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Proposition 215,or the Compassionate Use Act of 1996,is a California law permitting the use of medical cannabis despite marijuana's lack of the normal Food and Drug Administration testing for safety and efficacy. It was enacted,on November 5,1996,by means of the initiative process,and passed with 5,382,915 (55.6%) votes in favor and 4,301,960 (44.4%) against.
In the politics of the United States,the process of initiatives and referendums allow citizens of many U.S. states to place legislation on the ballot for a referendum or popular vote,either enacting new legislation,or voting down existing legislation. Citizens,or an organization,might start an popular initiative to gather a predetermined number of signatures to qualify the measure for the ballot. The measure is placed on the ballot for the referendum,or actual vote.
James Plemon Coleman was an American judge,the 52nd governor of Mississippi and a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
The Supreme Court of Maryland is the highest court of the U.S. state of Maryland. The court,which is composed of one chief justice and six associate justices,meets in the Robert C. Murphy Courts of Appeal Building in the state capital,Annapolis. The term of the Court begins the second Monday of September. The Court is unique among American courts in that the justices wear red robes.
The Supreme Court of Nevada is the highest state court of the U.S. state of Nevada,and the head of the Nevada Judiciary. The main constitutional function of the Supreme Court is to review appeals made directly from the decisions of the district courts. The Supreme Court does not pursue fact-finding by conducting trials,but rather determines whether legal errors were committed in the rendering of the lower court's decision. While the Court must consider all cases filed,it has the discretion to send appeals to the Nevada Court of Appeals for final resolution,as well as the power to determine the jurisdiction of that court.
The Colorado Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Colorado. Located in Denver,the court was established in 1876. It consists of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices who are appointed by the Governor of Colorado from a list of candidates approved by a state judicial commission. Each justice faces a retention election two years after his or her appointment and every ten years thereafter,with mandatory retirement at age 72.
The Appellate Court of Maryland is the intermediate appellate court for the U.S. state of Maryland. The Appellate Court of Maryland was created in 1966 in response to the rapidly growing caseload in the Supreme Court of Maryland. Like the state's highest court,the tribunal meets in the Robert C. Murphy Courts of Appeal Building in the state capital,Annapolis.
Brendan Van Johnson is an American attorney who served as the 40th United States Attorney for the District of South Dakota. He is the son of former U.S. Senator Tim Johnson and currently is a partner at Robins Kaplan LLP,where he serves as the Chair of the Firm's National Business Litigation Group and Member of the Firm's Executive Board. In 2024,Johnson was recognized as one of America's Top 200 Lawyers for his litigation work and representation of Native American tribes.
The Massachusetts Medical Marijuana Initiative,appeared as the third question on the state's 2012 ballot as an indirect initiated state statute. The measure allows cannabis to be used for medical purposes in the state. The initiative—backed by the American Civil Liberties Union,the Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance,and the Committee for Compassionate Medicine—was filed with proponents turning in the required signatures to the Massachusetts Attorney General's office by the August 3,2011 deadline. Those signatures were needed for the required ten qualified voters who submitted the original petition to put forward the full text of the law they want enacted. The initiative passed with support from 63% of state voters.
The legal history of cannabis in the United States began with state-level prohibition in the early 20th century,with the first major federal limitations occurring in 1937. Starting with Oregon in 1973,individual states began to liberalize cannabis laws through decriminalization. In 1996,California became the first state to legalize medical cannabis,sparking a trend that spread to a majority of states by 2016. In 2012,Washington and Colorado became the first states to legalize cannabis for recreational use.
Mary Hawkins Butler has served since 1981 as the Republican Party mayor of Madison in suburban Jackson,Mississippi. She is serving her tenth consecutive four-year term. First elected to office at age twenty-eight,she is among the longest-serving mayors in the United States.
