Tag: Reject Recreational

5/26/20--In an op-ed by Dr. Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), he urges Arizonians to beware and emphasizes that Big Marijuana is peddling a ballot measure in Arizona that will benefit their own and leave the state facing a host of health and societal ills. Read

4/29/20--The Keep Cannabis Away from Kids coalition hit a speedbump last week in its quest to curtail cannabis businesses in Mount Shasta when Siskiyou County Clerk Laura Bynum rejected all 380 signatures submitted on their initiative because an affidavit wasn’t submitted to the city in the required timeframe. Read

3/31/20--Gov. Andrew Cuomo said legalizing recreational marijuana is not going to be part of the state budget this year. Cuomo made his comments as the budget deadline approached with no agreement on how to close a $15 billion budget gap, caused by the fallout from the coronavirus. Read

4/1/20--Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker ordered the temporary closure of nonessential businesses, including recreational marijuana stores, last week in response to the coronavirus outbreak. However, medical marijuana dispensaries in her state, which have been allowed to stay open, reportedly saw massive lines as people feared worse things could be coming, like the potential need to self-quarantine. On Tuesday, Baker extended his order until early May. Read

4/3/20--As the cannabis industry in Massachusetts has been jolted by the COVID-19 pandemic, halting the sale of recreational marijuana through at least early next month, there has been a spike in the number of registrations for new medical patients. However, with that increase comes concern about the marijuana supply chain. Read

3/12/20--According to an op-ed written by Sen. Paul Gazelka, one inconsistency regarding legalization is that the same people promoting recreational marijuana also support laws restricting tobacco use and vaping. Gazelka states they led the charge for stricter laws regulating the distribution of opioids and hands-free driving, but it raises the question that while distracted driving, tobacco, vaping and opioids are dangerous and bad for our youth, why isn't marijuana considered to be? Read

3/3/20--With one week to go before the election, the campaign over whether to allow recreational marijuana in Clinton Township is heating up. Clinton Township voters will decide during the March 10 presidential primary whether to approve amendments to a township ordinance that would "authorize and limit the type and number" of marijuana establishments allowed," and asks voters if the proposal should be adopted. Township officials have twice opted out of allowing recreational pot. Read

1/19/20--On Friday, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced her support for a proposal to legalize recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older. But, Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima says choosing to legalize recreational marijuana is not what the city or state needs right now. Read

1/17/20--On Friday, the Virginia Sheriff’s Association gave a presentation to members of the Public Safety Committee weighing in on proposed criminal justice reform stating they did not support decriminalizing marijuana and opposed outright legalization. Read

1/2/20--According to an editorial published in The Tribune, Indiana may avoid the trend toward legalizing marijuana — at least for now. The Associated Press reported recently Republican leaders are firmly against taking any steps during the upcoming session toward legalizing marijuana use. While nearly two-thirds of states have legalized marijuana, mainly for medical uses, federal health officials issued a warning in August that smoking marijuana is dangerous for adolescents, pregnant women and their developing babies. Read

12/6/19--On Dec. 5, the National Association of County Behavioral Health & Developmental Disability Directors (NACBHDD), together with the National Association for Rural Mental Health (NARMH) and the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), hosted a Congressional briefing for Hill staff on the need for improved regulation of cannabidiol (CBD) products by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Read

12/2/19--The Minooka Village Board voted to prohibit marijuana business establishments its meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 26. Trustees Chad Hrechko, Dennis Martin, Ric Offerman and Dick Parrish voted in favor of the ban, and Trustees Terry Houchens and Barry Thompson voted against it. Read

11/15/19-Recreational marijuana sales will become legal in Illinois beginning Jan. 1. However, many municipalities have voted to restrict or ban the sale of marijuana in some manner already. Illinois Policy provides a guide as to where you can and cannot buy marijuana beginning in 2020. Read

11/6/19--On Tuesday night, the Sugar Grove Village Board Tuesday night banned the sale of recreational marijuana in the village. The board deadlocked 3-3 on the issue, with Village President Sean Michels breaking the tie by voting against marijuana sales. Michels said before the Tuesday night meeting that “each board member was entitled to speak” about the issue and that “everybody knew their position” on the matter. Read

11/6/19--Vernon Hills has become the most recent Lake County community to ban the sale of marijuana for recreational use. The village board on Tuesday unanimously approved an ordinance prohibiting cannabis businesses in town when the sale and possession of recreational marijuana becomes legal in Illinois on Jan. 1. Read

11/2/19--Dueling grass-roots movements of suburban residents are rising up to make their voices heard on the presence of recreational marijuana stores. At issue are the locations of 75 dispensary licenses the state of Illinois will award by May 1, with more to come later, to sell recreational marijuana to adults 21 and older. At the heart of the opt out effort, supporters say, is a desire to protect children from the potential harms of normalized marijuana use. Read

