California AG Wants Meeting with Federal Attorneys About Cannabis
Mon / Jan 8th
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra has asked to meet with the state’s four federal prosecutors to figure out whether they… Read More
Federal Policy
Although cannabis acceptance is rising in many states, its use and possession is still illegal under federal law under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. Activists are still working to change federal policy to reflect the voters in many states who have approved social use. Explore news below about the decriminalization effort from patients, politicians, and businesses on the federal level:
Lawmakers and Cannabis Industry Stakeholders React to Federal Policy Change
Fri / Jan 5th
Attorney General Jeff Sessions has officially released the memo rescinding the Obama-era protections of the Cole Memo, which barred federal… Read More
Federal MMJ Protection Amendment Reverses Convictions of Washington’s ‘Kettle Falls Five’
Thu / Jan 4th
U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Rice has vacated the convictions and dismissed the charges of the so-called Kettle Falls Five… Read More
Sessions to Rescind Obama-Era Cannabis Protections
Thu / Jan 4th
The Associated Press is reporting that Attorney General Jeff Sessions plans on rescinding the Cole Memo, which has served as… Read More
Federal MMJ Protections Included in Temporary Spending Bill
Tue / Dec 26th
State-approved medical cannabis programs are safe from federal interference until at least Jan. 19, as the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer was included in… Read More
Veterans Heath Administration Directive Allows Vets to Discuss MMJ with VA Doctors
Wed / Dec 20th
According to a federal Veterans Health Administration directive – 1315 – dated Dec. 8, “VHA providers and/or pharmacists” are now… Read More
Texas Man Sentenced to Probation for Possessing Guns as Cannabis Consumer
Tue / Dec 19th
An Austin, Texas man has been sentenced to five years of probation – after spending eight months in jail –… Read More
AG Sessions Cites Drugged Driving as Reason Cannabis is Dangerous in Leaked Video
Fri / Dec 8th
In a leaked video obtained by ABC News of a question-and-answer session between Department of Justice interns and Attorney General… Read More
Conservative Groups Urge Feds to Protect MMJ Programs
Wed / Dec 6th
A coalition of conservative groups has sent a letter to federal legislative leaders urging them to preserve the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment, which… Read More
U.S. Surgeon General Wants More FDA MMJ Studies
Tue / Dec 5th
At an appearance at the National Black Caucus of State Legislators annual conference, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams, the former… Read More
Army Granted 300 More Cannabis-Use Waivers in 2017 than Previous Year
Mon / Dec 4th
The U.S. Army has granted more than 300 waivers this year for cannabis use compared to 2016, according to an… Read More
Bi-Partisan Cadre of Federal Lawmakers Send Letter to Leaders Supporting MMJ Protections
Thu / Nov 30th
While federal lawmakers are debating the fiscal year 2018 budget, 66 members of Congress have signed onto a letter to… Read More
Canadian Legalization Bill Passes House of Commons, Moves to Senate
Tue / Nov 28th
Canada’s federal cannabis legalization bill has passed the House of Commons 200-82 and now moves to the Senate for consideration,… Read More
AG Jeff Sessions Confirms Obama-Era Cannabis Policies Still in Effect
Tue / Nov 14th
Attorney General Jeff Sessions — a notorious prohibitionist and medical cannabis skeptic — confirmed today that the Department of Justice… Read More
Rep. Blumenauer Launches Cannabis Fund to Unseat Prohibitionist Lawmakers
Thu / Nov 9th
Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer has launched the Cannabis Fund – a political action committee geared toward ousting prohibitionist lawmakers –… Read More
DEA Spokesman: Agency Not Going to ‘Break Down Door’ of Parents Administering CBD to their Children
Tue / Nov 7th
In an interview with Indiana’s WTHR, Drug Enforcement Agency spokesperson Rusty Payne admitted that while parents giving CBD oil to… Read More
FDA Sends Warning Letter to 4 CBD Companies Over Anti-Cancer Claims
Thu / Nov 2nd
The Food and Drug Administration has sent a warning letter to four CBD companies demanding that they stop making claims… Read More
Gallup Poll: 64% of Americans Support Legalizing Cannabis, Including GOP Majority
Thu / Oct 26th
Support for cannabis legalization in the U.S. has reached record levels, as a recent Gallup poll found 64 percent of… Read More
By Prohibiting MMJ Access, Lawmakers Complicit in Opioid Epidemic
Mon / Oct 23rd OPINION
The opioid overdoses death toll is staggering – reaching 64,070 in 2016 – and at least one estimate suggests opioids… Read More
Sessions: ‘Healthy’ for Feds to Approve More Cannabis Research Applications
Thu / Oct 19th
During a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing, Attorney General Jeff Sessions admitted that it would “be healthy to have some… Read More
Former AG Holder: Sessions’ ‘Obsession’ with Cannabis Puts DoJ in ‘Strange Place’
Wed / Oct 11th
During remarks at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, former Attorney General Eric Holder called the 2013 Cole Memo, which… Read More
DEA Destroyed 5M Plants, Arrested 5,657 People in 2016 Cannabis Eradication Efforts
Mon / Oct 9th
According to the Drug Enforcement Agency’s 2016 Final Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program report, the agency destroyed nearly 5 million outdoor-cultivated… Read More
Trudeau Supports 10% Tax on Legal Cannabis Sales
Thu / Oct 5th
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has proposed levying a C$1 tax (80 cents USD) on adult use cannabis sold for… Read More
Amendment Protecting State MMJ Programs Included in Temporary Spending Bill
Tue / Sep 26th
The Rohrabacher-Blumenauer amendment, which protects state-legal medical cannabis programs from federal interference, has been included in a budget agreement which… Read More