From updated Alaska election numbers, to a new decriminalization proposal in Virginia, here are the marijuana stories making the headlines:
Updated election results: On Tuesday night, the Division of Elections' updated its results as the state continues to count absentee and early ballots. Ballot Measure 2 appears to be gaining a lead, with 11,391 votes separating the "yes" and "no" votes -- up an additional 1,767 votes from election night.
Colorado pot sales dipped in September: For the first time in 2014, sales of recreational marijuana slowed in Colorado in September, The Cannabist reports. Retailers sold roughly $31.6 million in recreational marijuana in September, down from $34 million the month before. In Alaska, how much marijuana may be bought and sold – and thus how much potential tax revenue the state stands to gain -- remains unclear. The Alaska Department of Revenue produced no revenue forecast leading up to the election, citing a lack of data regarding marijuana sales.
Virginia senator proposes decriminalization: On the heels of an election that saw recreational marijuana use legalized in Alaska, Oregon and Washington, D.C., a state senator in Virginia is proposing legislation to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana, WRIC reports. The bill will make marijuana possession a civil penalty subject to a $100 fine, and will remove a 30-day jail sentence that is currently in place.
Marijuana votes could violate international law: The United Nations narcotics chief said recent votes legalizing marijuana in the United States might not fall in line with international conventions addressing international drug policies. The International Narcotics Board found at the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs requires states to limit the use of cannabis to medical and scientific purposes, due to its dependence-producing potential. The U.S. laws and a recently passed law in Uruguay legalizing the sale and production of marijuana could violate that convention, though the UN drug chief told Newsweek it appeared unclear what the UN could do to resolve the issues at this point.