Former Hewlett-Packard CEO and failed California Senate candidate Carly Fiorina has won two debates thus far according to political conventional wisdom, the first FOX News second-tier debate and then the latest top-tier debate on CNN. While Fiorina’s tenure at HP was very controversial, including sales to Iran despite U.S. sanctions, massive layoffs and she was eventually forced to resign as CEO by HP board of directors, Republican primary voters clearly desire a political outsider.

Donald Trump has leaped to GOP frontrunner status, neurosurgeon Ben Carson is polling well and Carly Fiorina is now polling 2nd, behind only Trump. Florida Senator Marco Rubio, while not a complete Washington outsider, is a young face that many GOP voters feel represents the future of the Republican Party. Rubio has also surged in the most recent CNN poll that has Trump at 24%; Fiorina at 15%; Ben Carson at 14%; and Marco Rubio tied with Carson at 14%.

The cannabis community needs to be vigilant as Carly Fiorina and Marco Rubio rise in the polls as both have expressed support for going backwards on marijuana policy, out of the mainstream. Rubio has long stood by the contention that armed federal agents should waste taxpayer dollars by enforcing federal marijuana law over the will of state voters, joining his GOP rival Chris Christie.

Fiorina’s position that marijuana is a dangerous gateway drug is very troubling as her tragic personal family story and Reefer Madness rhetoric can influence voters on the fence, particularly voters not very educated on cannabis science. While Carly Fiorina’s proclamation that marijuana is more dangerous than beer can help perpetuate bad public policy that literally drives more people to drink. Regardless of whether one supports marijuana legalization or not, they should be honest about the fact that alcohol, even just beer, can cause fatal overdoses and death, unlike cannabis.

UPDATE: Fiorina has been one of the more reasonable 2016 GOP challengers on marijuana policy, but her rhetoric is very dangerous for the cannabis community as several states are poised to vote on marijuana legalization initiatives as it can feed into the fear-mongering propaganda that prohibitionists utilize. Anti-marijuana group Smart Colorado seized upon Fiorina’s rhetoric, as The Denver Post notes:

Carly Fiorina, the former CEO of Hewlett-Packard, voiced concern about marijuana legalization. She invoked the story of her daughter’s death after addiction to alcohol and prescription pills.

“We must invest more in the treatment of drugs,” she said. “I agree with Sen. Paul. I agree with states’ rights. But we are misleading people when we tell them that marijuana is just like having a beer — it’s not.”

The comparison is a misnomer to the cannabis industry, but Gina Carbone, a co-founder of Smart Colorado, a group that wants greater protections for children, said it was an important moment.

“I think everyone needed to hear that kind of thing because that is exactly what we in Colorado are facing,” she said.

It can be very uncomfortable disagreeing with someone like Carly Fiorina who has a tragic death in her family due to drug addiction, but it is important that marijuana be put into perspective and the proper scientific context in comparison to other drugs. Russ Belville’s piece on this very issue is extremely important and the cannabis community should spread the the truth far and wide.

Marco Rubio’s argument that federal law enforcement resources should be used to arrest, prosecute and imprison nonviolent citizens acting legally under state law, is easier to combat and GOP candidate Rand Paul will likely continue to do so on the debate stage. However, the cannabis community cannot count on Republican candidates, or any candidate in any party, to do our work for us. We have made huge gains across the country due to our collective effort, most importantly spreading the truth about cannabis, so we must continue to do so and not let our momentum be stopped by the harmful rhetoric and positions of Carly Fiorina and Marco Rubio.

(Featured photo credit: Getty Images)

We just profiled Marketwatch.com’s list of the next 11 states to legalize marijuana, noting that Arizona was another state that could potentially be in the next way of states, as a lot of media outlets seem to be discounting Arizona. Many were very skeptical about the conservative state passing medical, but medical marijuana activists narrowly pulled out a victory with 50.1% of the vote in 2010.  Coincidentally, we very quickly received a press release from the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Arizona, proclaiming that they were on pace to place legalization on the ballot in 2016.

While Arizona will likely be a hard-fought electoral battle, the fact that Arizona voters have seen the success of legalization in a few states already, coupled with the greater turnout in a 2016 presidential election, a path to victory could very well be there for Arizona advocates. You can support this effort by donating or signing up with the campaign.

