Virginia

Racial disparities and other social justice issues are a big part of the reason I have advocated both personally and professionally for cannabis policy reform.  I grew up in St. Louis and had many black friends from the city, as I was in the throws of desegregation at the time.

Federal lawmakers gathered in the nation’s capital on Wednesday in an attempt to jump start a proposal aimed at dragging the United States out of the seemingly bottomless pit of marijuana prohibition.

Earlier this year, Representative Thomas Garrett of Virginia began pushing a bill called the “Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act,” which calls for pot to become a part of legitimate American commerce.

Technically speaking, West Virginia is now a medical marijuana state.
Thanks to Gov.

Immigrant rights activists and attorneys are warning immigrants that states' legalization of marijuana does not prevent federal officials from deporting anyone over marijuana use. Undocumented immigrants who are caught possessing or using marijuana can be deported from the country and prevented from returning.

Marijuana possession “is still a federal offense,” said attorney Russell Jauregui. “Federal law controls immigration and thus people will still face severe immigration consequences for marijuana conviction/use.”

In January, the Immigrant Legal Resource Center issued a flier advising immigrants not to use or carry marijuana until they become full U.S. citizens.

(Reuters) - Lawmakers in West Virginia on Thursday passed a bill that would allow patients to use some forms of cannabis for medical needs, state records show.If signed by Democratic Governor Jim Justice, the measure would make West Virginia the 29th state to allow the medical use of cannabis products including tinctures, extracts, pills and oils, according to the Marijuana Policy Project.It does not authorize patients to smoke pot or grow their own marijuana, the Marijuana Policy Project said.(Reporting by Sharon Bernstein in Sacramento, California;