Author: Daniel Harvester

Key moments from the first marijuana hearing of the new Congress. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks out on weed legalization and racial justice in congressional hearings. Cannabis industry reacts to new Attorney General.

Republican senator’s bill calls for state-run New Mexico pot shops. Big Pharma, Big Tobacco betting big on Hawaii legalization.

Massachusetts Cannabis Advisory Board votes on marijuana home delivery recommendations. Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission Chief: Alcohol, marijuana regulation not the same. Vermont senate committee approves retail cannabis bill.

New York bodega owners rally for right to sell marijuana when its legalized. Despite New York legalization actions, marijuana money continues to bedevil banks. Big money is behind the rush to New York legalization. Assemblyman says “time has come” to legalize in New York.
Automatic sealing? Expungement? As they legalize marijuana, New York lawmakers negotiate clearing criminal records. New York police, doctors and educators fighting legalization.

New Jersey governor promised to clear weed convictions. Here’s just how hard that will be. New Jersey marijuana legalization: Lawsuit cites legal weed conflict by Point Pleasant Beach mayor. “The bad outweighs the good” says Barnegat, New Jersey mayor. He pushed for New Jersey marijuana legalization for nearly 20 years. Now the Weedman feels sidelined.

Majority at Erie County, Pennsylvania forum support legalizing marijuana. It’s high time to let Pennsylvania voters rule on marijuana.
Pennsylvania recreational weed may soon be legal one year after medical marijuana made available. Second Pennsylvania forum on legalizing again dominated by those who support it. New poll finds Maryland supports legalizing marijuana.

Let’s take another look at Ohio recreational marijuana before it’s too late. Illinois lawmakers seeking public input about legalizing. Prospect of legalizing in Illinois has developers, landlords seeing green. What could go wrong in Iowa if Illinois and Michigan legalize? Michigan marijuana use is legal but employers maintain the right to say not on the job.

Oregon leads nation in rate of marijuana consumption. Marijuana bills introduced in Colorado legislature in 2019 so far.

A marijuana banking bill finally gets a hearing in Congress. Here’s why Utah leaders are taking notice. Montana lawmaker proposes panel to study legalization.

Businesses need bank accounts—marijuana shops included. Banks want a hit of the marijuana business. Will they get to partake? Here’s why the craft cannabis industry can thrive in the face of Big Marijuana. A live conversation about the US cannabis industry. US doesn’t offer the most fertile soil for marijuana sales growth.

Will relaxing Australia laws on cannabis use help or harm?

Australia set to legalize cannabis. Vicente Fox thinks Mexico could soon be exporting cannabis to the US, legally.

Kamala Harris supports legal pot, all of a sudden. Where Amy Klobuchar stands on marijuana. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: No shame in a president smoking weed. Why did pro-legalization lawmakers vote to ban people with drug convictions from V.A. employment? Congress moves closer to delivering protections for banks that work with the pot industry.

New York marijuana legalization fight heats up at Capitol. Slowing the New York legal weed freight train. How will New York legal marijuana be taxed, regulated? Brooklyn medical marijuana salon worried about New York legal recreational weed. Trends in Marijuana Enforcement in New York State, 1990–2017. Long Island politician fighting Cuomo’s marijuana push. Monroe County, New York marijuana advocates say police have it wrong when it comes to legalization.

Is New Jersey marijuana legalization on the way? Or will New York, Pennsylvania get there first? Pennsylvania statewide pot tour: Exercise in democracy or puffed-up political show? Pennsylvania legislators chime in on legalizing recreational marijuana. Baltimore top prosecutor seeks to right “extraordinary wrong” with pot convictions petition. Southern Maryland reacts to bills to legalize marijuana.

