United States
Higher than US
Lower than US
US Average
Usage in last month, 2016-2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health State Estimates
Marijuana & Legalization
Hawaii becomes 26th state to decriminalize marijuana
7/10/19--Hawaii has become the 26th state in the nation to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana -- but its governor cautioned it does not mean the state is ready to say aloha to legalizing recreational use of the drug. Under the new law, people caught with small amounts of marijuana will no longer face a misdemeanor charge that had been punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. Now people caught with 3 ounces or less of weed can still be hit with a citation carrying a $130 fine, but no jail term. Read Presidential candidate and congresswoman to speak at panel on ending marijuana prohibition
7/12/19--Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D), a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, spoke alongside Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) and others on a panel aimed at discussing the path to ending federal marijuana prohibition on Saturday at the Netroots Nation conference. Although Inslee currently supports legalization, that wasn’t always the case. Read Tom Hanks denies fake quote promoting CBD company
7/11/19--In a tweet posted on Wednesday morning, Hanks denied a quote attributed to him that described advances in the CBD industry as “remarkable” and stating that he was “feeling like a new me” after using a cannabidiol product from a company called Cali Naturals. For reasons that aren’t entirely clear, Hanks has been featured in several dubious articles in recent years casting him as a champion of the non-intoxicating cannabis compound. Read This school Is teaching a “Safety-First” drug class
4/17/19--Public schools in America tend to focus their drug education around a seemingly simple idea: "just say no" “ that instructs teenagers to abstain from alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana. Now, there is a different approach to drug curriculum — telling teenagers the truth about illegal substances with a "safety first" mentality. Read Cassidy puffs up what stats say about teen marijuana use
5/12/19--Among the issues taking center stage in Springfield is whether Illinois should join a growing number of states in lifting a prohibition on recreational marijuana. One Democratic lawmaker who is in support of the plan is state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, a Chicago Democrat. She believes marijuana should be sold in venues that are highly regulated. Furthermore, Cassidy stated, "In states that have legalized, you see steady decreases in youth use if you do it right." Read Marijuana & Health
Teen marijuana use drops amid legalization
7/12/19--Legalizing recreational marijuana has lead to a decrease in teen use in many states, according to a study published this week that contradicts previous research of how legalization affects teen pot use. The study, published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, found that recreational marijuana laws were associated with an 8% decrease in teen pot use, and a 9% decrease in frequent use. Read
Youth marijuana use declined in states that legalized, study finds
7/8/19--Legalizing marijuana is associated with a decline in youth cannabis consumption, according to a new study in a journal published by the American Medical Association. The research, which analyzed federal data on marijuana use trends among 1.4 million high school students from 1993 to 2017, showed that self-reported past-month youth cannabis use declined by an average of 8 percent in states that legalized recreational marijuana. Read Recreational marijuana legalization tied to decline in teens using pot, study says
7/9/19--Marijuana use among young people in the United States overall has climbed in recent years, but a new study suggests that in states where recreational marijuana has been legalized, marijuana use among youth may actually be falling. The study involved analyzing data, from 1993 to 2017, on about 1.4 million high school students in the United States from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's annual national Youth Risk Behavior Surveys. Read New weed study suggests brain’s individual sensitivity to THC determines happy or paranoid high
7/9/19--A recent study out of Western University in Ontario, published in Scientific Reports, is one of the few to explore what it deems the “divergent psychological effects” that marijuana’s psychoactive ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), produces — and to offer explanations for why this happens. The study found evidence that psychological reactions to weed depend on which part of an individual’s brain is most sensitive to THC. Read Why marijuana affects different people differently
7/8/19--The psychological effects of marijuana can differ between individuals: some experience highly rewarding effects which may lead to dependence on the drug, while others may experience paranoia, cognitive problems or an increased risk of developing schizophrenia. The study, led by Laviolette and postdoctoral fellow, Christopher Norris, Ph.D., is newly published in Scientific Reports and reveals critical new insights into how marijuana can produce such highly diverse psychological effects in different individuals. Read Marijuana & Safety
