Decriminalization

The Washington Legislature could not reach a compromise on statewide drug laws during its last day of session in April, prompting a special session.

Marijuana legalization is supported across the political spectrum, but the president's announcement is unlikely to sway voters, according to one strategist.

Officials said having no juvenile females at the Hawai'i Youth Correctional Facility is because of "years of work to replace handcuffs with healing."

The bill passed by a vote of 220-204, mostly along party lines with little Republican support, but is expected to struggle in the Senate.

The latest move comes as scientists around the world investigate the potential therapeutic applications of such substances.

The New York senator, who once supported tough drug laws, said he changed his mind after seeing how legalization helped Colorado.

"It clears the path toward treating drug use as a health issue, restores individual liberty," Kassandra Frederique of the Drug Policy Alliance said.

The War on Drugs has been an abject failure.

Decriminalization won't solve every problem. But it'll make it far safer for women.

Nearly 40 percent of Texans believe marijuana should be fully legalized and another 35 percent say it should be legalized for medicinal use, according to a recent poll.

The country's top human rights official previously argued that imprisoning "mildly abusive" men could leave families without an income.

Arrests for possession of small amounts of marijuana in New York City may soon become a thing of the past.

Parliament wants to "stop punishing people who struggle, but instead give them help and treatment," a spokesman said.

Since Colorado first legalized recreational marijuana in 2012, the demand for novelty, even gourmet, products containing THC has soared

Legislation introducing more expansive marijuana programs, whether medical or recreational, has historically been backed by Democratic lawmakers.

"Policy has failed to curtail demand or supply, or reduce the harm that drugs cause," medical leader says.

The U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime quickly said the document was neither finished nor formal.

Critics say the move opens to the door to pimps and sex trafficking.

The fight to legalize marijuana isn't just about young stoners wanting to get high.

Washington D.C. drops fine for possession of small amounts of marijuana to $25 in an effort to alleviate racial bias in arrests