The press release:

 

Contact: Barrett Marson, Communications Director

602-743-4120, barrett@marsonmedia.com

Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Arizona Reaches Petitioning Milestone — 75,000 Signatures

Initiative backers are one-third of the way to their goal of 230,000 total signatures; just over 150,000 valid signatures are needed to qualify for the ballot

PHOENIX — Backers of an initiative to regulate and tax marijuana like alcohol in Arizona announced Thursday that their petition drive has surpassed the 75,000-signature mark and is one-third of the way to its goal of 230,000 total signatures.

The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol launched its petition drive in May and needs 150,642 valid signatures of registered Arizona voters to qualify for the November 2016 ballot.

“We’re finding that more than one out of every two registered voters we ask to sign is happy to do it, so that’s a good sign,” said campaign chairman J.P. Holyoak. “People recognize that marijuana prohibition has been just as big of a mess as alcohol prohibition was 80 years ago. It’s time for a more sensible approach.”

The proposed initiative would allow adults 21 and older to possess limited amounts of marijuana; establish a system in which marijuana is regulated similarly to alcohol; and enact a 15 percent tax on retail marijuana sales, from which a majority of the revenue would be directed to Arizona schools and public education programs.

“Most voters seem to recognize that marijuana is less harmful than alcohol and that we’d be better off if we started treating it that way,” Holyoak said. “It makes little sense to criminalize adults for choosing to use a product that is safer than one you can currently buy in a grocery store. Regulating and taxing marijuana like alcohol just makes sense.”

# # #

The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol is supporting a 2016 statewide ballot initiative to end marijuana prohibition in Arizona and replace it with a system in which marijuana is regulated and taxed similarly to alcohol. For more information, visit http://www.RegulateMarijuanaAZ.org.

The 2016 election is shaping up to be a landmark year for the cannabis community, with more marijuana legalization measures passed in any one year, not to mention a the potential to elect a president willing to allow states to legalize “without restriction“, at least support the ability of localities to be laboratories of democracy or adhere to a states’ rights position. With polling looking more and more favorable across the nation, cannabis advocates are certainly feeling optimistic to adding to ending the arrest of hundreds of thousands of people and generating millions of dollars in new revue following the 2016 elections.

The top three states to legalize marijuana according to Marketwatch.com:

1. Massachusetts

Max. fine for small amount: $100
Marijuana related arrests in 2012: 2,596
Marijuana arrests per 100,000: 39
Minimum penalty classification: Civil offense
Under Massachusetts’ state law, an individual can only be fined a maximum of $100 for possession an ounce or less of marijuana — the result of a 2008 ballot to decriminalize possession of small amounts of the drug. The impact of decriminalization has been dramatic. While there were more than 10,000 marijuana-related arrests in 2008, there was just about a third as many such arrests in 2009, the first year the law took effect. Though the state’s marijuana policy is relatively progressive, it appears that decriminalization has not gone far enough for the majority of voters. In a poll released last year by the Boston Herald, 53% of state residents were in favor of legalizing marijuana, while only 37% were against. Proponents of legalization may have a chance to change the state law again in November 2016. Democratic State Representative Dave Rogers and Democratic State Senator Patricia Jehlen introduced a bill to legalize recreational marijuana use for adults.

2. Nevada

Max. fine for small amount: $600|
Marijuana related arrests in 2012: 8,524
Marijuana arrests per 100,000: 309
Minimum penalty classification: Misdemeanor
According to the Marijuana Policy Project, Nevada is one of 20 states to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana. Though no one found in possession of under an ounce of the drug can face incarceration or felony charges, Nevada’s penalties for possession are among the harshest of all the states that have decriminalized. Unlike some states that have decriminalized the small amounts of the drug, like Massachusetts and California, first time offenders in Nevada can still be charged with a misdemeanor and be compelled to undergo mandatory drug treatment. Despite the harsher penalties, next year Nevada could become the fifth state to legalize recreational use of drug. Voters will have a chance to pass the Initiative to Tax and Regulate Marijuana in November 2016. If passed, legalization will have a dramatic effect on arrest rates and police resources. As of 2012, there were about 8,500 marijuana-related arrests in Nevada, the 14th highest arrest rate in the country.

