The Montana House of Representatives voted 62-37 to pass a deeply flawed bill, SB 508, that would impose zero-tolerance DUI penalties — including mandatory jail time — for drivers under 21 who are completely sober. SB 508 previously passed the Senate (42-7) and it now heads to Gov. Greg Gianforte (R).

If you live in Montana, the governor needs to hear from you now! Ask him to veto this unjust bill.

Sen. Willis Curdy's SB 508 creates an extreme standard for drivers under 21, making it a DUI offense to have any detectable THC or certain metabolites in their system. Since THC can remain in the bloodstream and urine days after its effects have worn off, this approach would criminalize and incarcerate young Montanans who are completely unimpaired.

It would criminalize sober young drivers who are state-legal medical cannabis patients, people who tested positive after using legal CBD products, and people who were exposed to cannabis second-hand.

On the House floor debate, a proponent of the bill claimed that it would only allow drug testing if there was probable cause to think the person was impaired, such as bloodshot eyes. But SB 508 includes no such limitation. And under Montana law, anyone involved in a crash with a serious injury or a fatality has given "implied consent" to a drug test. An unimpaired young driver could be convicted under this unjust bill after a crash where they are not even at fault — despite exhibiting no sign of impairment.

There is no need for this unjust, overbroad law. Montana already criminalizes impaired driving, and driving with up to 5 nanograms per milliliter of THC in one's system.

On Tuesday, April 15, the New Hampshire Senate Judiciary Committee will consider cannabis bills, including legalizing possession of up to two ounces of cannabis (HB 198), increasing the medical cannabis possession limit to four ounces (HB 190), and removing a duplicative felony on patients who sell medical cannabis (HB 380).

If you live in New Hampshire, you can register your support for these bills on the Remote Sign In Sheet. Or go the extra mile and testify in person, in writing, or both.

What: N.H. Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on HB 190, HB 380, and HB 198
Where: N.H. State House, Room 100, 107 N. Main St., Concord, NH 03301
When: Tuesday, April 15, starting at 1:10 p.m.

Last year, different versions of cannabis legalization passed the House and the Senate. But the chambers failed to agree on how to legalize sales, so the bill didn't make it past the finish line. Despite two-thirds support for cannabis legalization, the Live Free State still brands those who relax with cannabis as lawbreakers.

HB 198 takes the question of how to sell cannabis off the table, and simply stops punishing adults 21 and older for using and possessing cannabis, while imposing penalties for smoking or vaping cannabis in public.

If you testify, be polite, respectful, and brief. Be sure to include your name, city or town, your position on the bill, and why you support it. If someone has already made the points you planned to make, you can briefly explain you agree and want the committee to approve HB 198. 

Maryland's legislative session has adjourned. This year was a mixed bag for cannabis policy reform, but two positive cannabis bills passed the legislature. If they are signed into law, these bills would legalize home production of edible products, reduce penalties for some cannabis offenses, allow for resentencing, and expand expungement.

If you live in Maryland, urge the governor to sign these bills to advance cannabis freedom and justice!

Both the Maryland House and Senate passed Delegate David Moon's (D) HB 413, which would allow the manufacturing of cannabis products for personal use. It also reduces grossly excessive, five-year mandatory sentences for some cannabis offenses. This bill acknowledges it shouldn't be a crime to safely produce tinctures, edibles, and other products for personal use at home. Home production is cost-effective and cuts down on traveling to far-away dispensaries for rural Marylanders.

Likewise, SB 432, an expungement bill sponsored by Sen. Nick Charles (D), also passed both chambers. If signed into law, the bill would forbid any cannabis possession charge that has been pardoned by the governor from coming up in Maryland Judiciary's Case Search. We fully support this passing so that individuals no longer have to carry the burden of a criminal record for simply possessing cannabis.

Despite these wins for cannabis this session, there were other disappointments. Economic Matters Committee Chair C.T. Wilson failed to call a committee vote on bills to protect fire and rescue workers who use medical cannabis off-hours from employment discrimination, even after the Senate version (SB 1023) passed the full Senate.

