Republican presidential candidate Gary Johnson is baffled that more politicians don’t support legalizing marijuana, after a new Gallup poll shows that an all-time high of 50 percent of Americans favor legalization. “Where is the political leadership that should be reflecting that common sense belief?” said the former New Mexico governor in a statement on Tuesday “This may be the only issue on the national scene where half the American people

Since 1996, 16 states and the District of Columbia enacted legislation permitting the medicinal use of marijuana. Such statutes surely represent a step in the right direction, but this type of regulation has faced considerable opposition on behalf of the federal government. Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, the federal government maintains the position that marijuana holds no medical value. What’s more, Draconian federal penalties for possession and distribution of

Legislation to permit marijuana use by people with severe chronic pain sparked heated Senate debate Thursday between a two-time cancer survivor who supports the bill and a physician who fears doctors would “over-prescribe” the illegal drug. Sen. David R. Brinkley, who survived Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1989 and melanoma in 1995, said marijuana provides the best and safest relief for people living with constant pain. But Sen. Andrew P. Harris, an

The marijuana legalization measure will be on the Nov. 2 ballot as well. California Sen. Barbara Boxer has a message for marijuana law reform activists: Just say no. The liberal senator’s position might come as a surprise, but it’s no surprise to those who follow California politics: Boxer is facing perhaps the toughest reelection race of her career in 2010. She’s neck-and-neck with former GOP Rep. Tom Campbell and slightly

Marijuana smokers might be breathing a little easier thanks to a policy switch by the U.S. Justice Department. Attorney General Eric Holder announced that federal prosecutors would not spend limited time and resources on people who use or sell medical marijuana “in strict compliance with state law.” Thirteen states have medical marijuana laws, which are controversial because federal narcotics laws trump state statutes. Of course, the new federal policy doesn’t