C. Johnson SACRAMENTO, CA – Backers of two measures legalizing marijuana in California have been approved to begin collecting petition signatures, according to the Secretary of State’s Office. One initiative would allow people age 21 and older to grow, possess and transport marijuana for personal use. Local government could regulate and tax commercial production of [...]

Medical marijuana collectives’ suit comes as the city struggles to write a new ordinance. By John Hoeffel A newly formed association of Los Angeles medical marijuana collectives has challenged the city’s efforts to control dispensaries, claiming in a lawsuit that the 2-year-old moratorium is unconstitutionally vague and that the City Council violated state law when [...]

San Diego County finally issued its first medical marijuana identification cards on Monday, and San Bernardino County will follow suit next month — a full six years after being instructed to do so by the state legislature. “We had to wait until all the legal matters were settled before implementing the program,” Adrienne Collins Yancey [...]

Congressman Barney Frank takes stand for freedom By Colorado Springs Gazette When this page and Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts can find common ground on an issue, it’s likely an issue that has broad popular appeal. That’s the situation with legislation Frank introduced this summer that would essentially decriminalize small amounts of marijuana for personal [...]

On Sep. 15, Cy Vance Jr. overwhelmingly beat Leslie Crocker Snyder in the race to be Manhattan’s next district attorney. Since there is no Republican challenger, Vance will be voted into office in November. Snyder, who built her career as a ruthless prosecutor and judge, was beaten so bad that the Village Voice quoted her [...]