11/2/19--Residents in some Wayne County municipalities will vote for mayor, city council, judge, library board, school board and proposals. In Allen Park, a proposed ordinance would limit the number of state-licensed marijuana establishments within city limits. Read

11/4/19--A meta-analysis recently published in The Lancet Psychiatry found that using medicinal cannabinoids to treat mental health disorders cannot be justified, due to a lack of evidence of effectiveness and known risks of the substances. Read

7/15/19--According to an editorial published in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, the people who demanded medical marijuana for years just really wanted a foothold in Arkansas, and the next item on their agenda would be recreational marijuana. That's how they got there in other states. Then, once voters fall for it, requests to support full legalization follows. Now they're pushing for a vote on recreational pot in Arkansas. Emphasis on pushing. Read

7/11/19--Despite the fact that CBD is everywhere, it still exists partly in a legal gray area. Some states are cracking down on sales of CBD products, while others are allowing CBD to be sold widely under certain conditions. The almost-unprecedented scale of the business potential in the CBD market is what’s causing the rush. Sales of products infused with hemp-derived CBD are expected to reach $5 billion this year, according to recent industry estimates. That represents a 700 percent increase from last year. Read

5/10/19--According to Scott Van Der Kar, an avocado grower in the Carpinteria foothills, avocado growers were “broadsided” by the news that the Oxnard-based pest control companies that treat their crops would no longer spray the insecticides that work best on avocados, for fear of contaminating cannabis crops with the slightest trace of residue and getting sued. The growers’ quandary has sent county officials scrambling to find a solution, and time is of the essence. Read

5/13/19--Seemingly, voters in Denver have approved Measure 301, which will decriminalize the use of so-called “magic mushrooms,” better known as psilocybin. Psilocybin has been outlawed in the U.S. since the 1960s; some researchers warn that it should only be used under medical supervision and can prompt paranoia and anxiety. The federal government classifies psilocybin as a Schedule I drug, with no medical purpose and a high potential for abuse. Read

5/8/19--Voters in Denver appeared to have voted down a first-in-the nation plan to decriminalize the use and possession of "magic mushrooms" known for sending users on psychedelic journeys. Unofficial results suggested Measure 301 was on track to fail, with 46.5% in favor and 54.5% opposed. Read

4/13/19--CFAM Management Group, a large cannabis business in Nipomo, is being forced to shut down after the county Board of Supervisors stripped its permitting Tuesday, citing multiple code violations and saying it was intentionally thwarting regulations and would likely continue to operate in bad faith. Read

4/13/19--In an exclusive interview, US Attorney Billy Williams weighs in on banking, hemp, overproduction, black-market diversion—and marijuana regulators who fail to think things out. Williams’ advice to lawmakers and regulators considering legalization? “Slow down, wake up, and get serious about what you’re doing.”  Read

3/24/19--Several elected officials voiced their opposition to a proposal to legalize recreational marijuana in the state. They say regulations are needed to address marijuana use in public areas the same way cigarettes are currently regulated. Yet, some Brooklyn residents cite health reasons as why marijuana should be legalized. Read

3/21/19--The effort to regulate and tax adult-use marijuana has hit stumbling blocks in Albany amid disputes over revenue, who will have access to licenses, and an intensifying counteroffensive by marijuana opponents. Read  

3/22/19--Groups representing doctors in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Delaware released a rare joint statement opposing the legalization of recreational marijuana in their states. “We have serious concerns about the lack of scientific evidence that supports recreational marijuana use by adults and young adults. Most importantly, not enough research has been done to prove marijuana is safe,” the presidents of the four state medical societies said. Read

3/20/19--The United Nations’ Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) opted to indefinitely postpone a vote on the World Health Organization’s recommended changes to the scheduling of cannabis in international drug control conventions. The recommendations, prepared by the WHO’s Expert Committee on Drug Dependence, call for cannabis and cannabis resin to be deleted from Schedule IV of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotics Drugs. Read  

3/25/19--Even as the legalization push gains momentum, scientific journals report mounting evidence of the drug’s harmful psychological effects and social consequences, and pockets of resistance to the pot movement are emerging. According to Steven Malanga, senior editor of City Journal, the inherent contradiction of a country facing growing addiction problems in tandem with states rushing to legalize marijuana has not been lost on everyone. Read

3/21/19--Gov. Phil Murphy and two fellow Democrats, Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin and Senate President Steve Sweeney, support the measure, which would legalize recreational marijuana for people 21 and older. But lawmakers have expressed reluctance, and the vote’s outcome Monday is uncertain. Forty-one votes are needed in the Assembly and 21 in the Senate. Read