Colorado marijuana sales crack $6 billion since 2014 legalization, state says. Why Colorado pot money has no impact on the Denver teachers strike. Denver new program to erase low-level marijuana convictions launches. Alaska crime bill may need exemption to keep recreational marijuana industry legal. Washington marijuana legalization and traffic fatalities involving cannabinoids. California trusts the weed industry more than social media. Hawaii should be the next state to legalize marijuana. Travel agents react to possibility of legal marijuana in Hawaii.

Massachusetts lawmakers want more changes to pot law. First legal marijuana stores are open in Massachusetts, but industry is far from mature. With marijuana legal across all borders, what does it mean for New Hampshire? Rhode Island residents express displeasure with marijuana legalization.

ABC system is the right path forward for marijuana legalization in North Carolina.

Illinois lawmakers turn attention to marijuana. Legalizing marijuana in Illinois is a good idea. Marijuana legalization would save Wisconsin hundreds of millions of dollars every year.

Legalized marijuana has no impact on alcohol sales. New book sees benefits of legalized marijuana. Yes, marijuana legalization is working.

S.420—A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for the taxation and regulation of marijuana products. States would get free hand under marijuana bill. House Financial Services Committee will hear cannabis banking bill next week.

Oregon lawmakers consider interstate marijuana commerce, banning employers from forcing workers to abstain from legal substances. In Oregon border town, a windfall could come from marijuana sales to Idaho. Is proposed Oregon marijuana export plan a solution to state’s cannabis glut—or a pipe dream? California marijuana production faces “war” from Asian American communities in San Gabriel Valley.

Massachusetts bill would mandate minority inclusion among marijuana licensees. Massachusetts post offices confiscated record number of marijuana packages in 2018. Marijuana legalization showdown in New Hampshire State House. New Hampshire Democrats push for legalization of marijuana sales, growing. New Hampshire lawmakers hear arguments for, against legalizing recreational marijuana. Senate Democrats making push for legal pot in Connecticut. Connecticut pot legalization could include expungement of criminal records. UConn offers cannabis horticulture class to prepare students for future in legal pot. Connecticut coalition protests I-91 billboard advertising marijuana.

New York police unions unanimously oppose legalizing marijuana. Sheriffs across New York speak out against legalizing recreational marijuana. Law enforcement leaders in western New York warn of dangers of marijuana legalization.

Maryland lawmakers introduce marijuana legalization bills. Tennessee lawmaker proposes bill to legalize recreational marijuana. New Mexico legalization advances in House. First bill emerges this year to legalize marijuana in Illinois—would allow up to 24 plants at home. We support Illinois legalizing marijuana. Here are the hurdles we see.

Hawaii marijuana legalization bill clears committee hurdle.

John Boehner leads new marijuana lobbying effort. Pot stocks may be a bubble that needs to burst. Scientists race to make pot like booze—drinkable.

Pennsylvania lawmaker introduces bill to legalize recreational marijuana. Latest Pennsylvania marijuana legalization proposal would clear criminal records, release inmates. First stops on Pennsylvania listening tour for marijuana legalization to be in Perry, Dauphin counties.

Will New Hampshire legalize recreational marijuana use?. Friends, foes of pot line up. Connecticut lawmakers say they’re getting closer to legalizing recreational marijuana. Why most Massachusetts marijuana sales are on the black market, two years after legalization.

Plan to legalize recreational marijuana in New York moves slowly. Cuomo holding out hope for New York marijuana legalization in budget. Times Square “marijuana justice” billboards running this weekend urge Cuomo to pursue New York legalization grounded in racial and economic justice. “Legalize marijuana without corporatized marijuana,” says New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. Cuomo‘s push for New York legal pot should peel off from budget package. The scramble to profit from New York legal pot.

Portland, Oregon awards first equity grants to two minority-owned cannabis businesses. Marijuana supply far outweighs demand in Oregon legal market, new study says. California pot shops have been only open a year. They’re already lobbying for a tax cut. Colorado the example for legalization in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

Illinois legislators lay out plans for recreational marijuana proposal. Illinois Catholic bishops oppose marijuana legalization, but proponent says God put pot ‘on this planet for a reason’. Advocates for Kentucky legalized marijuana to rally at the Capitol. Iowa Democrat’s proposal to legalize marijuana likely dead on arrival. Iowa should regulate marijuana like beer, wine and liquor. Minnesota Republican state senator co-authors bill to legalize cannabis.

