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Several pieces of reform-friendly legislation have advanced out of their chambers of origin and are now awaiting hearings in their second chambers. “We’re happy to see that many of the cannabis reform bills which we have been activating our membership to lobby for are moving through the California legislature,” said California NORML Deputy Director Ellen Komp. “Californians can take action on these bills now that they have crossed over into their second legislative chambers by writing letters to their lawmakers through the links provided here, and also by making appointments to see their elected officials during the July legislative break,…
Today marks the one year anniversary of legalization in Virginia and multiple changes to marijuana law take effect. Public Possession Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin signed the 2022 budget bill which contains language recriminalizing activities involving the personal possession of over four ounces of marijuana in public. Under the new law, the public possession of over four ounces, but less than one pound of cannabis is a Class 3 misdemeanor punishable by a $500 fine. Second or subsequent offenses are Class 2 misdemeanors punishable by up to 6 months in jail and/or a $1,000 fine. “Governor Youngkin’s actions are in direct…
State lawmakers have advanced several priority bills to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk and a few more remain pending but are up against a tight timeline. The legislative session in California ends on August 31st. Any bills not transmitted to the Governor will die after that date. (Once advanced to the Governor, he has 30 days to act on the bills.) Here are the bills you need to know about and here’s how you can help: Support Employment Protections Although marijuana is legal for adults and medical patients to use in California, employers can still discriminate against Californians who use cannabis,…
The District of Columbia’s city council has recently approved legislation to significantly expand medical cannabis operations in Washington, DC. The Medical Cannabis Amendment Act, led by Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D), will: Increase the number of licensed dispensaries that can operate in the District; Enact tax relief for operators; Codify into law the ability for individuals to “self-certify” that they have a need for medical marijuana; Create new cannabis business categories, such as on-site tasting/consumption lounges; Make changes to social equity language, mainly through changes to laws surrounding I-71 operators; Require a courier license to be held by those delivering…
Members of the House General Laws Subcommittee failed to advance legislation to legalize and regulate the retail sale of cannabis products to adults age 21 and older. Committee members rejected two separate legislative measures, HB 1750 and HB 1464, late Tuesday evening. Republicans currently control the Virginia House of Delegates by a margin of 52 to 48. Similar legislation is still pending in the Democrat-controlled Senate, SB 1133. NORML Development Director JM Pedini, said that Tuesday’s vote represented “another stunning failure of leadership on cannabis policy.” Virginia’s legalization law, enacted in 2021 at a time when Democrats controlled the House,…
Legislation (HB 218) reducing penalties for possessing cannabis flower and concentrates was advanced today by members of the Texas House of Representatives on a voice vote. The bill still requires a second reading, which is a formality, before heading to the Senate for further consideration. I am excited to see our priority legislation continuing to move forward in the Texas legislature. The House’s support for reducing marijuana penalties is heartening. But we still have more work to do in the Senate. I encourage my fellow Texans to reach out to their Senators and urge them to support this bill. Texas…
Thanks to your advocacy, activism, and support, dozens of new marijuana laws took effect around the country this month: In Maryland, cannabis possession, personal cultivation, and retail sales are now legal In Connecticut, adults may now cultivate marijuana at home for personal use In Virginia and Nevada, multiple medical cannabis program improvements were implemented In New Hampshire, out-of-state patients are now able to access state-licensed medical dispensaries In California and Louisiana, efforts to expunge thousands of prior cannabis offenses are underway In Maine, legislation limiting the ability for those on probation to be drug tested for cannabis has become law…
Young people living in localities with operational medical cannabis dispensaries are no more likely than their counterparts to consume marijuana, according to data published in the journal Cannabis. Researchers affiliated with the University of Illinois assessed the relationship between state-licensed dispensaries and teen marijuana use in a midwestern state over a three-year period. They reported lower rates of teen cannabis use in zip codes with medical cannabis dispensaries as compared to those localities without dispensaries. Authors concluded: “This study showed the association of adolescent cannabis use and the presence of a dispensary at the zip code level, which may be…
Republican Gov. Phil Scott has allowed medical cannabis reform legislation (HB 270) to become law absent his signature. The new law, which takes immediate effect, increases the number of cannabis plants that qualified patients may grow at home from nine (of which no more than two could be mature) to 12 (of which six may be mature). Patients are permitted to possess the total harvest of their plants. It also increases the permissible amount of THC in a single serving medical cannabis product from 50 mgs to 100 mgs. The law also expands medical cannabis access to patients with post-traumatic…
Legislation signed earlier this year by Gov. Youngkin, HB 1846 and SB 1337, to eliminate the requirement that healthcare practitioners register with the Board of Pharmacy in order to issue written certifications for medical cannabis to patients also took effect July 1, 2023. Separate legislation, HB 2368, authorizes practitioners to add a patient’s Registered Agent directly to the written certification, eliminating the often weeks-long wait for an agent’s registration to be processed. Registered Agents who would like to receive a physical card will still have the option to request one by registering with the Board of Pharmacy. HB 2368 also…