Former Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders has been a pioneering and historic political figure in many regards. The first African American Surgeon General made many headlines during her tenure under the Bill Clinton Administration, as she was certainly one to speak her mind, even if the rest of the world wasn’t quite ready to hear it. While many political figures and policymakers play it safe, Elders was calling upon the United States government to rethink the Drug War back in 1993, three years before California had even passed the nation’s first medical cannabis law.

The momentum for cannabis law reform is so great today, with a strong majority of Americans supporting marijuana legalization and a supermajority supporting medical use, that sometimes it is hard for many advocates, especially those new to the movement, to remember a time before any state had passed a medical marijuana law. However, there was a time when we needed brave public figures to take courageous stands against the Drug War and one of those people was Joycelyn Elders. It would have been nice if President Clinton and his administration officials had offered more support for Elders during her tenure, but not every influential policymaker is as political courageous as Elders.

In 2010, when California was changing the marijuana debate once again, this time on legalization for all adults, Elders was a leader once again, proclaiming her support for the Golden State’s legalization proposal. “We need to lift the prohibition on marijuana,” Elders told The New York Times. “We have the highest number of people in the world being criminalized, many for non-violent crimes related to marijuana,” Elders told CNN. “We can use our resources so much better.”

Dr. Joycelyn Elders will be making yet another historic stand, this time as a keynote speaker at the International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC) in San Francisco on February 13-14th. The timing of Elders’ keynote address is crucial when the current Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has recently called for a review of our nation’s drug laws and California and several other states look to improve their marijuana laws on the 2016 ballot.

Attendees of the ICBC will hear from Elders and many other great speakers, such as renowned blogger Andrew Sullivan, cannabis icon Tommy Chong and Arjan Roskam, founder of the Green House Coffeeshops and Green House Seed Company in Amsterdam. As one of the organizers of this conference, I am extremely excited to meet and hear from Dr. Elders. The ICBC was already going to be a great conference, and Elders keynote makes the ICBC as truly historic event.

Full press release from the ICBC:

U.S. Surgeon General to headline San Francisco marijuana conference

Andrew Sullivan, Tommy Chong and Arjan Roskam among other speakers

Former U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders will headline the International Cannabis Business Conference on Feb. 13 and 14 in downtown San Francisco.

She’ll be joined by Andrew Sullivan, a prominent author and blogger; Tommy Chong, star of the Cheech & Chong movies; Arjan Roskam, who started the “Strain Hunters” documentary series; and Anthony Johnson, the executive director of Oregon’s successful campaign to legalize marijuana.

“Business and Politics” is the theme of the conference, which comes as several legalization initiatives vie for a spot on the state’s November ballot.

California has a $1.3 billion marijuana market, the largest in the U.S., and legal marijuana is the fastest growing industry in the country, according to The ArcView Group, a cannabis industry investment and research firm. Newly-passed medical regulations are transforming the state’s industry, and San Francisco has begun crafting recreational rules in anticipation of full legalization.

“The industry is exploding,” said conference producer Alex Rogers. “California is already a world leader in medical cannabis commerce. Imagine how big it’ll be once it’s legal for adult use.”

Unlike consumer-focused conferences like the Cannabis Cup, the International Cannabis Business Conference focuses on business strategy and influencers. It’s designed to be a crash course for entrepreneurs who want to grow business not only in California but also nationally and internationally.

Many of the speakers are from outside the country. Panel topics include legal, banking and tax issues; fundraising and marketing; and California’s new regulations. Earlybird tickets cost $499, and the event is likely to sell out.

Elders, the conference headliner, was the first African American appointed as Surgeon General of the United States. She came out in support of marijuana legalization in 2010, long before 58 percent of Americans supported it.

Other speakers:

