Our Latest Updates – Archive

50 Lesson Plan Ideas Using ProCon.org
7/16/2018 -

We’re excited to announce 50 free lesson plan ideas for educators! Visit our Teachers’ Corner for inspiration, including lessons plans about distinguishing fact from opinion, how to write a “call-to-action” letter, and content from our partner Credo Reference.

FDA Approves Its First Marijuana-Based Drug
6/29/2018 -

On June 25,
the FDA announced approval of Epidiolex, a CBD medicine for the
treatment of two rare and serious forms of epilepsy.

Oklahoma Becomes 30th US State to Legalize Medical Marijuana
6/29/2018 -

57% of voters approved a ballot question legalizing medical
marijuana in the June 26, 2018 election. Learn more on our
historical timeline of marijuana as medicine from 2900 BC to
present.

Oklahoma Becomes 30th Legal Medical Marijuana State
6/27/2018 -

57% of voters in the June 26 election approved Question 788 to legalize medical cannabis in Oklahoma, which is now the first legal state that doesn’t limit medical use to a specific list of approved conditions. Learn more about medical marijuana state laws.

How Many Legal Medical Marijuana Patients Are There in the United States?
5/21/2018 -

2.1 MILLION. Maine has the highest per capita medical marijuana patient population (38.42 per 1,000 people) with Michigan in second (27.06 patients per 1,000 people), and New Mexico in third (25.03 patients per 1,000) – all well above the national average of 10.79 per 1,000 people.

How Addictive Is Marijuana?
4/12/2018 -

Expert opinions on the addictiveness of cannabis range from less addictive than caffeine to “highly addicting.” Read quotes and find estimates of marijuana dependence in our updated question.

Is Medical Marijuana an Effective Treatment for Severe / Chronic Pain?
4/5/2018 -

Explore the debate over using marijuana to treat pain with quotes from
experts such as pain-management physician Dr. Pedro Oliveros (pro),
Director of the University of Michigan Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research
Center Dr. Daniel Clauw (con), the National Academies of Sciences,
Engineering, and Medicine (pro), the US Food and Drug Administration
(con), and more.

Should Marijuana Be a Medical Option?
3/29/2018 -

Read quotes from experts such as Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Chief Medical Correspondent for CNN (now pro), former Mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg (con), pain-management physician Pedro Oliveros (pro), registered nurse Mary Haag (con), and more than 50 others.

10 US Surgeons General and Their Views on Medical Marijuana
3/9/2018 -

– What do the top medical professionals in the federal government say about medical marijuana? Three former Surgeons General are pro (Satcher, Elders, and Steinfeld), one is con (Koop), and six, including current Surgeon General Jerome Adams, are neither pro nor con. You can read all their position statements in one handy guide.

US Attorney General Ends Obama-Era Marijuana Guidelines
1/4/2018 -

Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded the policy guidelines issued by President
Obama’s Justice Department regarding the enforcement of marijuana laws
in states where marijuana is legal.

States with Pending Medical Marijuana Legislation
8/3/2017 -

Bills to legalize medical marijuana failed to pass in 13 states so far this year, but North Carolina and Wisconsin still have legislation under consideration.

18 States with Laws Specifically about Legal Cannabidiol (CBD)
7/26/2017 -

Several US states have enacted laws about CBD, a non-psychoactive ingredient found in marijuana, mainly related to the treatment of epilepsy but occasionally for other conditions as well.

Should Marijuana Be Reclassified as a Schedule II or III Drug?
7/11/2017 -

Read pro and con arguments for moving marijuana out of Schedule I from experts such as the President and CEO of Mission Health Dr. Ronald Paulus (pro), Harvard Medical School professor Dr. Bertha Madras (con), the American College of Physicians (pro) and the US Food and Drug Administration (con).

Mexico Legalizes Medical Marijuana
6/23/2017 -

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto signed a decree on June 19, 2017 that calls on the Ministry of Health to implement medical marijuana.

West Virginia Becomes 29th US State to Legalize Medical Marijuana
4/21/2017 -

West Virginia Governor Jim Justice (D) signed SB 386 into law on Apr. 19, 2017, allowing the use of non-smoked medical marijuana for conditions to be approved by the newly created West Virginia Medical Cannabis Commission.