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Recent Research and Commentary

NJ Legislature Exploring Decriminalizing Marijuana

May 21, 2012, 11:37am

Harris Kenny

Today the New Jersey Assembly Judiciary Committee is considering Assembly Bill Number 1465 (A1465), which would most notably decriminalize possession of 15 grams or less of marijuana, and impose a new range of civil penalties instead.

States Coalescing Around Petitioning DEA to Reschedule Marijuana

December 8, 2011, 5:10pm

Harris Kenny

The Colorado Independent reports today that Colorado is joining Rhode Island and Washington State in “(petitioning) the federal government to change the schedule of marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act." While three states have coalesced around this issue so far, more states are expected to join since 16 states (including the District of Columbia) have now passed medical marijuana laws.

The Week of Lying Dangerously

Obama displays a Clintonian desire to have things both ways.

July 6, 2011

Jacob Sullum

There was a time, says Senior Editor Jacob Sullum, when Barack Obama seemed more honest than Bill Clinton. While Slick Willie notoriously claimed he smoked pot but "didn't inhale," Obama candidly admitted, "When I was a kid, I inhaled frequently. That was the point."

Lately Sullum has not been so impressed by Obama's truth-telling tendencies. He says three incidents last week vividly illustrated the president's Clintonian desire to have things both ways, even if it means insulting our intelligence.

False Forbearance

Obama breaks his promise to respect medical marijuana laws.

May 11, 2011

Jacob Sullum

Two weeks ago, Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire vetoed a bill that would have clarified the rules for supplying medical marijuana in her state, citing threats of prosecution by U.S. Attorneys Jenny Durkan and Michael Ormsby. U.S. attorneys in several other states have made similar threats in recent months, discouraging some jurisdictions from proceeding with plans to establish licensed medical marijuana dispensaries. Reason Senior Editor Jacob Sullum says these threats, which are backed by the Justice Department, kill any lingering hopes that President Obama would keep his campaign promise to respect medical marijuana laws.

Cutting the Debt Is Important to 96 Percent of Americans and 74 Percent Want a Government Spending Cap

Tired of red ink and politics as usual, 80 percent say they’d consider voting for a third-party or independent presidential candidate in 2012

May 3, 2011

As the federal government rapidly approaches the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling, 96 percent of Americans say it is important to reduce the national debt, according to a new Reason Foundation-Rupe poll. Of those surveyed, 69 percent believe reducing the national debt is “very important.”

With the debt piling up, it is also clear that taxpayers do not trust the federal government to live within its means. In fact, the Reason-Rupe survey finds 74 percent of Americans support implementing a spending cap that would prohibit the government from spending more money than it takes in during a fiscal year. Only 19 percent oppose a government spending cap.

The most popular policy prescription for reducing the national debt is spending cuts: 45 percent of people say Congress should bring down the debt by reducing spending without raising taxes. Another 16 percent favor reducing the debt primarily through spending cuts, but are open to some tax increases; 14 percent prefer an equal emphasis on spending cuts and tax increases; 8 percent want to reduce the debt primarily through higher taxes with some spending cuts; 4 percent say current spending levels should be maintained and taxes should be raised as needed; and 1 percent of Americans say we shouldn’t do anything about the debt.

The Reason-Rupe poll included several open-ended questions that allowed respondents to voice concerns and share their own ideas. When asked to name the biggest problem facing America today, 30 percent say the economy, 23 percent emphasize jobs and unemployment, and 10 percent cite government spending, debts and deficits.

When given the opportunity to name any government program they’d like to spend less money on 22 percent of Americans suggest cutting military and defense spending.

“It’s No Longer a Matter of If, It’s a Matter of When”

Staying high on marijuana legalization after the defeat of Proposition 19

November 5, 2010

Brian Doherty

On election night, I was in the driveway of the law offices of Bruce Margolin, head of the Los Angeles branch of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) and L.A.'s most famous pot-crime defense lawyer. The local marijuana community had gathered there to celebrate (or mourn) the vote returns on Proposition 19. This was California’s high-profile chance to legalize the possession of up to an ounce of marijuana and to grow up to 25 square feet of marijuana plants. The proposition would also grant localities the power to allow higher limits for possession and growth, and, if they chose, to legalize, tax, and regulate sales.

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