The establishment of regulated cannabis retailers is associated with a decrease in localized criminal activity, according to data published in the journal Regional Science and Urban Economics. A pair of senior economists affiliated with the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia assessed the local effects of retail dispensaries on neighborhood crime in Denver, Colorado. They determined, […]
Remarks made today by the United States Surgeon General highlighting “the importance of protecting our nation from the health risks of marijuana use in adolescents and during pregnancy” fail to acknowledge the role that a regulated market can play in mitigating the use of cannabis by potentially high-risk populations. States NORML’s Executive Director Erik Altieri: […]
Legislation reducing marijuana possession penalties and facilitating the expungement of past cannabis convictions took effect today. Assembly Bill 8420-A reduces the penalty for minor marijuana possession violations (up to one ounce) to a $50 fine. It also amends penalties for offenses involving the possession of more than one ounce but less than two ounces of […]
Legislation will take effect next week expanding protections for state-qualified medical cannabis patients. House Bill 2612, which was signed into law in March, will go into effect on Friday, August 30. It strengthens patient protections by explicitly stipulating that registered cannabis consumers may not be denied public assistance, access to firearms, or certain types of […]
A specific gene associated with autism appears to undergo changes in the sperm of men who use marijuana, according to new research. The gene change occurs through a process called DNA methylation, and it could potentially be passed along to offspring.