Highway Accident Brief: Collision between passenger train and refuse truck at active grade crossing, Crozet, Virginia
3/20/19--The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the crash in Crozet, Virginia, was the truck driver’s decision to enter an active grade crossing and his inaction when he encountered obstacles while attempting to cross the railroad tracks, most likely due to his impairment from the combined effects of the drugs marijuana and gabapentin. Read As legal pot farms expand, so do air pollution worries
1/24/19--Researchers want to know more about how pot farms affect air quality. One study, for instance, suggested that more than 600 indoor pot farms in Denver could be worsening the city's air pollution. Next month, Colorado officials will launch one of the largest studies to date of pot farm emissions. Those findings could also aid regulators across the nation, who face a dearth of data as they try to evaluate the pot industry's potential effects on indoor and outdoor air quality as well as worker health. Read Driving under the influence of cannabis among medical cannabis patients with chronic pain
1/9/19--Driving under the influence of cannabis (DUIC) is a public health concern among those using medical cannabis. Understanding behaviors contributing to DUIC can inform prevention efforts. A recent study evaluated three past 6-month DUIC behaviors among medical cannabis users with chronic pain. With more research needed on how to best measure DUIC, prevention messaging for DUIC may be enhanced by addressing alcohol co-consumption. Read NASA to launch safety review of SpaceX and Boeing after video of Elon Musk smoking pot rankled agency leaders
11/20/18--NASA has ordered a safety review of Boeing and SpaceX, the two companies it has hired to fly astronauts to the International Space Station. A months-long assessment would involve hundreds of interviews designed to assess the culture of the workplaces. The review was prompted by the recent behavior of SpaceX’s founder, Elon Musk after he took a hit of marijuana and sipped whiskey on a podcast streamed on the Internet. Read Legalized marijuana linked to a sharp rise in car crashes
10/18/18--There has been an increase by up to 6 percent in the number of highway crashes in four of the states where the recreational use of marijuana has been legalized, according to a pair of new studies. According to David Harkey, president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Highway Loss Data Institute, the new reports do not prove there’s a direct risk caused by the use of marijuana among motorists, but they raise caution flags. Read Marijuana & Commerce
Former Canopy CEO likely headed to United States next
7/9/19--Bruce Linton, former co-chief executive officer of Canopy Growth Corp., is already working at another firm, and plans to spend more time at tiny software-services company Martello Technologies Group Inc. Linton may also be exploring some of the US opportunities, according to Greg Taylor, chief investment officer at Purpose Investments Inc. and manager of the $38 million Canadian ($29 million) Purpose Marijuana Opportunities Fund, which holds Canopy stock. Read Jay-Z joins cannabis company as chief brand strategist
7/10/19--Billionaire rapper Jay-Z is entering the fast-growing marijuana industry, taking a role with California company Caliva as a strategist. Privately-owned Caliva, formed in San Jose in 2015, said that Jay-Z had entered a long-term partnership in which he will focus on outreach and the creative direction of the company. Read Cannabis company supplier GrowGeneration adds ex-Home Depot CEO Nardelli as strategic adviser
7/10/19--GrowGeneration Corp., an owner and operator of specialty retail hydroponic and organic gardening stores serving the cannabis sector, has appointed Bob Nardelli, a former chief executive of Home Depot as a senior strategic adviser. Nardelli will work with management to explore potential partnerships, advising the company's CEO Darren Lampert and board on matters relating to the supply chain, merchandise, branding, distribution, new product launches, pricing and channel selection. Read Why hacktivists say you should invest in Zig-Zags
7/10/19--Anonymous Analytics, the financially-minded faction of the hacktivist group Anonymous, is encouraging investors to buy shares in Turning Point Brands (TPB), the company behind Zig-Zag rolling papers. The group describes the company as “highly profitable, but woefully under-covered and under-valued,” making it a promising investment. Read Barred from online ads, CBD sellers throw what they can at SEO and see what works
6/28/19--Facing restrictions from major ad players such as Google and Facebook Inc., companies selling products containing cannabidiol, or CBD, are looking for other avenues in which to market their goods — by amping up their search engine optimization, turning to third-party services, and leaning on social media influencers for promotional purposes. Read Marijuana & Culture
