Stories by Paul Armentano

Paul Armentano is the deputy director of NORML (the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws), and is the co-author of the book Marijuana Is Safer: So Why Are We Driving People to Drink (2009, Chelsea Green).subscribe to Paul Armentano's rss feed

Health and Societal Costs of Marijuana vs. Alcohol and Tobacco: Prohibitionists' Concerns Answered and Refuted

Posted on Mar 30, 2012, Source: AlterNet

A pragmatic regulatory framework allowing for the limited legal use cannabis would best mitigate the potential health risks and societal costs associated with its use.

40 Years Ago Today, Feds Denied the Truth About Pot -- Now It's Obama's Chance to Act

Posted on Mar 20, 2012, Source: AlterNet

A congressional commission on US drug policy did something extraordinary 40 years ago: it told the truth about marijuana.

Federal Judge Dismisses NORML Lawsuit: Obama's Crackdown on Medical Pot is Constitutional

Posted on Mar 2, 2012, Source: NORML

A federal judge in Sacramento dismissed the NORML Legal Committee's lawsuit against the Department of Justice, Attorney General Eric Holder, and DEA Director Michele Leonhart.

Why is the Obama Administration Suddenly Fixated on Stomping out Medical Pot?

Posted on Feb 8, 2012, Source: AlterNet

At the same time public support for marijuana legalization reached record highs, Obama shifted from one time medicinal cannabis sympathizer to White House weed-whacker.

The NYPD Commissioner Told Cops to Follow the Law -- So Why Did Illegal, Racist Pot Arrests Continue to Increase?

Posted on Feb 2, 2012, Source: NORML

Even after the Commissioner told cops to follow the books on pot charges, small time weed arrests continued, breaking records for the past decade.

Study: Smoking Pot Won't Give You Lung Cancer, or Hurt Your Lungs at All

Posted on Jan 12, 2012, Source: NORML

According to a new study, exposure to cannabis smoke, even over the long-term, is not associated with adverse effects on pulmonary function.

1 out of 3 Arrested by Age 23? Why the War on 'Pot' is a War on Young People

Posted on Dec 19, 2011, Source: NORML

A new study estimates that one-third of U.S. young people will be arrested or taken into custody for illegal or delinquent offenses, including pot, by the age of 23.

Most Americans Want Legal Pot -- Why Is the Government Cracking Down More Than Ever?

Posted on Oct 19, 2011, Source: AlterNet

With support for marijuana law reform growing in every demographic, politicians should no longer consider it a political liability. Unfortunately, Obama still does.

Marijuana Arrests Driving America’s ‘Drug War,’ Latest FBI Report Shows

Posted on Sep 21, 2011, Source: AlterNet

Marijuana arrests now comprise more than one-half (52 percent) of all drug arrests in the United States.

Debunking the Myth of a Link Between Marijuana and Mental Illness

Posted on Jul 25, 2011, Source: AlterNet

Despite media claims that marijuana can cause psychosis or schizophrenia, there's no science to back it up.

White House Drug Strategy Report No Real Interest in Studying Marijuana, Just Demonizing It

Posted on Jul 12, 2011, Source: NORML

The White House’s official justification for the ongoing multigenerational drug war was light on facts and heavy on rhetoric.

Fired for Using Legally Prescribed Pot? Pharmaceutical Discrimination Is Alive and Well in the Workplace

Posted on Jun 21, 2011, Source: AlterNet

How can an employer terminate an employee for off-the-job marijuana use, even if the employee is authorized under state law to use cannabis medicinally?

The 5 Worst States to Get Busted With Pot

Posted on May 13, 2011, Source: AlterNet

Even a minor pot bust can be life-altering for people unlucky enough to be arrested in one of these five states.

Obama's Broken Promise: Why Are the Feds Still Meddling with States' Medical Marijuana Laws?

Posted on Apr 16, 2011, Source: NORML

‘Change we can believe in?’ Not when it comes to medical marijuana policy.

If the Feds Get Their Way, Big Pharma Could Sell Pot -- But Your Dime Bag Would Still Send You to Jail

Posted on Feb 22, 2011, Source: AlterNet

We should be very wary about the DEA allowing regulation and marketing of pharmaceutical products containing plant-derived THC.

Change We Can Believe In? Not for Medical Marijuana Research

Posted on Feb 17, 2011, Source: AlterNet

So much for the American Medical Association's demand for clinical cannabis research.

Pot May Be Instrumental in Combatting Cancer, MS and Other Diseases But the Gov't Refuses to Fund the Necessary Research

Posted on Feb 10, 2011, Source: AlterNet

A review of the NIH website shows that U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse's kibosh on medical marijuana trials continues unabated.

Obama's Pick for Top Drug War Enforcer Needs to Answer Some Tough Questions

Posted on Nov 15, 2010, Source: The Hill

There are serious issues regarding Obama's nomination of Michele Leonhart to head the DEA.

Obama Administration May Back Marijuana Prohibition, Don't Expect Californians to Go Along

Posted on Oct 22, 2010, Source: The Hill

Despite the claims that Prop 19 would be preempted by the Feds, they haven't challenged the fact that Californians have the legal right to determine their own marijuana policies.