3. California

Max. fine for small amount: $100
Marijuana related arrests in 2012: 21,256
Marijuana arrests per 100,000: 56
Minimum penalty classification: Infraction
California was in the vanguard of state marijuana reforms in the 1970s and an early adopter of decriminalization. In 1996, the state passed the Compassionate Use Act, which permitted physician-recommended marijuana use for medical treatment. In 2010, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation that reclassified the crime of marijuana possession from a misdemeanor to an infraction. Despite the state’s historically progressive stance, marijuana has yet to be legalized. In 2010, a motion to legalize failed by a slim margin. Two bills proposing marijuana regulation are now on the table, although the success of each remains to be seen. A great deal may be at stake in the success or failure of marijuana law reform in California. According to St. Pierre, because of the state’s sheer size and influence, the viability of federal legislation largely relies on the precedent California might set.

Nevada should probably be #1 on the list since a legalization measure has already qualified for the 2016 ballot and Maine should likely be higher on the list, but Marketwatch.com has compiled a very thoughtful list. Rounding out the list: 4. New York; 5. Vermont; 6. Minnesota; 7. Connecticut; 8. Maryland; 9. Rhode Island; 10. Maine; and 11. Delaware. Arizona and Florida may be a couple of states next on the list as advocates have started making preparation for legalization efforts. Noticeably absent from the Marketwatch.com is Ohio, who has already qualified a (controversial) legalization measure on the 2015 ballot. Regardless of the order, cannabis law reform advocates are poised very well to continue the momentum for legalization that will eventually force elected officials to cannabis prohibition at the federal level.

Hat tip to Tom Angell over at Marijuana.com, who we first saw post about Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders’ comments on cannabis law and greater Drug War reform in an interview with Little Village, a public access program on Iowa public access radio. The progressive Democratic presidential candidate stated, “What the federal government can do is say to the state of Colorado that if you choose to vote to legalize marijuana, we will allow you to do that without restrictions.”

From Mr. Angell’s piece over at Marijuana.com:

“In Colorado people who run marijuana shops can’t put their money in banks,” he said. “That’s a violation of federal law. So I think there are things that the federal government can do that would make it easier for states that want to go in that direction to be able to do so.”

Earlier in the interview with reporter Stacey Walker, which was taped on September 4, Sanders raised concerns about broader criminal justice issues, including mandatory minimum sentencing and private prisons. “To keep people out of jail I think we want to take a hard look at the war on drugs,” he said. “We want to make sure that we’re not ruining people’s lives because they were caught with some marijuana, for example.”

***

“We’re exploring the pluses and minuses — of which there are both — of moving more aggressively on that issue. It is a very important issue. We’re watching what Colorado is doing, and we’ll have more to say about that in the coming weeks and months.”

These comments by the surging Sanders are consistent with statements he’s made throughout the campaign. The anti-establishment candidate has declared the Drug War a failure, stated his intention to introduce legislation that would abolish private prisons and has signalled a willingness to legalize marijuana. Sanders’ statement that the federal government should allow states that have legalized marijuana to do so “without restrictions” is basically repealing cannabis prohibition at the federal level, allowing states to enact their own marijuana laws, just as our nation does with alcohol.

With Hillary Clinton’s alleged evolution on marijuana policy, Governor Martin O’Malley listening to the Colorado cannabis community and Sanders positive statements, supporters of sensible cannabis policies are in good shape on the Democratic side. With most Republicans, from Donald Trump to Jeb Bush, supporting a states’ rights position, save for Chris Christie and Marco Rubio, and a number of states poised to place positive reform measures on the ballot, marijuana legalization supporters should be optimistic about the 2016 election.

You probably heard it here on Marijuana Politics first and we are awaiting official confirmation, but we are getting reports from multiple sources that Steve Wagner will be leaving the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program at the end of this month. Wagner, who was fired from his last job in Ohio, has been leading the OMMP through a tumultuous period for the Oregon cannabis program.