3/16/19--A group of state and local elected officials held a rally on the steps of Town Hall Saturday morning in opposition to proposed legislation legalizing recreational marijuana. Republican Mayor William Dickinson Jr. called into question of legalization “a great debate.” He claimed there is not conclusive evidence that marijuana usage is not harmful, citing reports from the Food and Drug Administration and other state and local agencies. Read

3/8/19--Cynthia Bell and Mike Karl, of Eaton Rapids, recently opened Doobie's Tavern, a marijuana social club with a strict BYOB (bring your own bud) policy. However, Doobie's has also raised concerns among residents in Elsie, which has a population of fewer than 1,000 people, that their community will never be the same. Read

3/8/19--The Texas Police Chiefs Association is urging lawmakers to proceed with caution and to recognize what they believe is a harmful drug, legalized or not. In a report prepared by the Texas Police Chiefs Association called "The Impact of Marijuana Legalization on State and Local Governments and Communities, TPCA proposes to "address the myths vs. the facts" on marijuana production, cannabis use, legalization and long-term effects on a community's quality of life. Read

3/12/19--Although recreational marijuana became legal in December, more than 200 communities across the area have already notified the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs that they will not allow recreational marijuana businesses in their area. Every city has the right to opt out of commercial businesses for recreational marijuana. Here is a list of each community in each county that has opted out of selling marijuana. Read

3/7/19--At least one district in New York has issued a resolution in opposition of legalized marijuana, and statewide school organizations are increasingly raising concerns over New York's move toward recreational marijuana. Educators' criticisms focus largely on the potential impact on students already enticed by vaping, cigarettes, and opioids. Read

2/22/19--As part of the Nov. 6 ballot proposal, communities have to take a vote to  ban recreational marijuana businesses in their borders, and nearly 300 communities across Michigan have voted to prohibit those businesses, according to an unofficial list compiled by the state's Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Department, which is charged with creating the rules and regulations covering the legal weed market. Read

3/1/19--In New Jersey, dozens of localities have outlawed sales or possession of the drug even before the legislature legalizes it. New Jersey lawmakers are widely expected to legalize pot this year. They have determined that the drug is relatively benign and undeserving of criminal penalties. Yet, quite a few local leaders in the state are determined to do what they can to keep marijuana out of their towns. Read

2/25/29--As New York state moves forward with plans to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, some counties in the state are expressing skepticism and considering whether to “opt out” of recreational marijuana. If marijuana is legalized in New York, counties may be able to stop marijuana businesses from operating within their boundaries, according to WKBW Buffalo. Read

2/15/19--Governor Andrew Cuomo wants New York State to legalize recreational adult-use marijuana in the next 45 days. On Friday, several area police chiefs came out and said they’ll work to curb the governor’s efforts. Cuomo has called for legal pot in the budget due on March 31st. The plan would also allow individual counties and larger cities to opt out of legal marijuana and ban sales outlets from opening. Read  

1/17/19--A local delegate's push to legalize marijuana for recreational use was shot down, as well as several other major bills aimed at decriminalizing or legalizing the drug before they even reached the full General Assembly this year. Read

1/3/19--Governor Matt Bevin said legalizing marijuana is not going to be the sole solution to fixing Kentucky's underfunded pension system. Bevin also dismissed the idea of legalizing marijuana to help fix the problem, as he estimates that revenue alone would take hundreds of years to eventually replenish the pension system. Read

1/10/19--According to an editorial and analysis published by The Washington Times, the use of marijuana is growing now that ambiguity over its legality is well advanced. Contrary to the view that marijuana is a trendy drug with little or no downside, there are undeniable reasons to steer clear of it. Read

12/10/18--Milford Village Council is expected to pass an ordinance that will prohibit the retail sale of recreational marijuana. On Dec. 3, the ordinance amendment aiming to prohibit the retail sale of recreational marijuana was introduced to council. A second reading, and formal adoption, is expected at the council meeting, according to Village Manager Christian Wuerth. Read

12/3/18--According to an editorial by Kate Fry published in Concord Monitor, the legalization and commercialization of marijuana is not a political issue in New Hampshire; it’s a public health and safety concern. The state already has one of the country’s highest rates of binge drinking and substance misuse in young people, as well as the nation’s lowest perception of harm for marijuana. The legalization and commercialization of marijuana would only heighten these concerns by opening New Hampshire to the Big Marijuana industry, which would aggressively market its products to young people, much like the tobacco and alcohol industries before them. Read

10/19/18--Recreational marijuana sales are now legal in Massachusetts, but there are some cities and towns that might never sell the drug. More than 80 communities have enacted an outright ban on recreational marijuana shops. Another 110 have some sort of moratorium in place, ostensibly to give the city or town time to put zoning rules in place. Read

