The premeir issue of the Bulletin will debut in early August, 2006.

The purpose of the Bulletin of Cannabis Reform is to report on marijuana policy and the efforts to change it ­ but more to the point the purpose of the Bulletin is to circulate and promote new thinking about cannabis reform.

The Bulletin will apply the same critical perspective to the arguments of both supporters and opponents of reform, whether the topic is the reform of laws governing medical cannabis, the industrial use of hemp, and/or the use of marijuana by individuals for individual reasons (popularly described as recreational use). Marijuana’s legalization, for example, will occur when arguments for and against the proposal are held to the same standard and the arguments for legalization are judged by the public to be stronger.

The Bulletin will publish articles on the significance of new data and scientific research about cannabis and its use to changing marijuana laws in the United States. The Bulletin will also publish articles about the pursuit of cannabis reform ­ its history, strategy, lessons learned and the individual contributions to the public interest it has inspired.

The scientific and research focus of the Bulletin is directly influenced by the Cannabis Rescheduling Petition now under review by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This HHS review is part of an ongoing administrative process that could ease restrictions on legal access to cannabis for medical patients and must address all relevant scientific literature on the subject of marijuana use in the United States. The Bulletin of Cannabis Reform seeks to compile a record of the most recent scientific findings as preparation for challenges to any attempt by HHS and other federal agencies to deny legal, regulated access to medical patients throughout the United States.

The wider focus on cannabis reform seeks to apply the critical perspective of the rescheduling process to the reform movement itself. The Bulletin will seek to address these central questions: what has been learned from decades of reform activity and how can contemporary reform efforts address the social, economic, and political needs of both marijuana users and the general public.

The Bulletin of Cannabis Reform will be a public, independent forum. An informed public benefits from diverse points of view, and so will the cause of cannabis reform. The goal of the Bulletin is to encourage creative and successful approaches to marijuana’s legalization.