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In the best possible sense, Michigan is going the way of the mushroom. Following a recent vote by the Ann Arbor City Council to decriminalize magic mushrooms and psychedelic plants, Washtenaw County’s soon-to-be inaugurated prosecutor said he will join in the spirit of that progressive move and not pursue possession cases involving such substances.  

Civil rights lawyer Eli Savit, who won the Democratic primary this month and is now running unopposed in November, told activist group Decriminalize Nature Ann Arbor (DNA2) how he intends to expand the Ann Arbor approach to his prosecutorial district, and why it’s important.

In his official statement posted on DNA2’s website, Savit proclaims, “I support the decriminalization of entheogenic plants. I believe the War on Drugs has been an abject failure, and I see no reason to criminalize – or prosecute – people for their use of such plants. That was my position before the Ann Arbor City Council resolution, and it’s true with even greater force afterwards.”

“The vast majority of people who engage in substance use are able to do so without criminal consequences,” Savit continues. “But for an unlucky few, their decision to use substances results in harsh, life-changing penalties. The War on Drugs has thus created a cruel roulette wheel of sorts. And it’s a weighted wheel, as the data clearly shows that Black people and people of color are far more likely to face criminal consequences related to drug use than white people.”

Acknowledging the limits of his office, Savit states, “The Ann Arbor City Council resolution of course applies only in Ann Arbor. But, consistent with the resolution, I do not plan to prosecute the use or possession of entheogenic plants in any other part of the county.”

Drug policy reform figured as a cornerstone of Savit’s campaign, and he has consistently focused on racial inequity in prosecutions and punishments, as well as how to enact restorative justice programs to help correct such long-term atrocities.

Julie Barron, chair of Decriminalize Nature Ann Arbor, spoke to Marijuana Moment about Savit’s statement. “While we were not surprised, we were absolutely thrilled to find out that Eli Savit supports the DNA2 resolution,” she said. “This left us feeling very hopeful for the future of our county. Mr. Savit spoke extensively during his campaign about ending the war on drugs. It is great to know that he will continue this promise to the county with an action plan not to prosecute the possession and use of entheogenic plants/fungi. We have a strong drug reform advocate here, and we cannot wait for him to take his position of Washtenaw County Prosecutor.”

The Michigan mushroom sanity at hand is just the latest momentum in the ongoing movement to allow people access to psychedelic substances without fear of being locked in a cage for it. Check out MERRY JANE’s global guide to where magic mushrooms and psilocybin are legal or decriminalized, and then start planning your trips accordingly.  

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Democratic lawmakers are trying to help cannabis businesses access pandemic relief.

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After suffering through multiple terms of Republican Gov. Chris Christie, a lying sack of weed-hate and repulsive Trump suck-up, New Jersey elected pro-pot Governor Phil Murphy in 2018, a Democrat who recently stated that legalizing weed would be “incredibly smart.”

New Jersey residents are set to vote in November on Public Question 1, an initiative that will fully legalize ganja in the Garden State if approved. A poll conducted after the measure was announced found that 68 percent of respondents said they planned to vote in favor of the change.

Now, a new survey conducted by Brach Eichler’s Cannabis Law Practice indicates that overall support for legal weed stands at about 65 percent. But, the results show that the coronavirus pandemic has inspired many participants who initially thought they’d vote against Public Question 1 to change their minds.

When asked about the pandemic, 79 percent of respondents said it had not shifted their position on cannabis, but 21 percent said it had. Of the latter, 13.5 percent said they switched to now support legalization — and most of those identified themselves as Republicans or conservatives.

The poll also found that support for legal weed in New Jersey crossed party lines to create a bipartisan majority. 72 percent of Democrats said they presently support legalization, followed by 65 percent of Independents and 56 percent of Republicans.

“I was somewhat surprised that [the pandemic] did influence that many people,” Charles Gormally, co-chair of the firm’s Cannabis Law Practice, told NJ.com. “I really think the reason it influenced people is a natural derivative of beginning to accept the concept that cannabis isn’t harmful, and may in fact have a positive impact in many circumstances.”

