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ACLU Sues Sheriff’s Deputies to Uphold New Mexico Marijuana Law (01/17/2008)
CARLSBAD, NM – A paraplegic man is suing Eddy County Sheriff's deputies for seizing marijuana plants and equipment to grow marijuana, which he uses to control pain resulting from a spinal cord injury. Leonard French received a license to cultivate and use small quantities of marijuana for medicinal purposes from the state of New Mexico under the Lynn and Erin Compassionate Use Act. The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico, which represents French, says the deputies' actions violated not only that law, but also state forfeiture laws and a constitutional prohibition on unreasonable searches and seizures.

Members of Congress Ask DEA to Stop Obstructing Medical Marijuana Research (09/18/2007)
Washington, D.C. – A letter signed by 45 members of the U.S. House of Representatives will be delivered today to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) demanding an end to the obstruction of scientific research aimed at developing marijuana as a legal prescription medicine.

As Major Medical Marijuana Vote Nears, Congressional Scrutiny of DEA Reaches Fever Pitch (07/25/2007)
Washington, DC - The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote today on an amendment that would prohibit the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) from raiding and arresting medical marijuana patients and providers in states that have made medical marijuana legal under state law. The "Hinchey Amendment," offered by U.S. House of Representatives member Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) during consideration of the Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations bill, would prevent the U.S. Department of Justice from spending funds to interfere with medical marijuana in any state that has authorized medical marijuana use.

Court Upholds Law Making Marijuana Santa Barbara’s Lowest Law Enforcement Priority (07/10/2007)
SANTA BARBARA, CA - The American Civil Liberties Union applauded today’s ruling by a California Superior Court judge to uphold a voter-enacted initiative that directs police to focus resources on serious crime by making marijuana use the lowest law enforcement priority. Citing California’s ban on lawsuits that punish public participation in the political process, the court dismissed the city of Santa Barbara’s challenge of the law, known as Measure P, which was brought against Heather Poet because she was the proponent of the challenged initiative.

Medical Marijuana One Step Away from FDA Development Process (05/23/2007)
WASHINGTON D.C. – A U.S. Department of Justice-appointed judge submitted her final recommendation to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on May 15, calling on the agency to end a forty-year government monopoly on the supply of research-grade marijuana available for Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved studies. With this monopoly broken, new studies could lead to medical marijuana’s availability in pharmacies as a legal, prescription drug. DEA Deputy Administrator Michele Leonhart must now accept the judge’s recommendation in order for the ruling to take effect, though she has no deadline for doing so and may choose to reject the recommendation.

DEA Judge Calls for Government to End Obstruction of Medical Marijuana Research (02/13/2007)
WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union applauded a ruling issued by a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration judge that recommends ending the federal government’s sixty-five year monopoly on the supply of marijuana available for Food and Drug Administration-approved medical research.

In Response to Court Ruling, ACLU of Washington Calls on Legislature to Clarify Medical Marijuana Law (11/22/2006)
OLYMPIA, WA - The Washington Supreme Court today rejected a seriously ill woman’s plea to use medical marijuana to alleviate chronic pain, even though she had a doctor’s written recommendation. The American Civil Liberties Union of Washington said the 6-3 ruling points to the need to clarify the state’s medical marijuana law to ensure that patients are able to exercise their rights.

California's Medical Marijuana Laws Get Nod from Court (11/16/2006)
SAN DIEGO - Medical marijuana patients around the country scored a major win today, as a California Superior Court judge issued a preliminary ruling that state medical marijuana laws can co-exist with the federal law that prohibits all use.

Medical Marijuana Patients Get Say in Counties’ Legal Challenge to California Medical Marijuana Law (08/04/2006)
SAN DIEGO – A San Diego Superior Court ruled today that lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union, Americans for Safe Access and the Drug Policy Alliance will be permitted to intervene in a lawsuit brought by several California counties seeking to thwart the state’s Compassionate Use Act, which makes medical marijuana legal for patients with a doctor’s recommendation. The groups joined the case on behalf of medical marijuana patients and their caregivers and doctors in order to assure their adequate representation in the legal proceedings.

Adults Have Privacy Right to Use Marijuana in the Home, Says Alaska Judge in Landmark Ruling (07/11/2006)
JUNEAU — In a landmark ruling, an Alaska state court judge has upheld adults' right to possess and use small amounts of marijuana within their homes. The American Civil Liberties Union, which challenged the law, said the ruling confirmed that the state constitution protects adults who use and possess marijuana in their homes from police surveillance, searches, arrest and prosecution.