There has been controversial provisions passed by the Oregon Legislature which led to controversial new rules, leaving many patients fearful for their supply of medicine. Wagner, who was named the interim manager of the OMMP, replacing longtime manager Tawana Nichols, is certainly leaving at a time when there are a lot of questions that need to be answered for Oregon’s patients, caregivers and growers. While most Oregon advocates cheered the passage of our Measure 91 cannabis legalization measure, we knew that we must be vigilant to ensure we protected the OMMP.

The New Approach Oregon Political Action Committee, responsible for drafting the measure and running the Vote Yes on 91 campaign, included provisions stating that the OMMP should not be impacted by the legalization measure and remains committed to protecting and improving Oregon’s medical marijuana laws. The latest shakeup at the OMMP will likely leave a lot of work to be done and the New Approach Oregon PAC will be working with the medical cannabis community to ensure the viability of the OMMP. And as always, Marijuana Politics will be here to give the cannabis community the voice it deserves as government bodies amend and implement regulations impacting the OMMP and recreational programs.

The media has done its best to goad Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders to attack Hillary Clinton. To his credit, Sanders has stuck to his policy differences and has run an issues-oriented campaign. The anti-establishment candidate’s tactics have certainly worked as a majority of voters in the early states of Iowa and New Hampshire support Senator Sanders over the prohibitive Democratic frontrunner. With yet another poll showing Sanders leading in the Granite State, Clinton supporters may be getting a tad nervous and have started attacking the Vermont Senator, led by a pro-Clinton Super PAC.

From The Huffington Post:

A super PAC backing Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is going negative, circulating an email that yokes her chief rival Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) to some of the more controversial remarks made by Jeremy Corbyn, the United Kingdom’s new Labour Party leader, including his praise for the late Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan leader who provided discounted fuel to Vermont in a deal supported by Sanders.

Clinton’s camp has long said it has no plans to attack Sanders. But the super PAC, called Correct the Record, departed from its defense of Clinton’s record as a former secretary of state in an email Monday that compares Sanders with Corbyn. Correct the Record, led by Clinton ally David Brock, also has sent trackers after Sanders and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley.

The Democratic candidates have refrained from criticizing each other directly. Sanders has obliquely knocked Clinton for not stating her position on the Keystone XL pipeline, and hasn’t made an issue of her use of a private email server and account while at the State Department. Clinton, in turn, almost never mentions Sanders’ name and has focused on her Republican rivals.

Bernie Sanders responded to the Super PAC attack, with this email to supporters:

I don’t have a Super PAC. I am not going to travel around the country begging millionaires and billionaires for money. That’s just not going to happen.

But the success of our campaign certainly has the billionaires’ attention.

Yesterday, one of Hillary Clinton’s most prominent Super PACs attacked our campaign pretty viciously. They suggested I’d be friendly with Middle East terrorist organizations, and even tried to link me to a dead communist dictator.

It was the kind of onslaught I expected to see from the Koch Brothers or Sheldon Adelson, and it’s the second time a billionaire Super PAC has tried to stop the momentum of the political revolution we’re building together.

They’ll keep trying … unless we make them pay a price for their attacks.

Make the Super PACs pay for attacking us by making a $3 contribution to our campaign today. Let’s send a powerful message that we have had ENOUGH of the billionaire class buying elections.

If we stand together to fight back against these ugly attacks, we can ensure this election is about who has the best ideas, and not who has the biggest donors.

They should not underestimate us.

Bernie Sanders

With Hillary Clinton potentially evolving for the better on cannabis policies and Bernie Sanders strong support for Drug War reform, the 2016 election could be shaping up for a great one for the cannabis activists as most federal candidates are remaining sensible on marijuana policy. Not to mention the fact that several states should pass marijuana legalization measures, both medical and adult-use. No one really expected Bernie Sanders to be competing this well so early and while many progressives, including cannabis law reformers, #FeelTheBern, this attack by a pro-Clinton Super PAC shows that this race is far from over as the establishment isn’t going to give up very easily.