• Dale Sky Jones Dale co-founded the National Cannabis Industry Association and Californians to Regulate Medical Marijuana. She’s now working at Oaksterdam University to train people within the cannabis industry.
• Raul Del Pino leads project direction and management for Spannabis, Europe’s largest cannabis fair and expo.
• Lukas Behal is founder and managing director at Cannafest s.r.o, the international trade show of cannabis and medical herbs.
• Philippe Lucas is vice president of patient advocacy at Tilray, a federally authorized medical cannabis production, research and distribution company based in Nanaimo, BC.
• Debby Goldsberry has been a leader in the medical and adult use marijuana industry for over 25 years. She co-founded the Berkeley Patients Group medical cannabis collective in 1999 and is currently executive director of Magnolia Wellness Collective.
• Zeta Ceti has spent the last 20 years in the California medical cannabis industry as a master cultivator, patient advocate and entrepreneur. In 2012 he founded Green Rush Consulting.
• Steve Bloom is editor-in-chief of Freedom Leaf magazine. He also publishes and edits CelebStoner.com, a leading source for marijuana and celebrity news.
• Ngaio Bealum is one of the premiere cannabis comics in the United States. He has appeared on Comedy Central, BET and MTV.
• Jessica Billingsley co-founded MJ Freeway Business Solutions, a leading business software platform for cannabis businesses
• Ed Rosenthal is a leading expert on marijuana cultivation. In his more than forty years as the “guru of ganja,” he has written or edited more than a dozen books about marijuana cultivation and social policy.
• Amanda Reiman is the Manager of Marijuana Law and Policy for the Drug Policy Alliance. She manages the organization’s marijuana reform work nationally and internationally.
• Henry Wykowski is a former prosecutor in the U.S. Justice Department and has prosecuted some of the U.S. government’s largest and most high profile tax evasion cases. Today, he is the leading cannabis industry tax attorney.
• David Hua is the CEO and co-founder of Meadow, which delivers cannabis-based medicines.
• Troy Dayton co-founded The ArcView Group, a premier investment group and market research firm. He currently serves as CEO.
• Chris Conrad is an internationally respected expert on industrial hemp and marijuana. His newest book is The Newbie’s Guide to Cannabis and the Industry.
• Ben Larson is the co-founder and managing partner of Gateway. He helps aspiring entrepreneurs achieve their potential as great business leaders. Prior to launching Gateway, Ben managed global operations for Founder Institute, the world’s largest entrepreneur training and startup launch program.
• Todd McCormick battled cancer throughout childhood and has dedicated his life to the study and research of cannabis. He was an editor of The Emperor Wears No Clothes.
• Evan Horowitz is the founder of WeedClub.com, 420 on Twitter, and is the host of @420 Pitch by WeedClub.

###

Progressive supporters of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders got great news this past week when a Fox News poll showed the anti-establishment Democratic candidate with a commanding 13 point lead over frontrunner Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire. The good polling news continued with the release of the NBC/The Wall Street Journal/Marist also showing Senator Sanders winning in New Hampshire and only trailing by 4% points in Iowa. (On the Republican side, Ted Cruz and Donald Trump are battling in Iowa, while Trump has a commanding lead in New Hampshire).

Although, the NBC/The Wall Street Journal/Marist poll tabbed Sanders  with a smaller lead in the Granite State than the Fox News poll, the Vermont Senator has many reasons to feel confident of a victory in his neighbor, especially if he has a strong result in Iowa. New Hampshire voters know Bernie Sanders better than most states’ residents and the fact state election rules allows independents to cast votes in the nation’s first primary. Senator Sanders has performed great with independents, one reason he polls better than Hillary Clinton in many matchups with Republican frontrunners.

Those posting #FeelTheBern all over social media had another reason to cheer recently when Sen. Sanders hinted that Elizabeth Warren would be a fine choice as Vice President. Many progressives begged the Massachusetts Senator to enter the race and many have now flocked to the political revolution that Bernie Sanders is now leading. Elizabeth Warren would be a very positive choice for marijuana legalization supporters and is many way thought of as a Dream Ticket by progressives.

Conventional wisdom and most establishment pundits didn’t give Bernie Sanders any hope of being in this strong of a position, let alone winning the Democratic nomination, just a few months ago. It is rather amazing what Senator Sanders, and his supporters, have already accomplished, but the Sanders’ campaign isn’t playing for any moral victories or just being satisfied with changing the Democratic debate. The Vermont Senator’s team is in it to win it and is making a case to help him win in the Iowa caucus in his latest campaign email:

Can you imagine how you’ll feel on the night of the Iowa caucuses if it turns out Bernie comes up just short? After all we’ve accomplished together against impossible odds … it’d be devastating.

With your support Bernie has brought us within striking distance of winning. But the new NBC poll released just this morning shows we still have critical  ground to make up in Iowa.

NBC News Poll (Jan. 10, 2016)
Clinton: 48%
Sanders: 45%

Your $50 contribution to Bernie’s campaign could be the difference between victory and defeat for our political revolution. Make one more today.

By all accounts, Hillary Clinton has dramatically ramped up her fundraising since we announced our record-breaking number of small-dollar, individual contributions. Earlier this week, the Clinton campaign raised almost two million dollars in one day from just three events with millionaires!

But our campaign is funded by emails like these. That’s why your contribution today is so important.

In solidarity,

Jeff Weaver
Campaign Manager
Bernie 2016

Cannabis cultural icon Tommy Chong has had his ups and downs over the years, in many ways his journey is very fitting for the cannabis community. Getting his big breaks in standup comedy and movie roles that centered on cannabis culture, Tommy was an entrepreneur during more “gray market” days that landed him an unjust stint in federal prison and now he has launched his own brand of cannabis that is now sold legally in Washington State.

From Celebstoner:

The first celebrity to bring his or her branded marijuana strains to the market in 2016 is none other than CelebStoner of the Year Tommy Chong.

