Long weekend highlights from Marijuana Law, Policy and Reform

Though it has only been about ten days since I last provided a round up of notable new posts from Marijuana Law, Policy and Reform, an important new report from the RAND Corporation along with lots of other cannabis commotion calls for another link review:

• RAND produces big new policy report: "Considering Marijuana Legalization: Insights for Vermont and Other Jurisdictions"

• Should significant use of marijuana in the home make a parent guilty of child abuse?

• "Losing marijuana business, Mexican cartels push heroin and meth"

• New research suggests medical marijuana reforms may reduce suicide rate

• "What Good Is A Pot-Sniffing Dog When Pot Is Legal?"

• Colorado trying to cope with unexpected cannabis combustion problems

• Latest sign of the apocalypse: "weed-infused sex lube for ladies"?

• Is there now (or should there be) a "cannabis canon" as more law schools teach marijuana reform?

• Federalism issues and tensions with modern MJ reform becoming even harder for Congress and Prez to avoid in 2015 

As hinted above, I think this big new RAND report seeking to take stock of the potential benefits and costs of various marijuana reform options for Vermont and other states is a must-read for anyone concerned about marijuana reform (pro or con).  Here is a paragraph from the report's abstract:

The principal message of the report is that marijuana policy should not be viewed as a binary choice between prohibition and the for-profit commercial model we see in Colorado and Washington.  Legalization encompasses a wide range of possible regimes, distinguished along at least four dimensions: the kinds of organizations that are allowed to provide the drug, the regulations under which those organizations operate, the nature of the products that can be distributed, and price.  These choices could have profound consequences for health and social well-being, as well as job creation and government revenue.