Meanwhile, due to budget concerns, the General Assembly increased cannabis taxes from 9% to 12%.

Thank you for all of your advocacy this session! 

In November, more than 70% of Nebraska voters legalized the medical use of cannabis for any condition where the practitioner believes "the potential benefits of cannabis outweigh the potential harms."

But the Legislature's General Affairs Committee Chair, Rick Holdcroft, is directing his committee members to rewrite the peoples' law and come up with a specific list of qualifying conditions. This would exclude large numbers of Nebraskans who could benefit from medical cannabis.

The Nebraska Examiner reports, "Holdcroft said he would like his committee to wade through the lists and identify about six conditions that would qualify for access to medical cannabis, though he said he wouldn't object to the Iowa list ... " Iowa's list does not include anxiety, acute pain (such as post-surgery), or insomnia. Holdcroft also cast doubt on including PTSD, which is on Iowa's list.

If you live in Nebraska, tell your senator not to gut the people's law.

Every other medication can be prescribed "off-label" for any condition for which the prescriber believes their patient can benefit. Cannabis has a far better safety profile than many medications. 

Montana lawmakers are fast-tracking a deeply flawed bill, SB 508, that would impose zero-tolerance DUI penalties — including mandatory jail time — for drivers under 21 who are completely sober.

SB 508 has already passed the Senate (42-7) and is moving quickly. If you live in Montana, lawmakers need to hear from you now!

SB 508, introduced by Willis Curdy (D), creates an extreme standard for drivers under 21, making it a DUI offense to have any detectable THC or certain metabolites in their system. Montana currently sets a threshold of 5 nanograms per milliliter for THC-related DUIs, which is already unscientific and likely to ensnare sober drivers. But SB 508 goes even further, and removes any such limit for young drivers.

Since THC and metabolites can remain in the bloodstream and urine long after its effects have worn off, this approach would criminalize and incarcerate young Montanans who are completely unimpaired.

This bill does not improve road safety. It acts as a backdoor penalty for underage cannabis use, despite Montana already increasing penalties for minor possession under SB 132. If lawmakers want to address underage use, they should do so transparently.

A solid majority of Florida voters — 55.9% — cast their ballots for cannabis legalization in November. While this wasn't enough to pass Amendment 3, it shows most Floridians support ending cannabis prohibition.

If you live in Florida, ask your state legislators to turn the people's will into law and legalize cannabis!

Much opposition to legalization focused on Amendment 3's supposed lack of guardrails on public consumption and the absence of home-grow. A Republican-sponsored legalization bill — H0555 — would address both concerns.

Florida remains one of the 19 states where a single joint can land you in jail. It's past time Florida ended its archaic approach to cannabis policy.

H0555, sponsored by Rep. Alex Andrade, would allow adults 21 and older to possess up to two ounces of cannabis, while prohibiting marijuana use in any public place. Adults 21 and older could cultivate two plants at home and out of public view for personal use. It also expands the existing medical cannabis program by increasing the possession limit, waiving fees for honorably discharged veterans, and allowing any patient with a condition that requires an opioid prescription to be recommended medical marijuana for relief.

There are also two other legalization bills — H1501 and S1390 — which include similar frameworks for legalization without home cultivation.

The N.H. House of Representatives voted 208-125 to legalize simple possession of cannabis in the Live Free State. Sixty-two percent of representatives voted in favor of HB 198 to stop punishing adults 21 and older for relaxing with cannabis.

If you live in New Hampshire, let your senator know you want New Hampshire to live up to its "Live Free" motto. It takes just one minute to send a message through our software. You can go the extra mile and also make a phone call to your state senator.

Last year, the New Hampshire House of Representatives and Senate couldn't agree on how to legalize and regulate cannabis sales. Due to that standoff, legislation failed and the Granite State remains an island of prohibition, surrounded by states with more freedom.