He tweeted: “This is part of my new line and it’s shipping next week. It is sold in Washington. More coming soon!”

Tommy Chong pot will be available at 16 Washington location, including NiMBiN Pot Shop at 10861 1st Ave. So. in Seattle, WA. (It’s named after the counterculture area of Australia.) Check out the list of shops and map here.

I have never had the opportunity to meet Tommy Chong and am very much looking forward to seeing his celebrity interview with Celebstoner’s Steve Bloom at the International Cannabis Business Conference, where the first 500 ticket purchasers will even have the opportunity to party with the legend.

Chong has been laughed at (and with), ridiculed and targeted by prohibitionists, battled cancer and was even disinvited from lobbying for federal change by cannabis industry advocates. Throughout it all, Chong has persevered and even thrived and looks to be taking on the business world just about better than ever. If his cannabis strains and many other business ventures succeed, like I imagine they will, I bet that Tommy Chong can look back at the gains of the cannabis community, the entirety of his career achievements, and have himself the last laugh.

Currently available at 16 dispensaries: Map – https://t.co/SiiMN8rzRg 21+ Only – Legal & Recreational in Washington pic.twitter.com/BuPg7Eh5Ay

— Tommy Chong (@tommychong) January 5, 2016

By each and every metric, marijuana prohibition has been a dismal failure. Marijuana is the most widely utilized illicit substance and has very much moved mainstream. A strong majority wants to legalize and regulate cannabis like alcohol for all adults and a super-majority feels that it should be legal for medicinal use. It warmed my heart today to see my birth-state of Missouri move one step closer to a sane cannabis policy when I learned that the New Approach Missouri Medical Marijuana initiative is approved for circulation.

From New Approach Missouri:

We will also begin disseminating to a number of businesses and other establishments that have agreed to serve as permanent signing locations. Look for another email within the next couple weeks with information about where you can find a signing location near you. And if you own an establishment with regular hours of operation and would like to host a petition at your storefront, please email info@newapproachmissouri.com, and we will send someone to train your staff as soon as possible.

I know Missourians possess tremendous enthusiasm for this initiative. Thousands of you will make a point of signing it, and hundreds will volunteer their time to gather even more signatures. But to collect nearly 160,000 valid signatures — which will require nearly a quarter million total signatures — and ensure that this vital measure makes the ballot, we must hire a professional signature gathering firm.

That firm will not only gather many of the signatures directly, but also coordinate volunteers and validate all signatures to ensure that they are from registered Missouri voters. To accomplish all that, it will cost around $800,000, and we have to make a substantial down payment to get started.

We need your help to make that possible, so please contribute what you can now for the signature gathering effort! With thousands of grassroots supporters in our network, even relatively modest contributions add up, so whether you can contribute $5 or $500 or anything in between, you can make a difference today.

The fact that a substance that a majority of Americans feel is safer than alcohol and should be legal is still prohibited, further erodes citizens’ faith in our government. When sick and disabled patients and their providers are persecuted for cannabis, then citizens’ outrage is even greater. States across the country are moving away from the failed policy of prohibition and are instituting more reasonable laws. Each state is influenced by the next state, making Missouri very important to the national fight to end cannabis prohibition as more conservative states are unlikely to be influenced by progressive states like Oregon and Massachusetts, for instance.

Whether you live in Missouri or not, what happens in the Show-Me State reverberates across the nation. If a majority of voters in the Heartland support medical cannabis, we will add more federal officials fighting for sensible cannabis laws in Congress and more states, such as neighboring Arkansas, will soon follow Missouri’s example. Please spread the word and consider donating to this important campaign.

Cannabis law reformers have held great hope that Senator Bernie Sanders would be a candidate that would call for an end to failed and harmful policy of marijuana prohibition. The Vermont Senator had decried the War on Drugs decades ago and held progressive views on just about every position; reforming U.S. marijuana laws and the greater Drug War seemed in-line with his liberal agenda.

At first, there were merely hints from Sanders that he would divulge his marijuana policy in the future. Next, the anti-establishment candidate kept making progressive statements regarding marijuana prohibition and the greater Drug War.

Eventually, Senator Sanders was willing to state that he would be inclined to vote for Nevada’s marijuana legalization measure during a Democratic debate in Las Vegas; frontrunner Hillary Clinton declined the opportunity to state her support for legalization. Finally, Senator Sanders introduced legislation that would remove marijuana from the list of controlled substances, a bill that would effectively end federal cannabis prohibition.

While cannabis law reformers have to be pleased by the positions taken by Sanders, it is still refreshing to see him reaffirming his commitment in follow-up statements. Most recently, Sanders has taken to Facebook to demonstrate his inclination to improve our failed drug policy.

