NORML Sues To Halt Government's Prosecution of Medical Cannabis Providers   | In October, the United States Deputy Attorney General, along with the four US Attorneys from California, announced their intentions to escalate federal efforts targeting the state's medical cannabis dispensaries and providers. In response, members of the NORML Legal Committee filed suit in November against the federal government arguing that its actions were in violation of the Ninth, Tenth, and Fourteenth Amendments of the US Constitution. Plaintiffs also argued, using the theory of judicial estoppel, that the Justice Department had previously affirmed in federal court that it would no longer use federal resources to prosecute cannabis patients or providers who are compliant with state law. NORML's lawsuit remains pending.  Click > here < for more.

Members of Congress Introduce First Bill Since 1937 To Legalize Cannabis   | House lawmakers introduced legislation in Congress in June to end the federal criminalization of the personal use of marijuana. The bipartisan measure -- HR 2306, the 'Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2011' -- prohibits the federal government from prosecuting adults who use or possess cannabis by removing the plant and its primary psychoactive constituent, THC, from the five schedules of the United States Controlled Substances Act of 1970. The bill awaits Congressional action.  Click > here < for more.

Gallup: Majority of Americans Support Legalizing Cannabis   | A record 50 percent of Americans now believe that marijuana ought to be legalized for adult use, according to a nationwide Gallup Poll of 1,005 adults published in October. The 2011 survey results mark the first time ever that Gallup has reported that more Americans support legalizing cannabis (50 percent) than oppose it (46 percent).  Click > here < for more.

Over One Million Americans Now Use Cannabis Legally Under State Law   | Between one million to one-and-a-half million US citizens are legally authorized by the laws of their state to use marijuana, according to data compiled in May by NORML from state medical marijuana registries and patient estimates.  Click > here < for more.

Marijuana Prosecutions For 2010 Near Record High  | Police made 853,838 arrests in 2010 for marijuana-related offenses according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's annual Uniform Crime Report, released in September. The annual arrest total is among the highest ever reported by the agency. Marijuana arrests now comprise more than one-half (52 percent) of all drug arrests in the United States.  Click > here < for more.

Largest State Doctors Association Calls For Legalizing Cannabis  | The California Medical Association in October called for the "legalization and regulation" of cannabis for adults. The association, which represents some 35,000 physicians, recommends that cannabis be taxed and regulated "in a manner similar to alcohol."  Click > here < for more.

Connecticut Decriminalizes Cannabis Possession Offenses  | Statewide legislation took effect in July reducing the penalties for the adult possession of up to one-half ounce of marijuana from a criminal misdemeanor (formerly punishable by one year in jail and a $1,000 fine) to a non-criminal infraction, punishable by a $150 fine, no arrest or jail time, and no criminal record.  Click > here < for more.

Vaporized Cannabis Augments Analgesic Effect of Opiates in Humans  | Vaporized cannabis significantly augments the analgesic effects of opiates in patients with chronic pain, according to clinical trial data published online in the journal Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics in November. Investigators surmised that cannabis-specific interventions "may allow for opioid treatment at lower doses with fewer [patient] side effects."  Click > here < for more.

State Governors Call on Obama Administration to Reclassify Cannabis  | In December, governors from Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington formally requested the Obama administration to reclassify cannabis under federal law in a manner that would allow states to regulate its therapeutic use without federal interference. The administration in July had previously rejected a nine-year-old petition calling on the agency to initiate hearings to reassess the present classification of marijuana as a schedule I controlled substance without any 'accepted medical use in treatment.'  Click > here < for more.

Delaware Becomes 16th State To Legalize Limited Medical Use of Marijuana  | State lawmakers in May approved legislation to allow patients with a qualifying illness may legally possess up to six ounces of cannabis, provided the cannabis is obtained from a state-licensed, not-for-profit 'compassion center.' The law is anticipated to be implemented in 2012.  Click > here < for more.