Congress is seriously considering regulating weed like alcohol. Cory Booker calls for legalizing marijuana as he launches 2020 bid. Sen. Burr floats FDA marijuana legalization conspiracy theory. Sen. Durbin raises concerns about legalizing marijuana in break with party. Traffic deaths rose, then fell, after three states legalized marijuana. Wall Street banks face hurdles as they rush to cover the suddenly booming marijuana industry. Why do so many Americans now support legalizing marijuana.

Guam governor supports recreational marijuana bill. Guam recreational marijuana violates US law. Feds say there’s no cannabis supply shortage in Canada. So why are shops always short on pot? The Netherlands isn’t as weed-friendly as it used to be.

Weed delivery officially legal in California. Marijuana is legal in California. So why is the California Highway Patrol arresting delivery drivers? Legalization of marijuana off to sluggish start in Sonoma County, California. Weedmaps’ grip on the high-flying California pot market.

Marijuana taxes are exceeding revenue projections in most states.

New Illinois governor touts legal marijuana, but will he remove roadblocks to expand medical pot? Illinois, there are red flags on legalizing recreational pot. Groups urge Illinois lawmakers not to legalize recreational marijuana. Cook County, Illinois prosecutor supports marijuana legalization, will expunge misdemeanor convictions. What does Michigan legalization of recreational marijuana mean for drug-sniffing dogs?

South Carolina officials call marijuana ‘addictive, dangerous’ in push to prevent legalization. Latest bill to legalize New Mexico marijuana gains momentum. West Virginia cannabis moving toward legalization, legitimization.

Oregon Democrats top recipient of 2018 marijuana industry money, study finds. Alaska governor picks shake up board regulating marijuana.

New York college to offer classes on growing marijuana. Jefferson County, New York seems unlikely to ban sales of recreational marijuana for now. Chautauqua County, New York fights against the legalization of marijuana. Long Island municipalities ponder marijuana opt-out. Legalize recreational marijuana in New York, but answer these questions first. Bloomberg: Trying to legalize New York marijuana is “perhaps the stupidest thing anybody has ever done”.

New Jersey marijuana legalization: Promises about legal weed benefits are false. Critics urge New Jersey to pump brakes on increasing access to marijuana. New Jersey Certified Public Accountants split on legal marijuana. New Jersey marijuana legalization: Is decriminalization a better option? Washington DC mayor considers how to legalize marijuana sales in light of Congress’ block. Councilman wants voters to decide whether Philadelphia legalizes recreational marijuana usage. Pennsylvania governor announces town hall sessions on legalizing marijuana.

Rhode Island governor to propose marijuana legalization as neighboring states launch programs. Connecticut legislators have introduced the first legal marijuana bill of 2019. Here’s what it would do. Five reasons some in Connecticut are saying “no” to legal marijuana. Vermont governor shares thoughts on legalizing marijuana. Maine marijuana legalization timeline goes up in smoke.

Nebraska Attorney General says marijuana industry behind legalization effort. Poll shows Wisconsin majority in favor of marijuana legalization.
Wisconsin should speed up legalization of marijuana. Minnesota legislators begin pushing marijuana legalization measures.

Veterans look to Congress for legal cannabis. Young people in liberal states use more cannabis, but have lower rates of dependence.As marijuana legalization expands, the NFL clings to prohibition. For now. Joe Montana joins investment in legal marijuana operator. Why 2019 could be marijuana’s biggest year yet.