11/19/18--A new study from the conservative Centennial Institute claims for every dollar Colorado gains from marijuana legalization $4.50 is spent mitigating the effects. According to Peter Marcus, a spokesman with Terrapin Care Station, a dispensary chain, the report is largely based on assumptions – pointing to a recent state report by the Department of Public Safety that in his opinion mentioned only a handful of negative impacts. Read

11/6/18--North Dakota voters rejected a marijuana legalization ballot measure on Tuesday. The measure failed by a margin of 41 percent in favor to 59 percent against. The North Dakota initiative would have set no limit on the amount of marijuana that people could possess or cultivate. It would also have allowed a system of legal marijuana production and sales, but outlined no rules and regulations for the industry—something that would have been up to state lawmakers to tackle in the upcoming legislative session. Read

10/6/18--Telegram.com published a scathing letter by Deb Chura of Fitchburg stating her disappointment about the city council not holding meetings to talk about medical marijuana. Chura urges people not to be in favor of marijuana for medical use, and openly states in her letter, "there is a huge cost to this, your life, and the lives of those you love, which are at stake." Read  

9/7/18--North Dakotans Against The Legalization Of Recreational Marijuana, a new group formed to fight against recreational marijuana becoming legal in the state, is made up of several state groups including Greater North Dakota Chamber and law enforcement, as well as the national Smart Approaches to Marijuana. Measure 3 on this fall's ballot will give North Dakotans a chance to vote on legalizing marijuana. Read

9/12/18--Two years into a temporary ban on medical marijuana dispensaries, Dade City officials are still wrangling with whether or not to prohibit them permanently. During a recent meeting, the Dade City Commission voted to extend for another six months its moratorium banning medical marijuana dispensaries first established in 2016. Read

9/11/18--Alhambra is set to ban recreational marijuana businesses in the city – at least for now. The City Council unanimously gave preliminary approval to an ordinance that would ban all land uses associated with recreational marijuana – cultivation, manufacture, distribution, retailers, and laboratory testing. In addition, the ordinance would prohibit delivery of recreational marijuana anywhere in the city but would allow for deliveries of marijuana for medical use to a patient’s primary caregiver in Alhambra. Read

7/5/18--Another attempt to legalize recreational marijuana in Arizona went up in smoke Thursday when Safer Arizona missed the 5 p.m. deadline to file petitions to get on the Nov. 6 ballot. A representative of the grassroots group said that it had collected about 75,000 of the 150,625 signatures needed to qualify the Safer Arizona Cannabis Legalization Act for the ballot. The group had hoped to collect 225,000 signatures; the group had been gathering signatures since November. Read

7/3/18--President Trump has spoken out forcefully about defeating the illegal drug problem. Now he is urged to support marijuana legalization in the midst of the most deadly drug abuse epidemic in American history. Ex-drug czars Bill Bennett and John Walters firmly believe that the President should forcefully reject marijuana legalization, and direct his staff to get the facts out and push back against the ignorance that risks turning our drug policy into one of the worst self-inflicted wounds in American history. Read

3/18/18--The Board of Health is hoping to lead a discussion about what the presence of recreational marijuana establishments could mean to Rockport residents. The event is meant to stoke discussion and see if there is interest in putting a question on the ballot that would give voters the opportunity to decide whether or not recreational marijuana shops could set up in town or not. Read

3/19/18--Residents opted to ban recreational marijuana sales in town at Special Town Meeting Monday night. Voters approved by a two-thirds majority a measure that prohibits retail sales of recreational marijuana. The zoning still allows testing, product manufacture, and grow facilities by special permit in the town's industrial zones. Read

3/17/18--Marijuana companies will be banned from a majority of cities and towns in Massachusetts when recreational sales begin this summer, the latest indication that there will be fewer pot stores in the early going than many consumers expected. At least 189 of the state’s 351 municipalities have barred retail marijuana stores and, in most cases, cultivation facilities and other cannabis operations, too. Read

6/29/18--San Bruno is passing on pot, as the City Council agreed to extend a temporary moratorium prohibiting cannabis companies to a permanent ban. Officials said while they recognize the rights of those who smoke marijuana, the public safety risks posed by allowing cannabis selling, manufacturing, cultivating or other commercial uses were too great. Read

6/28/18--The Victorville City Council refused to sign off on allowing cannabis consumption and sales at the Chalice California festival, set for July 13-15 at at the San Bernardino County fairgrounds. The decision came after a few dozen people spoke in support of the festival, citing the economic benefit Chalice brings to the community, its solid safety record, and an opportunity to help move newly legalized cannabis culture “out of the shadows.” Read