Cannabis law reformers have long (rightfully) complained about politicians unwilling to tackle the absurdity of marijuana prohibition. Now, we have a candidate that not only has called for an end to cannabis prohibition, but has also called the entire Drug War a failure. Conventional wisdom has considered Senator Sanders a long-shot to win the Democratic nomination, but he is within striking distance of winning the Iowa caucus and is the favorite to win the New Hampshire primary. Sanders’ fundraising success will provide him the ammunition to be very competitive as the primary race moves along, especially if he can win both Iowa and New Hampshire, but he will need our help.

Please keep up the vocal support of Sanders online and in person. If you are able, send Sanders a contribution, even if it is just a few dollars. You can join a record-breaking campaign that is even exceeding the remarkable grassroots support enjoyed by Barack Obama’s early primary campaign, when he challenged the so-called “inevitable” candidacy of Hillary Clinton. If we do our part, then ending cannabis prohibition at the federal level will no longer be just a dream that is spouted on social media, it can be our new reality.

Wisely, UFC fighters Rose Namajunas and Michael Chiesa want marijuana removed from banned list of substances competitors can’t use leading up to their mixed martial arts bouts. The two up-and-comers stated their positions on cannabis during a Q&A session ahead of UFC 195. Chiesa trains in Washington State while Namajunas fights out of Colorado, the first two states to legalize cannabis.

Michael Chiesa currently ranks as the #14 lightweight fighter in the UFC while Rose Namajunas is currently ranked #3 in the women’s strawweight division. Chiesa is coming off of an impressive win against former title contender Jim Miller while Namajunas completely dominated Paige VanZant, the #7 ranked fighter in her division.

Both fighters discuss the absurdity of the prohibition on cannabis use, especially compared to alcohol and more dangerous pharmaceuticals. The UFC’s moderator seemed to be nervous about treading on the subject of cannabis, but Chiesa and Namajunas weren’t skittish about talking about the issue at all. Rose even threw in a #FreeNickDiaz reference, as Nick Diaz has been given a ridiculous 5 year suspension for using marijuana. We are seeing more and more athletes speaking out about the need for sports to adhere to science and not politics on the issue of cannabis use, notably former UFC champion Ronda Rousey.

Many world-class athletes have used cannabis, from Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams to Olympic legends Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt, proving that athletes can utilize cannabis and achieve their goals. Additionally, there is evidence that medical cannabis can help prevent concussions as Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Lester Grinspoon states in his open letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.  Hopefully, for the sake of athletes and our society, even more professional competitors will speak out soon so we can implement a sane policy that is better for all of us, including those sacrificing their bodies for our entertainment.

Click here for the pertinent marijuana portion of the Q&A. The entire Q&A is below:

Bernie Sanders is running a truly unique campaign that relies upon an army of small donors and has a disdain for Super PACs that can receive unlimited donations anonymously. Despite operating a different kind of campaign, it is imperative that Bernie Sanders keeps pace with Hillary Clinton in fundraising. In the last half of 2015, Sanders has done just that, keeping alive the hopes of progressives, including many cannabis law reformers, that the Vermont Senator can mount a credible challenge to the Democratic frontrunner.

In the third quarter of 2015, Sanders raised $26 million to Clinton’s $28 million. In the last three months, the anti-establishment candidate raised $33 million while the former Secretary of State reportedly hauled in $37 million. Ben and Jerry should be happy with this result. The former First Lady also outraised her previous challenger, Barack Obama, in 2007. Notably, Sanders has raised more money than candidate Obama did in the final sixth months of their respective Democratic primary races against Hillary Clinton, even when adjusting for inflation. Also, Sanders has surpassed Obama’s record of the number of individual donors.

With about a month to go until votes start being counted in the early primary states, Sanders continues to see positive signs that the national media seems to underplay. National polling is much less important than polling in individual states and Iowa and New Hampshire have an outsized influence upon our electoral system. First-term Senator Barack Obama was losing to former First Lady Hillary Clinton by nearly 20 points nationally in December of 2007, but he was making serious gains in the early voting states.

Personally, I think that it is ridiculous that these two states have so much power, but that is the system we operate under. Of course, our political system benefits those with access to a lot of money, it does provide an avenue for underdog candidates, so long as those underdog candidates raise a lot of money and can compete financially with the establishment frontrunners.

The small voting populations of Iowa and New Hampshire allow for upstart campaigns to get their message out and those victories can change the political narrative. Obama’s candidacy was propelled forward by an Iowa victory, despite a setback in Iowa. Sanders is looking great in New Hampshire, defeating Clinton in most polls. Can he follow in Barack Obama’s footsteps by winning just one of the first two states? Possibly. But imagine if he can win both.

The founders of Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, are urging voters to support Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and for supporters to make a donation before midnight rings in 2016. Cohen and Greenfield started the iconic ice cream company in Vermont, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that the businessmen and philanthropists support Sanders, but they also have an important message for Democrats–that the insurgent candidate can win the nomination and the White House, but he needs supporters to step up financially, even with a donation as low as $3.