Trump’s Attorney General nominee may shift policy on marijuana enforcement. The dangers of health and safety: Marijuana legalization as frontier capitalism. Does marijuana use really cause psychotic disorders? A state-run bank for marijuana money? Not so fast. The pitfalls of weed legalization.

Legal Canada marijuana sales top $40m in first month. Lawmakers in Portugal debate two marijuana legalization bills.

Virginia legislation to legalize marijuana fails.

Gov. Cuomo announces plan for marijuana legalization, calls for automatic record sealing and economic justice. Legal marijuana may come to New York—and so will legal marijuana taxes. Bloomberg on NY legalization: “It’s just nonsensical.” New York legislators weigh in on marijuana debate. New York Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act. Some New York counties would consider opting out of legalization of marijuana sales. Questions remain over legal recreational marijuana across New York. New York Association of Chiefs of Police opposing recreational marijuana legalization. Local reaction mixed to New York governor marijuana plan.

New Jersey governor State of the State: Legalizing marijuana. Lead sponsor of New Jersey recreational weed bill says he’s “losing faith” in governor, weighing ballot vote. Is Pennsylvania ready for recreational marijuana legalization?

States hold breath as Attorney General nominee William Barr says he won’t prosecute pot in marijuana-legal states. How long can Congress keep pretending marijuana legalization isn’t becoming the norm?

Michigan slow rollout for legal marijuana prompts questions. Michigan can have smooth pot legalization. It’s reefer gladness in Illinois. But let’s slow our roll on legalizing recreational pot. Emotions run high in Minnesota debate on legalizing marijuana. Wisconsingovernor supports legalization of recreational marijuana.

A look back at the first year of legal marijuana sales in California. Washington lawmakers consider legalizing marijuana home cultivation.

Where does your governor stand on marijuana legalization? Legalizing marijuana in the US: the economic highs (and lows). Alex Berenson responds to blowback from anti-pot book in Fox News article.

Is Latin America the next big (legal) marijuana market?

Massachusetts cannabis panel seeks authority to scrutinize shops’ pacts with towns. Massachusetts recreational cannabis industry navigates tricky regulatory terrain. Vermont senate committee releases commercial marijuana legalization bill details. Connecticut legal marijuana could be available by the end of this year. Governor Raimondo will propose legalizing pot in Rhode Island.

Thirteen Chicago mayoral candidates unanimously endorse marijuana legalization at forum. Illinois legal weed is great, but black and brown communities can’t be left behind.

Cuomo set to reveal his plan to make marijuana legal. Nassau County, New York creates marijuana task force to prepare for state legalization. Thorny questions threaten to slow legal marijuana in New York. Will New York marijuana legalization impact past convictions? New York cities, towns could opt-out under gov’s plan. Colleges likely to continue bans if New York legalizes recreational marijuana use. Film festival aims to reduce marijuana stigma as New York moves closer to legalization. With New York marijuana legalization likely, Long Island police caution about driving high.

New Jersey could lose out on millions of dollars if it doesn’t legalize weed soon.

Bill sponsor says Virginia legal marijuana is example of limited government, personal liberty.

Arriving at the least bad marijuana policy. Alex Berenson’s book. Sorry, but Malcolm Gladwell is just plain wrong about marijuana. All the things the new anti-weed crusade gets horribly wrong.

New Jersey gets ready for legal weed. No stoner ads. New Jersey towns buck marijuana legalization. New Jersey legal weed already facing backlash. As New Jersey pot debate drags on, New York races to legalize recreational marijuana. Are New York lawmakers on board with legal marijuana? New York marijuana legalization must bring justice, too. New York needs a serious debate before legalizing marijuana. Many unanswered questions on how to legalize marijuana in New York. New York prosecutors: Legalizing pot will require better drugged-driving tools. Allegany County, New York plots legal marijuana response. Legalized marijuana, driving safety topic of discussion in Rockville Centre, New York. Oswego County, New York experts weigh in on legalized marijuana. Nassau County, New York taskforce to study impact of marijuana legalization.

