Medical marijuana is finally happening—but distributing it may be the least of New Mexico’s worries. Such was the conceit of the International Drug Policy Reform Conference, which began just days after New Mexico’s Department of Health approved four new medical marijuana producers to field demand from the state’s 755 patients. ... Given the statistics, drug activists’ optimism is hardly baseless. An Oct. 19 Gallup Poll finds that 44 percent of Americans support legalizing marijuana, the highest figure ever; in 2003, another poll found that 75 percent support allowing doctors to prescribe medical marijuana. And in Colorado, according to Sensible Colorado Executive Director Brian Vicente, the number of medical marijuana dispensaries jumped from 4,000 to more than 30,000 in 2009 alone. (November 18, 2009)

Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter Jr. on Tuesday directed the state's medical-marijuana dispensaries to pay sales tax and obtain retail-sales licenses, bringing the once-taboo product closer to mainstream respectability. Colorado is now the second state, behind California, to tax and regulate medical-marijuana sales, medical marijuana to the states. Fourteen states have legalized medical marijuana, but California and Colorado are unique in their use of storefront dispensaries. Three other states - Maine, New Mexico and Rhode Island - are now moving to license providers, said Bruce Mirken, a spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project. "Certainly California and Colorado are the only states where it's happening on a large scale," Mr. Mirken said. (November 18, 2009)

In an opinion that could generate more revenue for cash-strapped governments and give additional legitimacy to a fledgling industry, Colorado Attorney General John Suthers said Monday that the state can collect sales tax on medical marijuana. "Medical marijuana is tangible property that is generally subject to state sales tax," Suthers, a Republican, wrote ... The opinion also said medical-marijuana dispensaries must obtain retail-sales licenses from the state to do business. "I think the community is willing to pay taxes if it will help prove the legitimacy of their efforts," said Courtney Tanning, executive director of the Colorado Wellness Association, which represents medical-marijuana dispensaries and the patients and doctors who deal with them. (November 17, 2009)

Two Los Angeles City Council committees rejected the advice of the city attorney and voted Monday to approve an ordinance that allows marijuana dispensaries to continue to sell the drug to people with a doctor's recommendation. The city attorney's office has maintained for a year and a half that Los Angeles has no choice but to ban sales because state law and court decisions are clear that collectives can only cultivate marijuana. That opinion had stalled the council's deliberations because dispensary operators insisted it would force them to close. Four hours into a raucous hearing, frustrated council members decided to replace the provision with one that authorizes cash contributions as long as they comply with state law, which prohibits collectives from making a profit. (November 16, 2009)

Three years ago, former U.S. Attorney John McKay was somewhere near the front lines of the nation's drug war. ... "I think there has to be a shift in the paradigm," said McKay, now a professor at Seattle University. "The correct policy change would be a top-to-bottom review of the nation's drug laws." McKay joined a panel as part of an effort by [travel author and decriminalization activist Rick] Steves and the American Civil Liberties Union to, in their view, return rationality to discussions about the nation's drug laws. ... While the panelists did not agree on all points, each said they see the need for substantive change in the way marijuana is regulated and offenders are punished. They also each spoke about the fears, or lack of courage, of elected officials in addressing issues surrounding the drug. (November 16, 2009)