The Hill reports on Ben and Jerry’s email to Sanders supporters:

“As we travel the country campaigning for Bernie, we hear a lot of people saying, ‘I love Bernie, but I am not sure he can win,’” Greenfield writes.

“But poll after poll shows Bernie is the most electable Democrat,” Cohen writes. “And that’s because we all know in our hearts that the things Bernie is talking about are true. The system is rigged.”

***

“Every time Bernie ran for office in Vermont, people would say he didn’t have a chance,” Greenfield writes. “And together, I know we’re going to shock the political elite when we win in Iowa next month.”

Cohen and Greenfield are not strangers to progressive politics and Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream Company has been vocal in activist causes (even though the founders sold the company) speaking up for marriage equality, Occupy Wall Street and combatting climate change. Ben Cohen took on marijuana prohibition, decrying the money interests behind the failed policy. I obviously wholeheartedly agree with Cohen and Greenfield and personally donate $50 a month to Sanders’ campaign and I urge every marijuana law reform supporter to do the same thing.

Just as Ben and Jerry proclaim, Sanders actually polls better than Hillary Clinton against the Republican frontrunner, shattering the conventional wisdom that the anti-establishment candidate can’t win the White House. Senator Sanders has already surpassed the all-time record for the number of small contributors for a presidential candidate and can keep pace with the Democratic frontrunner in financial contributions in the final quarter of 2014, something that would have been unthinkable when the race started.

Sanders nearly matched Clinton the third quarter of the year and his army of small contributors can continue to donate as many of Clinton’s backers are wealthier donors that have hit the $2,700 maximum amount allowed for presidential candidate donations. So the clock is ticking on 2015 and on your ability to help continue the momentum for a serious Democratic candidate that has called for an end to federal cannabis prohibition and to end the failed and harmful Drug War.

Featured photo credit: www.onelifesuccess.net

“We have some preliminary data showing that for certain medical conditions and symptoms, that marijuana can be helpful,” United States Surgeon General Vivek Murthy told CBS last February “I think that we have to use that data to drive policymaking.” Murthy isn’t the first Surgeon General to express reasonable comments on drug policy as former Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders suggested that the U.S. study drug legalization in 1993 and came out in support of marijuana legalization in 2010. Thanks to pioneers like Elders and others, Murthy is working in a much more palatable political environment and will lead a report “presenting the state of the science on substance use, addiction and health.”

I first read about this huge policy announcment from a Tom Angell post on Marijuana.com:

The report from Vivek Murthy, the nation’s top public health official, will “outline potential future direction” for drug policies and “educate, encourage and call upon all Americans to take action,” according to a Federal Register notice published on Thursday. It will take a comprehensive look at illegal drugs as well as currently legal substances like alcohol and prescription medications.

***

Under the Obama administration, federal drug agencies have made a point to talk about addiction as a medical problem, but the drug control budget continues to devote far more resources to arrests, punishment and interdiction than to health strategies like treatment and prevention.

If President Obama intends to bring federal drug policies and budgets into line with his administration’s rhetoric before he leaves office, he could hardly find a better or more effective way to do it than through the nation’s top medical doctor.

Drug War reform advocates had hope that Murthy would help implement more sensible drug policies, especially after he made positive comments about medical cannabis last February. However, as Angell notes in his blog post, Murthy seemed to backtrack in follow-up statements. A thorough review of U.S. drug  policy, based upon science could fulfill the promise that Murthy demonstrated when he reasonably stated that cannabis can have medical benefits and that data should determine policy decisions.

Treating cannabis as a Schedule I controlled substance with no medical value, has long been a national embarrassment. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has wisely called for removing marijuana from the list of controlled substances, treating cannabis federally as the nation does alcohol. A thoughtful scientific review should bring us closer to descheduling cannabis and treating drug use overall as a health issue instead of a criminal issue.

As you recover from your various holiday celebrations with family and friends, maybe you want to unwind with a new movie that appeals to the cannabis community. Maybe you’ve already seen the new Star Wars (I loved it by the way, very much in line with the feel and story of the originals, before we ever had the unfortunate knowledge of Jar Jar Binks) and like me, just can’t find the time right now to make it to the theatre to see Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight; then Celebstoner, has you covered.

Celebstoner’s Steve Bloom has covered all things cannabis culture better and longer than just about anybody, so I always look forward to his year-end lists. And I’m really looking forward to his celebrity on-stage interview of Tommy Chong at the upcoming ICBC.  I only managed to watch the #1 and #5 movies on his list this year:

1. American Ultra

Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart teamed up again (they were previously in Adventureland) for this action-comedy directed by Nima Nourizadeh (Project X). Eisenberg’s Mike works at a convenience store, but little does he know that he’s been programmed by the CIA to be a killer. When the CIA decides to put him out of commission, Mike’s special powers (aided by plenty of marijuana inhalation) work to his advantage. Stewart’s terrific as his loyal stoner girlfriend. Watch the trailer here.