As always, stay tuned to Marijuana Politics as we continue our coverage of the politics and news that will impact the cannabis community…

Marijuana prohibitionists used to claim that cannabis commerce would not bring in much tax revenue as they would prematurely state “I told you so” when tax revenue first started trickling in from the brand-new industry. Well, those same prohibitionists, who also claimed that the social costs of legalization would amount to billions of dollars, are very silent these days as Colorado’s cannabis sales have generated more revenue than alcohol sales. Sales have been so good, that the state has announced a one-day tax holiday today, September 16. From the Daily Caller:

No state has ever generated more tax revenue from marijuana than alcohol—until now.

The Colorado Department of Revenue, according to recently released figures, just brought in $70 million in taxes relating to marijuana, compared to less than $42 million for alcohol taxes, over the course of a year.

***

“Marijuana taxes have been incredibly productive over the past year, so this tax holiday is a much-deserved day off,” Mason Tvert, director of communications for the Marijuana Policy Project, said in a statement. “This will be the one day out of the year when the state won’t generate significant revenue. Over the other 364 days, it will bring in tens of millions of dollars that will be reinvested in our state.”

Now that Colorado and Washington have brought in more than $200 million in marijuana tax revenue, the Reefer Madness contingent among us will definitely have to stop claiming that legalizing cannabis commerce won’t bring in new revenue. In addition to the new tax revenue, pioneering cannabis states also experience a reduction in wasteful spending and a better prioritization of law enforcement resources. By all accounts, legalizing, regulating and taxing cannabis is a much better policy than prohibition, so we can expect more states and sovereign tribes to follow suit in the coming years.

With the news that Colorado now generates more tax revenue from cannabis than alcohol, September 16, 2015, will mark the very first tax holiday in the state. Westword.com has a comprehensive list of where you can and cannot legally purchase cannabis in the Centenniel State, if you care to take advantage of the state tax holiday.

If marijuana sales continue at this pace, cannabis consumers can expect even more tax holidays in future years due to Colorado’s Taxpayer Bill of Rights amendment that returns tax dollars to residents if revenue outpaces state projections.

From Fox 31 Denver KDVR:

The state made about $70 million in weed-specific taxes compared to about $42 million from booze.

This tax news comes just as Colorado’s “marijuana tax holiday” takes place. Wednesday is the day when pot can be bought without paying any taxes.

The state expects to lose as much as $4 million during the one-day tax holiday.

Marijuana retailers have spent weeks getting extra inventory ready for the event.

As the Marijuana Policy Project’s Mason Tvert told The Daily Caller: “It’s crazy how much revenue our state used to flush down the drain by forcing marijuana sales into the underground market. It’s even crazier that so many states are still doing it. Tax revenue is just one of many good reasons to replace marijuana prohibition with a system of regulation.”

Refund payments to state citizens are a rather peculiar policy, but seem to be very popular and any attempts to revoke them are likely to end in failure. As more and more states legalize marijuana, and bring in millions of dollars in new revenue, if more and more citizens will receive tax rebates due to cannabis revenue outpacing projections. This new tax revenue doesn’t even take into account the economic benefit gained from creating thousands of new jobs or the savings taxpayers experience from the better prioritization of law enforcement and judicial resources. Since the “sky is falling” rhetoric that prohibitionists have claimed has not come to fruition, it will be interesting to see exactly how many states will wisely garner all of the benefits that cannabis commerce bring.

Different tribes have had very different plans following the United States government proclamation that sovereign tribal lands could implement their own cannabis policies, just as individual states are free to do so, in accordance with the Obama Justice Department’s Cole Memo. Some tribes have stated no intention to change anything while others have put into motion plans to regulate the production and dispensing of marijuana.

The Canna Law Blog opined:

In December 2014, the federal government announced that when it comes to marijuana, it would not essentially treat Native American Tribes as it treats states. Since that announcement, a number of tribes have indicated an interest in tribal marijuana. My law firm just last week put on the first national Tribal Marijuana Conference, attended by more than 400 people, from more than 75 tribes and more than 35 states.

Clearly, marijuana on tribal lands is going to be a big deal.