Ignoring their constituents’ loud and clear mandate, the Republican-led New Jersey Senate killed a legalization bill last year, which ultimately led to the question landing on this November’s ballot.

New Jersey’s pro-marijuana momentum has been building into an undeniable force, though. Medical weed is legal, and Gov. Murphy has called for huge expansions to the program. In addition, New Jersey police officers no longer train drug dogs to sniff out pot. All that’s left is to vote “yes” on Public Question 1.

The people’s initiative (65) legalizes for patients. The politicians’ alternative (65A) is a trap-and-kill trick.

The post In Mississippi, medical marijuana pits the people vs. the politicians appeared first on Leafly.

Where The Presidential Candidates Stand On Marijuana Legalization

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The post Where The Presidential Candidates Stand On Marijuana Legalization appeared first on The Fresh Toast.

Mississippi voters will have a chance to legalize medical cannabis during this year’s election, but the American Medical Association (AMA) has made it clear that they want voters to say no to medical pot.

On November 3, Magnolia State voters will be presented with a confusing choice between two competing medical marijuana ballot measures. The first of these, Initiative 65, would allow registered patients to use medical cannabis to treat 22 different qualifying conditions. This measure, which was submitted by advocacy group Mississippians for Compassionate Care, would amend the state constitution, which would make it very difficult for state lawmakers to interfere with the law if voters do approve it.

The prospect of allowing constituents to make their own decision about cannabis struck fear into the hearts of state legislators, who proposed an alternative measure, Initiative 65A. This initiative would also legalize medical marijuana, but would prohibit patients from actually smoking flower. Most importantly, this measure does not amend the state constitution, which means that lawmakers would be able to delay the program or retroactively add additional restrictions as they see fit.

Cannabis advocates have called out the creation of Initiative 65A as a blatant attempt to confuse voters and direct support away from the more comprehensive program. But earlier this month, a poll found that over 80 percent of Mississippi voters supported legalizing medical marijuana, and a small majority said that they favored the more comprehensive of the two measures.

After learning about this strong support, prohibitionists have redoubled their efforts to discourage voters from passing the medical marijuana law. This week, the AMA partnered with the Mississippi State Medical Association (MSMA) to release a statement encouraging voters to either approve the more conservative measure, or to just say no to medical pot altogether.

“Initiative 65A will allow the legislature to enact changes to the law, which would not be possible with Initiative 65,” medical officials said in a statement, Marijuana Moment reports. “MSMA is asking for you to join us in educating and encouraging our population to vote against Initiative 65.”

The health organizations framed the activist-led ballot campaign as an attempt to make money for the weed industry, ignoring the benefits that medical marijuana has brought to states that have legalized it. State officials have also decried Initiative 65 because it does not direct any medical marijuana tax revenue to fund the state.

“When we were asked to review Initiative 65, it was immediately clear that this is an effort focused on generating profits for an industry that has no ties to the medical or health care community in Mississippi,” said MSMA President Mark Horne, MD, WLBT3 reports. Thomas Dobbs, MD, state public health officer, argued that licensing fees generated by Initiative 65 “would only be available to support the marijuana program. No revenue would be available to support the state, communities or public health efforts.”

“We know that 81% of Mississippians support the medical use of marijuana for patients suffering from debilitating diseases. We also know that in 34 other states, medical marijuana is changing lives,” said Jamie Grantham, communications director for Mississippians for Compassionate Care, to WLBT3. “It’s not a cure-all for everything, but it is certainly helping millions who otherwise are not able to get relief from traditional pharmaceutical medications.”

“Ultimately, it boils down to patients being able to have access to this through their physician. They need to be able to have that conversation with them,” Grantham told Marijuana Moment. “If certain physicians don’t see a benefit to that, that’s fine. But lots of other physicians do, and that’s evidenced undeniably in the 34 other states with medical marijuana programs where patients are receiving relief.”