Stories by Paul Armentano

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

The Federal Government ‘Ardently Supports’ Medical Marijuana Research?! Who Knew?

Posted on: Oct 5, 2011, Source: NORML

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.

Israeli Government Officially Recognizes The Therapeutic Value Of Cannabis

Posted on: Aug 12, 2011, Source: NORML

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.

Drug Czar Blames Rising Teen Pot Use On Medical Cannabis Laws Rather Than On His Own Failed Policies

Posted on: Dec 14, 2010, Source: AlterNet

Federal Officials Threaten Crackdown on Medical Pot Growers

Posted on: Dec 8, 2010, Source: AlterNet

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 23, 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 3, 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: Dec 31, 2009, 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 29, 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 27, 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 22, 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.