Angus Reid Poll Shows 55 Percent of Americans Say Yes to Marijuana Legalization

According to a new poll from Angus Reid Public Opinion, 55 percent of adults in the United States support the legalization of marijuana. 1,003 people were polled from various political parties and walks of life. Of note, 61 percent of Independents and 63 percent of Democrats support marijuana legalization.

Forty percent oppose the legalization of marijuana and five percent voted as undecided.

A higher number of men support legalization, 57 percent of men as opposed to 53 percent of women. (See our article on gender differences and legalization) Even so, there are advocacy organizations such as the NORML Women's Alliance and Moms for Marijuana that are going strong.

Those polled range in age with the ages of 35 to 54 being the most supportive of legalization, although even respondents over 55 years of age also voted yes.

Less than 10 percent of those polled do NOT support the legalization of any other illicit substance, which we think is a good thing.

To show your support, contact your Congressman or Congresswoman and let them know that the majority of U.S. citizens are in support of HR 2306 which is the '‘Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2011.

SOURCE: http://blog.norml.org

Attorney General of Michigan Seeks to Curb Medical Marijuana

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The Attorney General of Michigan, Bill Schuette, is trying to bring stricter regulations to medical marijuana laws. According to Schuette, " “The law has been hijacked by drug dealers who want to make money, line their pockets and make a huge profit … This law has as many holes as Swiss cheese. It’s out of control and we need to fix it.”

Unfortunately, the proposed bills could potentially harm medical marijuana patients. Specifically, the eight bills would regulate the location of dispensiaries, impose stricter regulations on qualifying medical conditions, restrict felons from being caregivers, cease online medical marijuana certification, specify the relationship between the patient and their doctor, and more.

Republican representative John Walsh stated, "We have a goal of protecting public safety while preserving the legitimate right of people who need medical marijuana,” and claims medical marijuana patients and advocates were invited to the press conference on this issue. However, medical marijuana advocates themselves claim that medical marijuana patients and those who need MMJ were NOT invited to the press conference.

Those in support of the current Michigan marijuana laws fear that changed such as those proposed by Bill Schuette would be in conflict with the needs and rights of state citizens. No bill in Michigan exists or has been proposed that would ban medical marijuana dispensaries, although Shuette has stated in the past he believes dispensaries are unlawful and should be outlawed.

UPDATE: The Attorney General in Michigan CAN be recalled

$2 Million Saved by Philadelphia by Not Prosecuting Pot Smokers

(This articles is by Chris Morran at the Consumerist. Visit the original article and the Consumerist website using the link at the end of this article.)

Just over a year ago, the powers that be in Philadelphia effectively decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana by offering offenders the chance to enroll in a three-hour class that would expunge the offense from their records. Not only did this give Philadelphia police more time and energy to focus on more serious crimes, it has also saved the city a pretty sizable Ziploc bag of green stuff.

"We were spending thousands of dollars for when someone possessed $10 or $15 worth of weed," District Attorney Seth Williams tells the Philadelphia Daily News. "It just didn't make any sense."

Under the program, being caught with up to 30 grams of marijuana is no longer a misdemeanor but a summary offense. By simply paying $200 to attend the three-hour class on the ills of drug use and abuse, the arrestee's record is wiped clean of the offense.

Before this change, offenders faced up to $500 in fines and possible, though unlikely jail time. If the suspect fought the charges, this meant expenses for the city — prosecutors, judges, lab tests, public defenders, etc. By all but decriminalizing pot, Williams estimates that the city has saved $2 million in the last 12 months.

Additionally, police tell the News that there has been no noticeable impact on the quality of life in Philadelphia since the program went into effect.

Looking at the bigger picture, DA Williams says the current way most U.S. authorities treat drug possession is shortsighted.

"I can put someone in jail for 90 days because they possess crack. But if we don't get them the help they need for their addiction, when they get out of jail, they're just going to be a 90-day-older crack addict," he explains. "We have to treat drug addiction as a public-health problem, not just a criminal-justice problem."

D.A.: Philly's new pot policy just makes sense ... and saves dollars [Philadelphia Daily News]

http://consumerist.com/2011/07/philadelphia-saves-2-million-by-not-prosecuting-pot-smokers.html