Victoria, Canada: Health-related costs per user are eight times higher for drinkers than they are for those who use cannabis, and are more than 40 times higher for tobacco smokers, according to a report published in the British Columbia Mental Health and Addictions Journal.

According to the report, "In terms of [health-related] costs per user: tobacco-related health costs are over $800 per user, alcohol-related health costs are much lower at $165 per user, and cannabis-related health costs are the lowest at $20 per user."

The review, authored by researchers from the Centre for Addictions Research of British Columbia at the University of Victoria and the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse at the University of Ottawa, stated: "Alcohol is used by a very large number of people with the vast majority of these using in low- or moderate-risk ways. Conversely, cannabis and tobacco are used by far fewer people. The majority of cannabis use is low- and moderate-risk, however, while the majority of tobacco is high-risk."

The study reported that "94 percent of social costs for cannabis are linked to [law] enforcement."

The authors concluded: "The harms, risks and social costs of alcohol, cannabis and tobacco vary greatly. A lot has to do with how the substances are handled legally. Alcohol and tobacco are legal substances, which explains their low enforcement costs relative to cannabis. On the other hand, the health costs per user of tobacco and alcohol are much higher than for cannabis. This may indicate that cannabis use involves fewer health risks than alcohol or tobacco.

"These variations in risk, harms and cost need to be taken into account as we think about further efforts to deal with the use of these three substances. ... Efforts to reduce social costs related to cannabis, for example, will likely involve shifting its legal status by decriminalizing casual use, to reduce the high enforcement costs. Such a shift may be warranted given the apparent lower health risk associated with most cannabis use."

Commenting on the study, NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano, co-author of the book Marijuana Is Safer: So Why Are We Driving People to Drink? (Chelsea Green, 2009) said, "It makes no sense for our society to condone, if not encourage, the use of alcohol – an intoxicant that directly contributes to tens of thousands of deaths annually and countless social problems – while simultaneously stigmatizing and criminalizing the use of cannabis, a substance that is incapable of causing lethal overdose and is associated with far fewer societal costs."

According to a recent Rasmussen national poll of 1,000 likely voters, Americans believe by more than two to one that alcohol is "more dangerous" than marijuana.

For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org. Full text of the report, entitled "Cannabis, tobacco, and alcohol use in Canada: Comparing risks of harm and costs to society," appears in the journal Visions: British Columbia's Health and Addictions Journal and is available online at: http://www.heretohelp.bc.ca/publications/visions.

Sacramento, CA: Members of the California Medical Association's (CMA) House of Delegates have endorsed a resolution stating that the criminal prohibition of marijuana is a "failed public health policy."

As enacted, Resolution 704a-09, the "Criminalization of Marijuana" states: "[The] CMA considers the criminalization of marijuana to be a failed public health policy, ... and encourage[s] ... debate and education regarding the health aspects of changing current policy regarding cannabis use."

The newly adopted CMA resolution coincides with the scheduling of legislative hearings regarding Assembly Bill 390, the Marijuana Control, Regulation, and Education Act, which seeks to tax and regulate the commercial production and retail sale of cannabis to those age 21 or older.

The California Assembly Committee on Public Safety is anticipated to vote on the measure by late January.

Last week, the American Medical Association resolved that "marijuana's status as a federal Schedule I controlled substance be reviewed with the goal of facilitating the conduct of clinical research and development of cannabinoid-based medicines." The organization had previously called for cannabis to be "retained in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act," a legal classification that defines the substance and its natural compounds as possessing "no currently accepted use in treatment in the United States."

For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, at (202) 483-5500 or Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org.

Portland, OR: Oregon NORML, a state affiliate of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), on Friday opened the state's first café catering to state-authorized medical marijuana patients. Over 250 people attended the café's grand opening, which received international media coverage from the Associated Press, Reuters News Wire, and the New York Times.

Patrons of the café, who must be in good standing with the state's medical marijuana program as well as a member of Oregon NORML, may consume cannabis on the premises.

Unlike conventional marijuana dispensaries that operate in states like California and Colorado, medical cannabis is not sold on the premises, nor is the primary function of the café to dispense marijuana. "This is not a medical marijuana dispensary with a café; this is a café for medical marijuana patients," said Madeline Martinez, Oregon NORML Executive Director and a member of NORML's Board of Directors.

Presently, over 24,000 Oregonians are authorized by the state Department of Health to use cannabis medicinally.

For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, at (202) 483-5500, or Madeline Martinez, Oregon NORML Executive Director, at (503) 239-6110.

Houston, TX: The American Medical Association (AMA) this week called for a scientific review of cannabis' federal status as a Schedule I prohibited substance.