ACLU and Others Step In To Defend California’s Medical Marijuana Law From Rogue Counties’ Attack (07/07/2006)
SAN DIEGO - The American Civil Liberties Union, Americans for Safe Access and the Drug Policy Alliance moved today to intervene in a lawsuit brought by several California counties that seeks to overturn the state’s Compassionate Use Act, which makes medical marijuana legal for patients with a doctor’s recommendation.

ACLU Files Lawsuit to Protect Privacy Rights of Alaskans After Governor Signs Unconstitutional Marijuana Law (06/05/2006)
JUNEAU, AK - The American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska today filed a state constitutional challenge to a newly enacted law criminalizing adults’ possession of small amounts of marijuana in the privacy of their homes. The ACLU of Alaska’s lawsuit seeks an immediate court order blocking enforcement of the law and an eventual ruling permanently striking down the legislation as unconstitutional.

Round Two Begins in Legal Fight to Force Feds to Honor States’ Medical Marijuana Laws (01/31/2006)
SAN JOSE, CA – The city of Santa Cruz, California and a collective of Santa Cruz medical marijuana patients today asked a federal court to approve the city’s plan to provide medical marijuana directly to patients. The American Civil Liberties Union, Bingham McCutchen LLP, the Drug Policy Alliance and others filed legal documents setting out new claims based on an ordinance recently enacted by the Santa Cruz City Council that establishes the provision of medical marijuana as an official city government function. The legal papers were filed in County of Santa Cruz v. Gonzales.

Medical Marijuana Patients Serve San Diego Supervisors a Taste of their Own Medicine (01/24/2006)
SAN DIEGO - The American Civil Liberties Union, Americans for Safe Access (ASA) and the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) announced today that they would intervene in the San Diego County Board of Supervisors’ federal lawsuit seeking to overturn California’s Compassionate Use Act.

Nation's First Government Office to Provide Medical Marijuana Directly to Patients Established by Santa Cruz, CA City Council (11/08/2005)
SANTA CRUZ, CA - The nation's first-ever government office tasked with providing medical marijuana directly to patients will likely be established today by the Santa Cruz City Council, the American Civil Liberties Union said. The action is designed to test states' constitutional right to opt out of enforcing the federal government's medical marijuana prohibition scheme.

ACLU Challenges Burbank Policy of Pursuing Prosecutions of Innocent Medical Marijuana Patients (09/22/2005)
BURBANK, CA - Confronted with the prospect of a jury trial set to begin next week, a Burbank city attorney today dropped charges against medical marijuana patient Valerie Corral. The American Civil Liberties Union, which represents Corral, was poised to challenge Burbank's illegal policy of pursuing prosecutions against medical marijuana patients known to be innocent. Despite having dropped the charges against Corral, the city attorney continues to insist that she is guilty and has refused to order police to return her seized medical marijuana.

Hearings Begin Today in ACLU Challenge to Government Obstruction of Medical Marijuana Research (08/22/2005)
WASHINGTON - Hearings opened today in the American Civil Liberties Union's challenge to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's policy of obstructing privately funded, FDA-approved scientific research that could lead to marijuana being approved as a prescription medicine.

California Reinstates Medical Marijuana Card Program After ACLU and Drug Policy Alliance Threaten Lawsuit (07/19/2005)
SACRAMENTO -- The Schwarzenegger administration today complied with demands from the American Civil Liberties Union and the Drug Policy Alliance and reinstated California's medical marijuana card program.

ACLU and Drug Policy Alliance Threaten to Sue Schwarzenegger for Suspending California's Medical Marijuana Law (07/12/2005)
SACRAMENTO - The American Civil Liberties Union and the Drug Policy Alliance threatened today to sue the Schwarzenegger administration unless it reverses its illegal suspension of California's Medical Marijuana Program.

ACLU Applauds Oregon Attorney General's Statement that Medical Marijuana Program Remains 100 Percent Legal (06/17/2005)
PORTLAND, OR - The American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon expressed satisfaction that the state attorney general's office acknowledged today that Oregon's medical marijuana program remains in full force and effect despite the U.S. Supreme Court's decision last week in Gonzales v. Raich. The attorney general's opinion means that the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) must immediately resume issuance of medical marijuana registry identification cards to qualified applicants - a process that DHS had temporarily suspended pending the attorney general's review.