What will the Massachusetts recreational marijuana industry mean for Berkshire County? Charlton,Massachusetts board rejects huge marijuana cultivation facility. Connecticut House speaker pledges to push marijuana legalization forward in 2019. New hope for bill to legalize DC marijuana sales.

Virginia delegate fights to have marijuana legalized. Majority of West Virginia House Democrats favor recreational marijuana legalization. Legal pot or not? A New Mexico debate.

Legalize marijuana to beat Pennsylvania opioid crisis. For racial justice, Pennsylvania legalized marijuana must be taxed correctly.

More than sixty Michigan cities opt out of the marijuana industry. Marijuana social club plans opening near Flint amid legal haze. Wisconsin Republican leaders remain opposed to marijuana legalization despite moves by neighbors.

Denver will erase some marijuana convictions. The mayor says it could finally diversify an “awfully white” industry. What is Oregon going to do with over a million pounds of excess weed? Nevada commission wants law to expunge marijuana convictions. 

The case against cannabis: A journalist’s pursuit of the truth about marijuana, mental illness and violence. Did marijuana legalization really increase homicide rates? Is marijuana as safe as we think? When is someone too high to drive? Marijuana needs warning labels like tobacco for associated mental, physical health risks. On marijuana legalization, let science lead the way.

Surgeon General believes it’s high time for marijuana reclassification. As marijuana legalization spreads, so does the idea of pardoning past offenders. Study shows no impact on spirits sales from legalized recreational marijuana. Pot sector focus shifts from legalization to legitimacy. Workplace rules complicate introduction of legal cannabis.

Marijuana reform tackled twice by new Congress within first day of business. A newly proposed bill, HR 420, is looking to legalize marijuana at the federal level. Fox News: Democrats are hypocritical in embrace of pot. Kamala Harris calls for legalizing marijuana and ending war on drugs in new book. One year after Sessions rescinded a federal marijuana memo, the sky hasn’t fallen.

Vancouver first two licensed marijuana retailers open for business.

Is Hawaii legal marijuana inevitable? Where Elizabeth Warren stands on marijuana. Legal marijuana made big promises on racial equity—and fell short.

Cuomo pledges marijuana legalization in inaugural address. Former police commissioner condemns New York legalization of recreational marijuana. New York retail unions plan to invade marijuana industry once it’s legalized. What legal pot looks like in New York. New York recreational marijuana legalization planned for the budget. Whither the weed dealer? One “care provider” on what New York legalization might do to the black market. Will New York beat New Jersey to the legal weed finish line?

Another New Jersey college jumps into the marijuana industry as legal weed looms. New Jersey marijuana legalization: Lessons learned from other states. I sponsored the New Jersey bill to legalize cannabis. Let’s use what we learned from legalizing casinos. As Pennsylvania mulls recreational marijuana, treatment experts stress: it can be addictive.

What’s next on horizon for California legal marijuana. Now for the hard part: Getting California to buy legal weed. How a corrupt California marijuana testing lab incident highlights the benefits of legalized marijuana. So far, so good for legal marijuana sales in Ventura Co., California.

Washington Governor to pardon thousands convicted of marijuana possession. Oregon may consider exporting marijuana to other states. 5 years of legal marijuana in Colorado. Almost half of Colorado marijuana money can go wherever lawmakers wish. Western Nebraska paying the price for Colorado marijuana legalization. Nevada dispensary sells America’s most expensive legal marijuana product for $11,000.

Groups searching for loopholes to get legal pot in Michigan. Michigan recreational marijuana is legal, but Lansing’s largest employers don’t allow it. Indiana Governor remains against legalizing marijuana. Would recreational pot affect Illinois medical marijuana? Illinois marijuana legalization debate shifts from “when” to “how”. Idaho marijuana legalization advocates aim for 2020 ballot initiative.

Marijuana is more dangerous than you think. Murder Mountain: Where marijuana can kill.