On Tuesday, the AMA's House of Delegates resolved, "[The] AMA urges that marijuana's status as a federal Schedule I controlled substance be reviewed with the goal of facilitating the conduct of clinical research and development of cannabinoid-based medicines."

The AMA's resolution amends the organization's previously held position that "marijuana be retained in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act" of the United States.

Under federal law, all Schedule I classified substances are defined as possessing "no currently accepted use in treatment in the United States." Congress classified marijuana, and all of the plants naturally occurring compounds (known as cannabinoids) as a Schedule I substance upon passage of the Controlled Substances Act in 1970.

In a 1988 administrative ruling, US Drug Enforcement Administrative Law Judge Francis Young determined, "By any measure of rational analysis, marijuana can be safely used within a supervised routine of medical care," and recommended that the drug be rescheduled under federal law. Young's decision was eventually rejected by the DEA in 1990.

Presently the DEA website, "Exposing the Myths of Smoked Medical Marijuana," still states, "The American Medical Association recommends that marijuana remain a Schedule I controlled substance."

In 2008 the American College of Physicians also called for a reclassification of cannabis' Schedule I status. In recent years, numerous prominent health organizations, including the American Nurses Association and the American Public Health Association, have called for the immediate legalization of marijuana for medical purposes.

In a separate action, the AMA also adopted a report drafted by its Council on Science and Public Health stating, "Results of short term controlled trials indicate that smoked cannabis reduces neuropathic pain, improves appetite and caloric intake especially in patients with reduced muscle mass, and may relieve spasticity and pain in patients with multiple sclerosis."

This conclusion contradicts a recent White House fact-sheet, entitled "Medical Marijuana Reality Check," which alleges, "no sound scientific studies have supported medical use of smoked marijuana for treatment in the United States, and no animal or human data support the safety or efficacy of smoked marijuana for general medical use."

Commenting on the AMA's policy reversal NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano said: "This week the American Medical Association abandoned its long-standing 'flat-Earth' policy regarding the safety and efficacy of cannabis as a therapeutic agent. The AMA's resolution calls on science, not ideological rhetoric, to guide our nation's marijuana policies – a position that NORML has advocated since our inception."

For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, at (202) 483-5500 or Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org.

Lisbon, Portugal: Marijuana use among Dutch citizens is lower than the European average, according to survey data published last week in a report by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA).

According to the 2009 annual report, entitled "The State of the Drugs Problem in Europe," among adults in the Netherlands, 5.4 percent are cannabis users, compared with the European average of 6.8 percent.

Under Dutch law, citizens over 18 years of age may legally purchase and consume cannabis at licensed cafes (so-called 'coffee-shops') located throughout the nation.

Among European adults, approximately 22 percent acknowledge having ever consumed marijuana. By contrast, in the United States over 40 percent of adults have experimented with the drug.

Over the past several decades numerous European nations, such as Portugal and Belgium, have adopted policies depenalizing cannabis possession.

According to the World Health Organization study published last year, the United States possesses the highest rate of illicit drug use in the world. "The US, which has been driving much of the world's drug research and drug policy agenda, stands out with higher levels of use of alcohol, cocaine, and cannabis, despite punitive illegal drug policies," the study reported. "The Netherlands, with a less criminally punitive approach to cannabis use than the US, has experienced lower levels of use, particularly among younger adults. Clearly, by itself, a punitive policy towards possession and use accounts for limited variation in nation-level rates of illegal drug use."

The EMCDDA report concluded, "Europe is moving into a period of declining levels of cannabis use."

For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, at (202) 483-5500 or Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org. Full text of the 2009 annual EMCDDA report is available online at: http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/publications/annual-report/2009.

Washington, DC: California Democrat Sam Farr, along with a bipartisan coalition of 27 co-sponsors, has reintroduced legislation to protect state-authorized medical cannabis patients and their providers from federal prosecution.

House Bill 3939: the Truth in Trials Act of 2009 would provide an affirmative defense in federal court for defendants whose actions were in compliance with the medical marijuana laws of their state.

Passage of House Bill 3939 would codify legal protections for defendants caught between state and federal laws, ensuring that they can cite state law as a legal defense in federal trials.

It states: "Any person facing prosecution or a proceeding for any marijuana-related offense under any Federal law shall have the right to introduce evidence demonstrating that the marijuana-related activities for which the person stands accused were performed in compliance with State law regarding the medical use of marijuana."

Said Farr: "This is a common sense bill that will help stop the waste of law enforcement and judicial resources that have been spent prosecuting individuals who are following state laws. This legislation is about fair treatment of defendants in medical marijuana trials, plain and simple."

Last month United States Deputy Attorney General David Ogden issued a memorandum to federal prosecutors directing them to not "focus federal resources ... on individuals whose actions are in clear and unambiguous compliance with existing state laws providing for the medical use of marijuana."

