp bill. … Read More

5 Feb 2013

Reform Efforts In Congress Range From Pot To Hemp

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An effort is building in Congress to change U.S. marijuana laws, including moves to legalize the industrial production of hemp and establish a federal pot tax. While passage this year could be a longshot, lawmakers from both parties have been quietly working on several bills, the first of which Democratic Reps. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon and Jared Polis of Colorado plan to introduce Tuesday, Blumenauer told The Associated Press. Polis’ measure would regulate marijuana the way the federal government handles … Read More

5 Feb 2013

Marijuana Activists Want Vote On Pot

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Larsen has dedicated his life’s work to cannabis law reform. On Jan.  23, Dana Larsen spent his afternoon in UVic’s Student Union Building speaking about pot to an audience that no doubt consisted of a few more empty chairs than he would have liked to see.  This has become a typical day for Larsen in his capacity as the face of Sensible B.C., a campaign to reform B.C.’s cannabis laws through a provincial referendum.  Larsen, 41, has travelled across B.C., … Read More

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