Taxation and Regulation Might Not Be Fun to Talk About, But It's the Key to Making Sure Pot Stays Legal

Posted on Oct 8, 2010, Source: AlterNet

It's time to end the legal harassment, discrimination, and criminal prosecution of adult marijuana users in California simply because they are healthy -- Prop 19 will do that.

Alcohol Lobby Now Openly Spending Against CA's Legal Pot Initiative in Alliance with Police Industrial Complex

Posted on Sep 17, 2010, Source: AlterNet

Big Alcohol's decision to squash marijuana law reform to protect its bottom line is simply politics as usual.

5 Things the Corporate Media and Government Don't Want You to Know About Marijuana

Posted on Aug 29, 2010, Source: AlterNet

News outlets continue to ignore research that belies government anti-pot propaganda.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein's Wrong-Headed Opposition to Marijuana Legalization

Posted on Jul 20, 2010, Source: LA Times

Prohibition has failed, yet Feinstein's arguments against Proposition 19 suggest she is comfortable with the unacceptable status quo.

Pot Versus Alcohol: Experts Say Booze Is the Bigger Danger

Posted on Jul 1, 2010, Source: AlterNet

For more than three decades, America's marijuana policies have been based upon rhetoric. Perhaps it's time to begin listening to what the experts have to say.

Not Feeling Well? Perhaps You're 'Marijuana Deficient'

Posted on Mar 24, 2010, Source: AlterNet

Scientists have begun speculating that the root cause of disease conditions such as migraines and irritable bowel syndrome may be endocannabinoid deficiency.

How Many Mexican Drug War Deaths Can We Attribute to U.S. Pot Laws?

Posted on Mar 18, 2010, Source: AlterNet

It's time to remove the production and distribution of marijuana out of the hands of violent criminal enterprises and into the hands of licensed businesses.

Anti-Pot Propaganda As Stupid As Ever -- Yet Our Alarmist Media Continues to Hype It

Posted on Mar 4, 2010, Source: AlterNet

Once again mainstream media are running wild with the absurd notion that marijuana use causes psychological problems, despite much evidence to the contrary.

CBS Corporation Bans Ad Calling for Marijuana Legalization Over 'Morals'

Posted on Feb 10, 2010, Source: AlterNet

The fifteen-second ad, asserting that taxing and regulating the adult use and sale of marijuana would raise 'billions of dollars in national revenue,' was rejected out of hand

The Year In Pot: Top 10 Events That Will Change the Way We Think About Marijuana

Posted on Jan 1, 2010, Source: NORML

There has been a tidal shift in politics and on Marijuana laws in America, from Obama lightening up on pot prosecutions to the recognition of cancer prevention properties.

The Feds Are Addicted to Pot -- Even If You Aren't

Posted on Nov 30, 2009, Source: AlterNet

The government keeps pushing the BS that pot is addictive and has serious health consequences. And no wonder -- lying about pot is a lucrative business.

The Case for Marijuana Legalization and Regulation

Posted on Oct 28, 2009, Source: AlterNet

An exclusive look at the historic testimony prepared for a special hearing on legalizing marijuana to the California Assembly.

5 Things the Corporate Media Don't Want You to Know About Cannabis

Posted on Sep 23, 2009, Source: AlterNet

Recent scientific reports suggest that pot doesn't destroy your brain, that it doesn't cause lung damage like tobacco -- but you won't hear it in the corporate media.

Over 100 Million Americans Have Smoked Marijuana -- And It's Still Illegal?

Posted on Sep 10, 2009, Source: NORML

41 percent of the U.S. population say they've tried cannabis at least once in their lives, 10 percent say they've used it in the last year.

Campus Hypocrisy: Marijuana Is Safer, But Students Are Pushed to More Dangerous Booze

Posted on Aug 20, 2009, Source: Chelsea Green Publishing

The stats for death and injury tied to alcohol on campus are staggering, yet students are more harshly punished for pot -- which is far more benign.

Burning Questions for the Authors of 'Marijuana Is Safer'

Posted on Aug 15, 2009, Source: AlterNet

The authors of a new book on misconceptions about marijuana respond to the torrent of comments on an excerpt published on AlterNet.

Marijuana Is Safer: So Why Are We Driving People to Drink?

Posted on Aug 6, 2009, Source: Chelsea Green Publishing

A new book explains how we're steering people away from cannabis and toward the use of a very harmful and deadly substance: alcohol.

California: Oakland Voters Approve Nation’s First Marijuana Business Tax

Posted on Jul 24, 2009, Source: NORML

Approximately 80% say they want to bring the pot industry into the city's tax base.

25 Years in Prison for Pot? Drug Warrior Congressman's Idea Is Way Obsolete

Posted on Jun 15, 2009, Source: NORML

Rep. Mark Kirk thinks that the magic number of 15% THC concentration in marijuana should lead to a 25-year prison penalty.

The Media Doesn't Get That Hyping Potent Pot Makes More People Want to Smoke It

Posted on May 16, 2009, Source: NORML

The govt. "warns" us that our pot is stronger than anything Jerry Garcia ever smoked in his heyday. What do they expect?

Whaddya Know, Bush's Old Drug Czar Is Still a Major BS Artist

Posted on May 7, 2009, Source: NORML

John Walters uses classic anti-drug logic to pave over Schwarzenegger's call to legalize marijuana.

1 2 3 Next 

[ page served from web 1 ]