HB 198 would take the issue of sales off the table for now and simply legalize possession of modest amounts of cannabis for adults 21 and older, while imposing penalties on smoking in public. It would prevent hundreds of arrests each year and would finally treat adults like grown-ups.

As you likely know, Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R) opposes cannabis legalization. However, at least 16 senators (a veto-proof majority) have either voted "yes" on legalization before or expressed support for legalizing possession and home cultivation.

There will likely be strong pressure put on Republican senators to kill HB 198. That makes it all the more important that senators hear that their constituents expect them to take a principled stance for freedom.

For the second year in a row, Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) vetoed bills to legalize adult-use cannabis sales, along with other cannabis policy reforms.

Thankfully, this is Youngkin's last year in office. In November, Virginians will have an opportunity to elect a new governor — hopefully one who listens to voters on cannabis policy.

In 2021, the legislature and then-Gov. Ralph Northam (D) ended cannabis prohibition, legalizing adults' simple possession and home cultivation, but requiring reenactment for legal sales. Gov. Youngkin was elected in November 2021 and he has stood in the way of progress ever since.

Gov. Youngkin outrageously vetoed the following bills:

• SB 970 and HB 2485 — twin bills to legalize and regulate adult-use cannabis sales
• HB 2613 — which would have prevented families from being torn apart due to a parent responsibly using cannabis
• HB 2555 — which would have provided for cannabis resentencing

He also demanded amendments to bills related to sealing past convictions (HB 2723 and SB 1466) and revisions to Virginia's medical cannabis program (HB 1989). For more background, check out this Marijuana Moment article.

Gov. Youngkin's term ends in January 2026, and he is not eligible for a consecutive term. If you live in Virginia and you're eligible, make sure you're registered to vote and that you don't miss the opportunity. The last gubernatorial election set back legal cannabis access by four years.

An important bill, SB 176, is being considered in the Oregon Legislature that would prohibit employment discrimination against medical cannabis patients.

If you live in Oregon, let your lawmakers know that you support medical cannabis patients' employment rights!

SB 176 would prohibit employers from making hiring or firing decisions solely based on an individual's status as a medical cannabis user or a positive test result for cannabis metabolites. Since these metabolites can linger in the body for days or weeks after use, drug tests are unreliable indicators of actual impairment. Additionally, the bill bars healthcare providers from denying treatment or restricting access to medical resources for patients who hold a medical cannabis card. At its core, SB 176 recognizes that no one should have to choose between their health and their livelihood.

SB 176 also introduces many other improvements to Oregon's medical marijuana program, including implementing electronic ID cards and capping fees at $20 for those receiving Social Security Disability Benefits. It would also increase the annual transfer limit for medical grow sites from 20 to 45 pounds, adjust cultivation limits, and mandate that retailers offer medical-grade products with no more than 20% THC.

SB 176 is currently in the Senate Judiciary Committee with a work session scheduled for Monday, March 31. 

Texas has an extremely limited, low-THC medical cannabis program, the Texas Compassionate Use Program (“TCUP”). It is so restrictive that MPP does not count Texas as a “medical cannabis state.” Sen. Charles Perry (R) sponsored SB1505, which would improve the program by: 

• Issuing up to three more licenses to produce low-THC products (for a total of six),
• Allowing those dispensing organizations to have satellite storage facilities around the state,
• Allowing for tinctures, suppositories, and non-smoked inhalation when it is medically needed as specified by a doctor, and
• Making the standard dosage 5 milligrams of THC (with a package maximum of 300 milligrams). 

If you live in Texas, ask your legislators to support the expansion of TCUP!
 
The Lt. Governor and his allies in the legislature are attempting to ban federally legal hemp-derived THC products. Whether they succeed or not, there is a moral imperative to expand the TCUP program. Too many Texans have had to rely on an under-regulated hemp program for relief from debilitating conditions. They deserve safe, regulated access through a comprehensive medical cannabis program. SB1505 is a relatively small step forward toward that goal, but it is progress.