Cannabis in South Dakota is legal for medical use as of July 1,2021,having been legalized by a ballot initiative on November 3,2020. Prior to then,cannabis was fully illegal,with South Dakota being the only U.S. state which outlawed ingestion of controlled substances. Testing positive for cannabis can be a misdemeanor offense. South Dakota would have become the first state in US history to legalize recreational and medical cannabis simultaneously,but an amendment legalizing recreational marijuana that was approved in the same election was struck down as unconstitutional the following February. The challenge claimed the amendment violated Amendment Z,the "Single-Subject Rule". The decision was appealed to the South Dakota Supreme Court,which upheld the lower court's decision on November 24,2021.
The Florida Medical Marijuana Legalization Initiative,also known as Amendment 2,was approved by voters in the Tuesday,November 8,2016,general election in the State of Florida. The bill required a super-majority vote to pass,with at least 60% of voters voting for support of a state constitutional amendment. Florida already had a medical marijuana law in place,but only for those who are terminally ill and with less than a year left to live. The goal of Amendment 2 is to alleviate those suffering from these medical conditions:cancer,epilepsy,glaucoma,positive status for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV),acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS),post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS),Crohn's disease,Parkinson's disease,multiple sclerosis,chronic nonmalignant pain caused by a qualifying medical condition or that originates from a qualified medical condition or other debilitating medical conditions comparable to those listed. Under Amendment 2,the medical marijuana will be given to the patient if the physician believes that the medical use of marijuana would likely outweigh the potential health risks for a patient. Smoking the medication was not allowed under a statute passed by the Florida State Legislature,however this ban was struck down by Leon County Circuit Court Judge Karen Gievers on May 25,2018.
Cannabis in Arizona is legal for recreational use. A 2020 initiative to legalize recreational use passed with 60% of the vote. Possession and cultivation of recreational cannabis became legal on November 30,2020,with the first state-licensed sales occurring on January 22,2021.
Cannabis in Mississippi is legal for medical use and illegal for non-medical use. Possession of small amounts was decriminalized in 1978.
Cannabis in Florida is illegal for recreational use. Possession of up to 20 grams is a misdemeanor offense,punishable by up to a year in jail,a fine of up to $1000,and the suspension of one's driver's license. Several cities and counties have enacted reforms to apply lesser penalties,however.
The Nevada Court of Appeals is an appellate court in the judicial system of Nevada and hears cases assigned to it by the Nevada Supreme Court. The court was created by a legislatively referred constitutional amendment that was approved by voters on November 4,2014. The Court of Appeals hears roughly one-third of all cases submitted to the Nevada Supreme Court in a deflective model,where the Supreme Court assigns cases to a three-judge Court of Appeals. This is similar to systems used in other states,including Iowa,Idaho,and Mississippi.
Mississippi state elections in 2020 were held on Tuesday,November 3,2020. Its primaries were held on March 10,2020,with runoffs taking place on June 23.
South Dakota Constitutional Amendment A,the Marijuana Legalization Initiative,was a cannabis legalization initiative that appeared on the November 3,2020 South Dakota general election ballot. Passing with 54% of the vote,the measure would have legalized recreational marijuana in South Dakota effective July 1,2021. Additionally,Amendment A required the South Dakota State Legislature to establish a medical marijuana program and legal hemp sales by April 1,2022.
Oklahoma State Question 820 was a voter initiative to legalize adult purchasing,possession and consumption of cannabis in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It would have placed Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority in charge of business regulation. It appeared on the March 7,2023 in a special election to consider this single State Question. Governor Kevin Stitt,who opposed the measure,set the special election in a successful attempt to limit voter turnout.
References
- ↑ https://judicialstudies.duke.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/2018-MJS-Bios-Photos.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
- ↑ "Newcomer Josiah Coleman wins seat on Mississippi Supreme court (with results list)". gulflive. Associated Press. November 7, 2012.
- ↑ "Mississippi justices toss voter-backed marijuana initiative". AP NEWS. 2021-05-14. Retrieved 2021-05-15.
- ↑ "Mississippi Supreme Court overturns voter-approved medical marijuana initiative". NBC News. 14 May 2021. Retrieved 2021-05-15.