Previous versions of the Truth in Trials Act were introduced in both the 108th and 109th Congress, but failed to receive a public hearing or a committee vote.

In June, Massachusetts Democrat Barney Frank reintroduced legislation – HR 2835: The Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act of 2009 – authorizing the state-authorized use of medical marijuana. That bill remains pending before the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, at (202) 483-5500. Additional information about the Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act of 2009 is available at NORML's Take Action Center at: http://capwiz.com/norml2/issues/alert/?alertid=14288611.

Augusta, ME: Voters decided on Tuesday in favor of a statewide ballot proposal expanding the state's decade-old medical marijuana law.

Nearly 60 percent of state voters endorsed Question 5: the Maine Marijuana Medical Act, which amends existing state law by: establishing a confidential patient registry; expanding the list of qualifying conditions for which a physician may recommend medicinal cannabis; and by allowing for the creation of state-licensed nonprofit dispensaries to assist in the distribution of marijuana to qualified patients.

The measure was opposed primarily by law enforcement agencies, including the Maine Prosecutors Association and the Maine Chiefs of Police Association.

Tuesday's vote marks the first time that citizens have voted specifically on the question of allowing for state-licensed medical marijuana dispensaries. Two other states, New Mexico and Rhode Island, have previously passed legislation allowing for state licensed marijuana distribution centers.

Medical marijuana dispensaries are presently operating in California and Colorado, but these operations are not licensed by the state.

In 1999, 61 percent of state voters approved the physician-supervised use of medical marijuana. However, the law did not establish a state identification registry for qualified patients, nor did it address regulating the distribution of medical marijuana.

Under state law, patients with a doctor's permission may legally possess up to two and one-half ounces of marijuana and/or up to three mature marijuana plants for medicinal purposes.

For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, at (202) 483-5500, or visit: http://www.mainepatientsrights.org.

Breckenridge, CO: Voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly supported a municipal initiative to eliminate penalties on the adult possession of cannabis.

Over 70 percent of voters endorsed Measure 2F, which amends the town code to remove all criminal and civil penalties, including fines, on the private possession of up to one ounce of marijuana. Passage of the initiative also eliminates local penalties prohibiting the possession of cannabis paraphernalia by those age 21 or older.

Proponents of the measure, Sensible Breckenridge, gathered 1,400 signatures from registered voters to place the measure on the municipal ballot.

"This votes demonstrates that Breckenridge citizens overwhelmingly believe that adults should not be punished for making the safer choice to use marijuana instead of alcohol," said Sean McAllister, chair of Sensible Breckenridge and a member of the NORML Legal Committee.

The new law takes effect on January 1, 2010.

For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, at (202) 483-5500 or visit: http://www.sensiblecolorado.org.

Augusta, ME: Voters will decide on Tuesday whether to approve a statewide ballot proposal that seeks to amend the state's decade-old medical marijuana law.

If enacted, Proposition 5: the Maine Marijuana Medical Act, would expand existing state law by establishing a confidential patient registry, and by allowing for the creation of non-profit state-licensed nonprofit dispensaries to assist in the distribution of medical cannabis to qualified patients.

To date three states – California, New Mexico, and Rhode Island – allow for the establishment of medicinal cannabis dispensaries.

If passed, Prop. 5 would also expand the list of qualifying conditions for which a physician may recommend medicinal cannabis.

The proposal's proponents gathered over 55,000 signatures from Maine voters to place the issue on the 2009 ballot.

In 1999, 61 percent of state voters approved the physician-supervised use of medical marijuana. However, the law did not establish a state identification registry for qualified patients, nor did it address regulating the distribution of medical marijuana.

Under state law, patients with a doctor's permission may legally possess up to two and one-half ounces of marijuana and/or up to three mature marijuana plants for medicinal purposes.

For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, at (202) 483-5500, or visit: http://www.mainepatientsrights.org.

Breckenridge, CO: Voters will decide on Tuesday whether to approve a municipal initiative to eliminate penalties on the adult possession of cannabis.

If approved, Measure 2F would amend the town code to remove all criminal and civil penalties, including fines, on the private possession of up to one ounce of marijuana. Passage of the initiative would also eliminate local penalties prohibiting the possession of cannabis paraphernalia by those age 21 or older.

Proponents of the measure, Sensible Breckenridge, gathered 1,400 signatures from registered voters to place the measure on the municipal ballot.

In 2006, over 70 percent of Breckenridge voters endorsed Amendment 44, an unsuccessful statewide ballot initiative that sought to eliminate minor marijuana possession penalties.

For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, at (202) 483-5500 or visit: http://www.sensiblecolorado.org.