The Department of Justice has stated it will not focus its resources on prosecuting growing or selling marijuana on tribal lands, even when state law prohibits it. This holds true for both medical and recreational cannabis, though the DOJ will enforce federal marijuana laws on tribal lands if the tribe requests that it do so. According to the DOJ’s tribal marijuana memo, the eight enforcement priorities previously outlined in the DOJ’s August 2013 Cole memo will guide federal enforcement of marijuana laws on tribal lands. It is important to note that none of this changes federal drug laws or the federal government’s ability to enforce those laws. Therefore, any tribe considering setting up a legalized marijuana regime should enact and enforce “robust regulations” so as to comply with the Cole and tribal marijuana memos and to increase its odds of avoiding unwanted federal intervention.

As KOMOnews.com reports, a Northwest tribe has entered into a landmark agreement with a state regulatory agency that will establish the rules regarding cannabis commerce on tribal lands:

The Suquamish Tribe and Washington State Liquor Cannabis Board have signed what they say is the nation’s first state-tribal marijuana compact.

Board officials said in a news release the 10-year agreement signed Monday will govern the production, processing and sale of pot on the Tribe’s land located in Kitsap County.

The state negotiated the agreement in lieu of Board licensure. Under the compact, a tribal tax equivalent to the state excise tax will be applied to sales to non-tribal customers on Suquamish tribal lands.

Unbiased examination of legalization policies clearly shows that cannabis commerce creates jobs and generates new revenue without the sky falling and society collapsing. It only makes sense that every government that would like more revenue and less unemployment will see cannabis legalization as a common sense policy. It won’t be surprising to see more and more tribal governments legalize, regulate and tax marijuana, no different than the growing cadre of states that will be following in the footsteps of Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Alaska in replacing prohibition with sensible regulations.

On Monday, Hillary Clinton said she would not crack down on state and cities with legal marijuana. Speaking at a campaign stop in Luther College, she expressed support for the right of states to implement their own marijuana laws free of federal intervention.

This is certainly a moment which advocates for marijuana reform have been waiting for. Hillary Clinton had spoken out against decriminalization years ago, but hadn’t taken the chance to update her position on marijuana policy in light of rapidly changing public opinion. So far during her presidential campaign, Clinton has been reluctant to discuss the issue of legalization, and for a long time it seemed she would be too cautious to talk about marijuana at all.

In fact, Hillary Clinton didn’t bring up marijuana in her speech on Monday: the question was brought forth by a member of the audience. Her statements on marijuana policy, while bold, have not yet received much media attention. After conducting a thorough search of the web, Marijuana Politics has yet to uncover audio or video recording of her answer. The information was relayed through a tweet courtesy of CNN’s Dan Merica:

Clinton on whether she would legalize marijuana as president: “I would support states and localities that are experimenting with this.”

— Dan Merica (@danmericaCNN) September 14, 2015

It would be very exciting news for cannabis activists if the Democratic frontrunner demonstrated support for legalization throughout the campaign. This would be a dramatic shift by Hillary Clinton, who opposed marijuana decriminalization during her previous presidential run in 2008 and has been very cautious on the issue. However, there have been signs that Clinton was open to sensible cannabis regulations.

How long before Bernie Sanders follows suit or even more strongly shows support for ending cannabis prohibition and more Drug War reforms? More analysis coming soon…

Latest CBS News 2016 Battleground Tracker poll has found Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders up 52% to 30% in New Hampshire and 43% to 33% in Iowa against Hillary Clinton. Even polling in South Carolina that has Clinton up 46% 23%  should be troubling for the Democratic frontrunner as she was beating Sanders 54% to 9% among  South Carolina Democrats in a recent Public Policy Polling, with Vice President Bernie Sanders garnering 24%.

CBS News Reports:

Hillary Clinton’s deficit among likely Democratic primary voters in New Hampshire has grown to more than 20 points, while her lead over Bernie Sanders among likely caucus voters in Iowa has been reversed, according to the first wave of the YouGov/CBS News 2016 Battleground Tracker. Clinton remains ahead in South Carolina, where Joe Biden also makes a strong showing.

The new poll finds Sen. Sanders with 52% support among Democratic primary voters in New Hampshire, while former Secretary of State Clinton, long considered the front-runner for the 2016 Democratic nomination, receives 30%. Recent polls have shown Sanders’ lead growing in the Granite State, but this would be the first to show the Vermont Senator over 50%.

