State & Local Legislatures

A bill that would turn felony drug possession cases into "wobblers," meaning they could be charged as either felonies or misdemeanors, is one housekeeping vote away from heading to the governor's desk.

Federal prosecutors speak out on how the Justice Department's new stance on legalization will affect their medical marijuana prosecutions (not much), an initiative's language gets rejected for a second time in Arkansas, and much, much more.

North Carolina's Republican-controlled legislature has overriden the Republican governor's veto of a welfare drug testing bill.

Dispensaries are on the march in various states, even as in some places, localities fight rear-guard efforts. And there's more medical marijuana news, too.

Dispensaries get regulation in Oregon, a dispensary will open in Delaware, and they're already popping up in Arizona. There's more medical marijuana news, too.

Two years after signing a medical marijuana bill into law, Delaware Gov. Jack Markell is finally moving to get a dispensary up and running. He had been scared off by a federal threat letter, but no longer.

North Carolina's governor has vetoed a welfare drug testing bill passed by his Republican colleagues in the legislature. It's "not a smart way to combat drug abuse," the Republican elected earlier this year said.

Under pressure, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) issued a conditional veto of a bill allowing children to use medical marijuana, but said he would approve it if the legislatue made changes. Now the Senate has done so, and the Assembly is expected to act shortly.

Medical marijuana wars continue in California, a Michigan town gets intrusive, Nevada prepares to rake in the dough from dispensaries, and Washington patients organize in the face of legalization.

Gov. Pat Quinn (D) Thursday signed into law the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Act, making Illinois the 21st medical marijuana state.