Marijuana reform finds bipartisan support during House hearing
7/11/19--Federal marijuana reform found broad bipartisan support Wednesday on Capitol Hill during a first-of-its-kind hearing held by members of the House Judiciary Committee. The hearing marked the first time Congress has specifically convened to consider ending marijuana prohibition since federally outlawing pot decades earlier. Read Lawmakers and witnesses clash on strategy during congressional hearing on ending federal marijuana prohibition
7/10/19--Members of a key congressional committee convened for a first-ever hearing on ending marijuana prohibition on Wednesday, engaging in informed conversations about the issue that largely embraced evidence and avoided resorting to fear mongering, demonstrating a broad consensus that major marijuana reforms are needed. During this hearing, there was some disagreement and debate over what reform legislation should look like and the best strategy to advance it. Read Why so many Americans now support legalizing marijuana, in 4 charts
7/5/19--American views on marijuana have shifted incredibly rapidly. In 1988, only 24 percent of Americans supported legalization, but by 2018, 66 percent of U.S. residents offered their approval. Many state laws have changed as well. Over the last quarter-century, 10 states have legalized recreational marijuana, while 22 states have legalized medical marijuana. Read Two congressional hearings next week on marijuana
6/14/19--Next week, the two key committees will hold hearings on various aspects of federal marijuana policy. The first will be held on Wednesday, June 19th, in the Small Business Committee, entitled Unlocked Potential? Small Businesses in the Cannabis Industry. The second hearing is to be held on Thursday, June 20th, in the Veterans Affairs Committee to discuss various bills that are pending regarding medical cannabis programs and veterans access. Read How cannabis advocates are turning bad science into the next anti-vaccination movement
5/10/19--According to marijuana advocate Steve DeAngelo, marijuana is the most effective medicine for most elderly health complaints and most other health complaints for every age group. However, as Dr. Francis Keefe, of Duke University Medical Center’s Pain Management Program noted almost 20 years ago, pain perception is influenced by mitigating factors, including psychological, social, and cultural norms. An article published in Pot Network states, in part, that marijuana advocates have an anti-science problem. It’s not that they don’t believe the science, it’s that they pick and choose which science to accept. Read Marijuana & Enforcement
Senators are angry that marijuana sentences are longer than Paul Manafort’s
3/8/19--A lot of people, including U.S. senators, are picking up on the sentencing disparity that exists between repeatedly defraud financial institutions and the government versus non-violent marijuana offenses and the illegal possession of marijuana in a prohibition state. Read Ending weed prohibition hasn’t stopped drug crimes
12/7/18--A study recently published in The Economic Journal found that after medical marijuana was legalized in California, violent crime fell 15 percent. Yet, authorities in California’s Emerald Triangle, say that ever since California’s 1996 medical-marijuana initiative, violent crime in Humboldt, in particular, has increased. According to Ben Filippini, a deputy sheriff in this jurisdiction, "All legalization did here was create a safe haven for criminals.” Read Deputy Attorney General names U.S. Attorney Williams Chair of National Marijuana Working Group
11/7/18--Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein today named Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, chair of the Attorney General’s Marijuana Working Group. The working group is part of the Attorney General Advisory Committee’s (AGAC) Controlled Substances Subcommittee. Read Can Article V federally legalize cannabis?
8/12/18--Article V, a legal precedent set by America’s founding fathers, permits two-thirds of the states to call for a Convention of States to put forth proposed amendments to the Constitution. If the proposed amendment is passed by three-fourths of the states as they are comprised in Congress, then the Constitution will be amended. Article V has been considered to be the latest legal avenue to pursue to potentially challenge the current, federal administration’s predilection for prohibition. However, according to cannabis law expert, Bob Carp, pursuing an Article V legal strategy would be an exercise in futility. Apparently, Article V is not the best precedent for challenging federal prohibition. Read FDA rejects petition to further restrict marijuana
7/5/18--The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has denied a request from an anti-legalization group to place marijuana and its derivatives on a list of restricted substances that are not "generally recognized as safe and effective." The move is "not necessary for the protection of public health," Janet Woodcock, the director of FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and research wrote on Monday in a letter to the group, Drug Watch International. Read