Possibly more worrying for the Clinton campaign is her performance in Iowa, where Sanders now leads by 10 points, with 43% to Clinton’s 33%.

The CBS poll follows a trend that definitely shows Bernie Sanders with the momentum in the race for the Democratic nomination for president. Senator Sanders has aggressively criticized the Drug War and is expected to introduce legislation calling for the abolishment of private prisons and stated that he’s willing to consider federal marijuana legalization. With months away from any votes being cast, Hillary Clinton has plenty of time to regroup, but she has to be concerned with the surge in support for Senator Sanders.

Breaking on Marijuana Politics: Democratic presidential candidate Martin O’Malley touts his progressive cannabis law reform history in a press release announcing a marijuana legalization listening session in Denver, Colorado, this Thursday. The event will be held at the office of Vicente Sederberg, a law firm that has been instrumental in legalizing and regulating cannabis in Colorado. Could this be an early signal Governor O’Malley will call for a repeal to federal cannabis prohibition? If O’Malley does indeed eventually announce his support for legalization, it will be interesting to see how his Democratic rivals.

The former Maryland governor has had a difficult time capturing the liberal Democratic primary base as Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has captured the hearts of progressive voters, including many cannabis law reform advocates, with his positive Drug War reform statements and policy proposals. Frontrunner Hillary Clinton has locked up the establishment Democratic support, so long as Vice-President Joe Biden stays out of the race.

Governor O’Malley, who does have a good history on marijuana policy, could be sensing an opportunity to garner support among Democratic primary voters (who overwhelmingly support sensible federal marijuana laws) and increase his name recognition by being the first presidential mainstream candidate to clearly and unequivocally call for marijuana legalization, while Bernie Sanders and Rand Paul being the closest to do so thus far.

The  press release sent out by the O’Malley campaign:

For Immediate Release:

September 13, 2015

Contact:

Haley Morris, 301-221-5005

***ADVISORY***

Thursday 9:30 AM Denver:

Governor O’Malley to Hold Marijuana Legalization Listening Session

BALTIMORE, MD – Governor Martin O’Malley will hold a marijuana legalization listening session in Denver, Colorado this Thursday, September 17 at 9:30 AM MDT.

O’Malley will hear from policymakers, experts, business owners, and law enforcement about how Colorado’s decision to legalize marijuana has been working and affecting communities across the state.

As governor, O’Malley decriminalized marijuana in Maryland and started the state’s medical marijuana program. In his presidential campaign, Governor O’Malley calls for re-classifying marijuana as part of his bold, progressive criminal justice platform.

O’Malley has said that Colorado’s decision to legalize marijuana should be considered “a laboratory in democracy.”

Who: Governor Martin O’Malley, Colorado experts, law enforcement, and policymakers
What: Listening Session on Marijuana Legalization
When: Thursday, September 17 at 9:30 AM MDT

Where: 1244 Grant St, Denver, CO 80203 (Offices of Vicente Sederberg)

RSVP: To attend this event, please RSVP to Matt Corridoni at mcorridoni@martinomalley.com.

###

Washington, D.C., voters overwhelmingly supported marijuana legalization last November with more than 70% of the vote. While many voters across the nation support cannabis legalization efforts because of the additional tax revenue sales will bring in, D.C. residents couldn’t regulate commerce due to the our nation’s capital weird relationship with Congress and the federal government. Prohibitionist federal lawmakers ridiculously blocked any regulated cannabis commerce D.C., and the ensuing new revenue it would bring to the local community, but they couldn’t stop the ability to legally possess and cultivate cannabis. Following the first legal harvest in the District, marijuana growers have gotten creative with how they dispense the fruits of their labor.

The Washington Post reports:

A fitness instructor who took up the hobby six months ago has amassed enough pot to make tens of thousands of dollars selling it. Instead, he’s begun giving away a little bit to anyone who pays for a massage. The instructor asked not to be named out of concern that he or his home, where he sometimes serves clients, could become targets for criminals.

A T-shirt vendor in Columbia Heights who declined to comment may be working in a similar gray area. College students say the roving stand has become known to include a “gift” of a bag of marijuana inside a purchase for those who tip really well. And recently, dozens of people paid $125 for a class in Northwest Washington to learn about cooking with cannabis from a home grower. Free samples were included.