 

5. Trainwreck

After several years on Comedy Central, Amy Schumer made a bold leap to the big screen in Judd Apatow’s romantic comedy. Playing herself, Schumer is single and not looking to commit until she meets sports doc Aaron (former SNL star Bill Hader). The traditional roles reverse – Amy likes to smoke pot and Aaron doesn’t. She sneaks a toke here and there and, in the film’s climactic scene, is chided by Aaron after taking a one-hit break. Their romance isn’t very compelling, but Schumer is in her movie debut.

Personally, I loved both of these movies. I found American Ultra to be a very fun movie experience with enough action, grittiness and unexpectedness to keep me very entertained. If you like movies like Pineapple Express or even the Kingsman, I think you’ll enjoy American Ultra. Trainwreck was hilarious and had me literally crying at one point from laughing so hard. My one personal quibble with the movie is below, since it is a bit of a spoiler. I definitely want to check out #2, Sicario, that he compares to the Traffic, and I’ve heard good things about. Be sure to check out Bloom’s entire list, and here’s to an even better 2016 politically, culturally and artistically for the cannabis community.

SPOILER ALERT!  Personally, I wasn’t sold on the notion that  the Trainwreck protagonist played by Amy Schumer would give up both alcohol and cannabis completely cold turkey. This just felt a bit forced, especially knowing Schumer’s real-life lifestyle. The movie takes inspiration from Schumer’s experiences and it would have been more realistic, in my opinion, if she had made a decision to choose moderation. I understand that some people can make this type of decision, and don’t criticize anyone who feels that this is the best decision for them, but it just didn’t quite feel right in this movie to me. But it is a small quibble and I recommend the movie.  

You have to be living under a rock to not recognize the growing acceptance of cannabis law reform across the globe, particularly in regards to medical use. From Reefer Madness propaganda to the “the is your brain on drugs” campaign to the hilarious “Stoner Sloth“, prohibitionists have worked hard to demonize non-medicinal use of cannabis. It is pretty much impossible to use the same, tired rhetoric against those battling cancer and glaucoma, however, so it makes sense that medical marijuana enjoys super-majority support across all demographics.

Yahoo has a rundown of some of the recent advancements of medical cannabis around the world. Some highlights:

– COLOMBIA: President Juan Manuel Santos signed a decree Tuesday making it fully legal to grow, process, import and export cannabis and its derivatives for medical and scientific use.

– CANADA: Cannabis consumption for medical reasons has been legal since 2001. In June 2015, the Supreme Court expanded the definition of medical marijuana to allow authorised users to bake it into cookies and brew marijuana leaves for tea, in addition to smoking it.

– CROATIA: In October Croatia became the 13th European Union country to allow the medical use of cannabis. Medicines containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the plant’s main psychoactive ingredient, can now be prescribed by doctors to ease health problems associated with cancer, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and AIDS.

The entire list is certainly worth reading.

Despite the frustration of living under cannabis prohibition, it is rather remarkable the advancements that the cannabis community has made over the past two decades. Over the next few years, we will surely see more states and countries implement progressive cannabis laws, both medically and recreationally, and millions upon millions of people will be better off. We look forward to covering the inevitable successes that hard-working advocates are bringing about and doing our part to help the cannabis community be truly free and equal to make their own sensible medical and recreational decisions.

One of the many things that we are thankful for here at Marijuana Politics is that we get to work with Russ Belville, who was just named as The Weed Blog’s 2015 Online Activist of the Year, along with fellow activist extraordinaire Tom Angell. Russ is one of the most prolific bloggers and tireless advocates today and his blogs here at Marijuana Politics are really a must-read for the cannabis community.

Not only is he passionate, but Russ does his research, ensuring that his arguments are backed by facts. Russ has debated the top prohibitionists  and isn’t afraid to debate other cannabis law reform advocates as well. Despite living in progressive Portland, Oregon, Russ has been greatly impacted by his upbringing in Idaho, remembering what it is like to live under draconian marijuana laws.

Here’s what our friends over at The Weed Blog had to say about Russ and Tom:

Online Activist of the Year – Tom Angell and Russ Belville. I think these guys have won this award the last two years too. They are on the internet daily. I swear neither of them sleep. Tom ‘The One Man Marijuana Prohibition Wrecking Crew’ Angell is in just about every major marijuana article I read online. He also writes for Marijuana.Com, and I quote his articles quite often. Russ ‘The Hardest Working Man In Marijuana’ Belville is relentless. If you follow him on Twitter, you will see that he never shies away from a meaningful debate, and is quick to challenge a prohibitionist which is something that I have always admired. Both of these men are very deserving of this award, and very deserving of support ($!) from anyone that can help as far as I’m concerned.

