The Good Marijuana News of 2008

The cock-eyed and blurry-eyed optimists at the Marijuana Policy Project lay out the good news for marijuana policy in 2008. Highlights:

MARIJUANA DECRIMINALIZED IN MASSACHUSETTS:…..

MICHIGAN BECOMES 13TH MEDICAL MARIJUANA STATE: The 63 percent majority racked up by Proposal 1 was the largest ever for a medical marijuana initiative and exceeded Barack Obama's vote total in the state by six points.

A NEW PRESIDENT PLEDGES TO END FEDERAL RAIDS IN MEDICAL MARIJUANA STATES: During the campaign, president-elect Barack Obama repeatedly promised to end federal attacks on individuals obeying state medical marijuana laws.…

NEW RESEARCH VERIFIES MARIJUANA PAIN RELIEF: For the third time in less than two years, a published, peer-reviewed clinical trial demonstrated that marijuana safely and effectively relieves neuropathic pain, a notoriously hard to treat type of pain related to nerve damage, and often seen in illnesses such as multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS and diabetes…

FEDERAL REPORTS DOCUMENT FAILURE OF CURRENT POLICIES: The Monitoring the Future survey, released Dec. 11, found that more 10th-graders now smoke marijuana than cigarettes, with teen marijuana use rising while teen use of cigarettes (which are legally regulated for adults) has dropped.

The bad news remains, hanging over our head from 2007, the last year for which figures are available: marijuana arrests were at an all-time high, with one citizen denied liberty for his harmless choice every 36 seconds.