Thus far, local law enforcement, with many other more pressing priorities, “Keep in mind that the spirit, intent and letter of the law is supposed to decriminalize a practice that can lead to over­policing and overincarceration,” Kevin Donahue, the city’s deputy mayor for public safety, told The Washington Post.

It is great that local D.C. officials understand that ending the arrest, prosecution and imprisonment is the most important reason to end cannabis prohibition.Hopefully, Congress will get around to allowing  Washington, D.C., residents implement the regulations they desire. It is a national disgrace that voters living in our nation’s capital suffer through taxation without representation and have their will usurped by outside government officials.

More than 600 people crowded into the downtown Portland Hilton to listen to keynote speaker Jim Gray, a former federal prosecutor, California Supreme Court Judge and Libertarian vice-president candidate, skewer the Drug War and give his vision for federal drug policy. Judge Gray predicts the federal government will end prohibition soon, with California’s legalization effort the national tipping point. (Tomorrow’s keynote is Congressman Earl Blumenauer and a few one day tickets are still available).

Following Judge Gray was Anthony Johnson, our Blogger-in-Chief as well as Executive Director of New Approach Oregon, who provided a lay of the land as Oregon has passed not only legalization, but new medical marijuana regulations. As Director of the Vote Yes on 91 campaign, co-author and Chief Petitioner of Measure 91 and selected for the OLCC Rules Advisory Committee on marijuana legalization, Johnson has been in a unique position to discuss the intent of Measure 91 and how the state has adapted the legalization law.

Representative Ann Lininger and Senator Floyd Prozanski followed Johnson, recapping the past legislative session and providing a glimpse into upcoming legislative sessions. The rest of the day was filled with lawyers and experts, providing important information to attendees. We’ll have more on the conference soon, in the meantime, below were just a few pictures snapped by attendees.

More pictures and commentary coming soon!

Just about everyone hates paying taxes. Hardly anyone will state that they like paying taxes. The cannabis industry is one of the only industries that ever calls for (reasonable) regulation and taxation as that is preferable to prohibition. Colorado has pulled off marijuana legalization, regulation and taxation relatively well, leading to new tax revenue and the sky hasn’t fallen. The additional tax revenue has funded schools and drug education programs. Cannabis commerce has gone so well in Colorado, that the state is calling for a marijuana tax holiday on September 16th.

Forbes reports:

September 16, 2015 was picked because an end-of-year fiscal report is due to be certified the previous day. According to state figures, $700 million worth of legal cannabis was sold in Colorado in 2014. The tax tally was $76 million. Pot taxes were projected to raise $70 million in 2014. They actually raised $58 million, but because overall tax collections exceeded projections, Colorado must ask voters for permission to keep the money. To comply with the requirement that the taxes revert to zero, lawmakers settled on a short one-day tax waiver.

Colorado now has 380 recreational pot dispensaries and 480 licensed recreational pot growers. But even on September 16, Marijuana won’t be completely tax-free. A regular 2.9% sales tax still applies, as do medical marijuana taxes and local pot taxes. For pot retailers, the holiday poses a supply dilemma. They need plenty in stock to sell. But if they stock too much, they’ll forego their own one-day waiver on the 15% excise tax they pay marijuana wholesalers.

Colorado’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights—also called TABOR—requires the state to issue refunds to taxpayers if the state’s spending or revenue collections exceed the previous projections. To try to avoid the refund requirement, legislators introduced HB 15-1367, creating a ballot initiative to allow Colorado voters to approve of the state keeping the $58 million in marijuana revenue.

While the Colorado (and Washington State) commercial cannabis systems were first implemented, prohibitionists like to make premature claims that marijuana legalization weren’t successful at raising revenue. After the new tax revenue has increased over time, as the marijuana market matured and adapted, claims that legalization won’t bring in significant revenue have been largely quieted. Prohibitionist’s claims about the increased social costs haven’t come to fruition either. With the devastating impact that prohibition has on unlucky individuals or a certain demographics, coupled with the success out of Colorado and other legalized states, don’t expect to see the momentum for passing sensible cannabis laws wane any time soon.