As an Idaho refugee, he always thinks about the members of the cannabis community that aren’t fortunate to live in cannabis-friendly locales. Placing a premium on the need to end cannabis prohibition for everyone, Belville has often clashed with activists that aren’t pleased with various legalization laws, such as Washington State and proposals, such as the recent battle in Ohio and the current debate over California’s legalization proposals. Russ doesn’t shy away from supposedly controversial statements, willing to take on the biggest players in the movement. The cannabis community is lucky to have Russ Belville and we are proud to call him a friend and colleague here at Marijuana Politics.

Besides following his blogs here on Marijuana Politics, you can also check out Russ Belville’s personal site, his online show over at Cannabis Radio and follow him on Twitter and Facebook. 

Each and every year, the cannabis community can celebrate success and 2015 was no different. While off-year elections are not going to usher in as many monumental changes as election years, there are still electoral, political and cultural victories to celebrate.

Many political victories have been ushered in or aided by the Marijuana Policy Project, including the very first marijuana law reform campaign I ever worked on, legalizing up to 35 grams of medical marijuana for patients and decriminalizing that amount for everyone, in Columbia, Missouri, all the way back in 2004. Progress made in 2015 has set up more success in 2016 and I look forward discussing past and future success with advocates all across the globe at the upcoming International Cannabis Business Conference next February in San Francisco. Without further ado, here a a few highlights of 2015, according to MPP’s Rob Kampia:

10. Local Decriminalization Measures: In Florida, seven local governments (including Miami-Dade County) opted to allow officers to cite, rather than arrest, adults found in possession of marijuana. And in Michigan, an average of 55% of voters in East Lansing, Portage, and Keego Harbor decriminalized marijuana possession.

***

2. U.S. Senate: Bernie Sanders (D-VT) grabbed some headlines when he introduced the first-ever bill to legalize marijuana in the U.S. Senate. Just as significantly, Corey Booker (D-NJ) and Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced in the Senate the first-ever, comprehensive medical marijuana bill, which now has 16 co-sponsors. In the meantime, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed an amendment to prohibit DOJ from spending taxpayer money to interfere with state medical marijuana laws, as well as a second amendment to allow physicians in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to recommend medical marijuana to vets.

1. Presidential Candidates: All three of the major Democratic candidates for president said they support allowing states to regulate marijuana as they see fit. This was impressive, but it was even more impressive when nine of the 17 Republican candidates said the same thing, and even six of the remaining eight “bad” Republicans said something good about medical marijuana or decriminalization.

Kampia’s entire top 10 list is certainly worth reading. The one quibble I have with Rob is that he left off some major electoral success in Oregon, granted I may be a bit biased as an Oregonian. The Beaver State followed up the largest statewide vote for cannabis legalization with a legislative session that saw most marijuana felonies ended; the ability for most marijuana offenders to erase old convictions off of their record; and the start of early marijuana sales through existing medical marijuana dispensaries, generating millions of dollars in sales a year before the state expected to get licensed and regulated cannabis commerce off of the ground. While the year wasn’t perfect, and even a cannabis-policy-pioneering state like Oregon has more work to do, a lot was accomplished by the cannabis community across the nation and world and I look forward to an even brighter 2016.

There is national consensus that the Hillary Clinton is a sure thing to win the Democratic nomination, but the latest CBS/YouGov poll shows that Bernie Sanders isn’t out of the race yet. Even among progressives, there is a lot of “I wish Bernie could win” sentiment and I must say that I have found the most support and confidence in Sanders from the cannabis community. Granted, marijuana law reformers, especially those that consider themselves progressives or Democrats, are likely to rally behind the candidate calling for an end to cannabis prohibition and major Drug War reforms, but I think that something else is in play here: the cannabis community is used to being the underdog and surprising the political establishment.

It wasn’t that long ago that many of us were told by many friends, family and pundits that we were wasting our time trying to legalize marijuana. Marijuana legalization then lost a few times at the ballot box and prohibitionists and naysayers were further emboldened. But legalization experienced victory in 2012 and 2014 by outperforming most of the polls and the we proved the naysayers wrong, but we still have plenty of naysayers.

At  the beginning of this year, I was pulled aside at the airport and thoroughly frisked and searched (and I don’t want to compare my experience to people who have gone through much worse, but basically fondled and groped) at the Portland International Airport after being selected for extra scrutiny. The TSA agent asked me where I was travelling and why and I explained that I was going to Oakland, California, to speak at a conference about marijuana legalization. The agent asked me when I thought that marijuana would be legal federally, and I told him within the next 10 years. The agent responded, “Never!” I retorted with a smile and, “We’ll see.”

The dismissive attitude of the cannabis community and our political efforts are very similar, in my opinion, to the dismissive attitude towards supporters of Bernie Sanders. It is also similar to the experience that early supporters of Barack Obama, of which I was one, felt in the lead up to the 2008 Democratic nomination. It is interesting to see that people now feel that Obama was such a shoo-in, but that isn’t the case. Electing a black candidate with the middle name “Hussein” wasn’t a given by any means. But Barack Obama won the Iowa caucus, with frontrunner Hillary Clinton finishing third, and the rest is history, despite the fact that Clinton went on to win the New Hampshire primary.

The latest CBS/YouGov poll has Sanders just 5 points down from Hillary Clinton in Iowa, a great position for the insurgent candidate as his support is likely to be under-polled. Sanders is backed by many voters who are less likely to be polled, such as young people and first-time and infrequent voters of all ages. If you look at the polling throughout the 2008 Democratic race  in Iowa, Obama, who also relied upon infrequent voters, was under-polled virtually throughout the process. When you look at the Real Clear Politics average of Iowa polls in 2008, the polls under-polled the support of Barack Obama by nearly 7% as the poll of polls showed Obama with 30.8% support when he actually garnered 37.5% of the vote. Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, was polled rather accurately, as the polling average had her support at 29.2% and she actually won the votes of 29.4%

New Hampshire, the second state casting votes in 2016, has been a strong state for Bernie Sanders as he vies from neighboring Vermont and the independent-minded voters of a state with the motto “Live Free or Die” favor Senator Sanders by 14%, 56% to 42%. Secretary Clinton maintains a strong lead in South Carolina, but I expect that to change a bit if Sanders manages to win both Iowa and New Hampshire. Americans love a winner and right now, it is rather amazing that Sanders has the support he has when so many national pundits have been dismissing his candidacy all along. The political narrative changes, really with just a strong victory in New Hampshire, but very dramatically if Sanders shocks the world and wins in Iowa. Many in the cannabis community, will be working hard and hoping for a Hoosiers-like political upset.

Marijuana law reform is sweeping the nation as more elected officials, policymakers and voters learn about the benefits of moving past outdated prohibitionist policies. Most of the statewide reforms start at the local level, helped along by hard-working activists that have dedicated their lives to ending an unnecessary and harmful war being waged against the nonviolent cannabis community. Pittsburgh NORML is doing great work in the Steel City, effectively leading the effort to decriminalize personal amounts of marijuana within the city.

Changes at the city level immediately benefit not just the local cannabis community, but also all residents as it saves taxpayer dollars and better prioritize law enforcement resources. I got the opportunity to catch up with Pittsburgh NORML’s Theresa and Patrick Nightingale over Facebook and ask them about their efforts in accomplishing this important goal and what is next for statewide reforms in Pennsylvania.

Theresa, what are your initial thoughts on the importance of Pittsburgh’s decriminalization measure?

Adults in Pittsburgh will no longer have to worry about a small amount marijuana charge on their public records. These charges can destroy job and housing opportunities and follow people into the courtroom during custody disputes and divorce proceedings. It is also important to mention that because our Republican House continues to stall our medical marijuana bill that this ordinance will provide protection to medical patients until the time comes when a comprehensive medical marijuana bill can be passed.

Patrick, how did Pittsburgh NORML effectively lobby for this important reform?

In 2012 a neighborhood community development corporation, Bloomfield Garfield Corp., adopted a resolution to call for legalization of cannabis because too many of its constituents were unemployable and being denied public housing because of minor marijuana convictions. The director, an old friend, reached out to me but there just seemed nothing we could do on a local level. In 2014, Philly NORML worked with City Council, the police and the DA to pass their ordinance decriminalizing “small amounts.” Seeing their success and not seeing any legal challenges I decided to approach Bloomfield Garfield Corp to explore the possibility of a decrim ordinance.

Patrick, what’s next for Pittsburgh NORML and other Pennsylvania cannabis law reform advocates?

We are very hopeful that we may be able to move forward with some type of decriminalization effort on the statewide level. We have some very socially conservative politicians in key leadership positions that have effectively stymied our medicinal marijuana bill. If we get a MMJ bill passed it will be a very limited piece of legislation unfortunately. But with the state’s two largest population centers having embraced reform it may help spur Harrisburg to action.

Patrick is a criminal defense attorney, putting his political beliefs above and beyond his financial interest (which is a common thread among many NORML-affiliated attorneys, including two of my mentors, Dan Viets in Missouri and Leland Berger in Oregon). Theresa works in the law office as a paralegal and I would encourage the Pittsburgh cannabis community to support their law firm and Pittsburgh NORML. It is very challenging juggling activism with work and family life, and and this power couple is accomplishing a lot, despite the obstacles. I wish the Nightingales and all of the Pennsylvania cannabis activists the best of luck and look forward to covering their future success stories.