Andy Beshear voiced strong support for reform throughout his campaign — contact your legislators today and urge them to work with the new governor to pass a medical cannabis law!

After years of frustration, advocates for medical cannabis may finally have their best chance to succeed in the 2020 legislative session. Newly elected Governor Andy Beshear has indicated that he strongly supports medical cannabis, so the challenge will be getting a bill through the legislature and to the governor’s desk.

Rep. Jason Nemes has already pre-filed a medical cannabis bill in advance of the legislative session, which begins January 7. Last year, the House Judiciary Committee overwhelmingly approved a medical cannabis bill, but time ran out, and it never received a floor vote. Please write your legislators today and urge them to legalize medical cannabis in 2020!

After you write your legislators, please share this message with your friends and family.

In a recent appearance on WPRI’s Newsmakers, Gov. Raimondo indicated that she will reintroduce a plan to legalize marijuana for adults in her budget proposal for the upcoming legislative session, which begins in early January.

Pointing to the General Assembly’s recent decision to add six new compassion centers, she said, “Last year we made a step forward with more medical [marijuana], and I think the next logical step is adult use.” She also referenced recent conversations with the governors of Massachusetts and Connecticut, indicating that pressure from neighboring states makes legalization more likely in Rhode Island.

Meanwhile, Massachusetts saw nearly half a billion dollars in retail sales at legal marijuana businesses over the past year, which equates to roughly $67 million in new tax revenue for the state. This figure exceeds previous projections from officials.

In other news, the Department of Business Regulation recently proposed new regulations for the state’s medical marijuana program, including a plan to implement a lottery system for awarding new compassion center licenses to qualified applicants. The public comment period for these rules will extend until December 21, and the department will hold a hearing on December 6. More details can be found here.

Though it is difficult to predict whether Speaker of the House Nicholas Mattiello and Senate President Dominick Ruggerio will have the appetite for legalization in 2020, the pressure to act continues to mount.

Stay tuned for more updates and calls to action soon.

If you have been negatively affected by the ban, please testify in person or submit written testimony.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is holding a public hearing tomorrow on the vape ban, and your opinion matters. Testing has shown that tainted vape products are being sold by underground sources, so it is critical for regulators to understand the need for regulated products that have been tested and shown to be free of contaminants.

If you have been negatively affected by the ban, this is a great opportunity to share your perspective with policymakers in person or in writing. Here are the details:

WHAT: Public hearing on regulation of vaping products

WHERE: Public Health Council Room, second floor of the Department of Public Health Building, 250 Washington Street, Boston

WHEN: 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

To submit written testimony, which will accepted until 5 p.m., send email to Reg.Testimony@state.ma.us. “Vaping products regulation” should be in the subject line, and department officials ask that all submissions include the sender’s full name and address.

In other news, it has now been one full year since the advent of retail sales to adults. As the Boston Globe has reported, there are now 33 stores open, and the state has logged $393.7 million in sales, suggesting that the program — despite its slow start — has produced nearly $67 million in state revenue and up to $11.8 in revenue for municipalities.

Please share this important news with your family and friends!

Ask your lawmakers to stand up for equitable legalization.

On Monday, New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney announced the Senate lacked the votes needed to legalize marijuana. Instead, twin resolutions have been introduced in the Assembly and Senate that would allow voters to decide the question themselves in November 2020. Some senators who are wary of legalization support kicking the decision to voters.

To place the measure on the ballot, the Senate and Assembly must either pass the resolution in both 2019 and 2020 with a simple majority, or they must pass it a single time with a three-fifths supermajority. While we strongly preferred the 147-page bill, which included important provisions for equity and would have taken effect sooner, a voter referral now appears to be the only path to legalize cannabis in New Jersey. We can’t let this opportunity to end the devastating war on cannabis slip away. But it is also crucial that social equity provisions don’t fall by the wayside.

Please urge your legislators to support the legalization voter referral and to also work to enact decriminalization and expungement in the meantime.

On Monday, Assemblyman Jamel Holley and advocates launched a “94 No More” campaign, highlighting the outrageous fact that 94 people — disproportionately African American and Latino — are arrested in New Jersey every day for marijuana. Urge your legislators to stop possession arrests and to wipe clean the scarlet letters that destroy opportunities for people with marijuana convictions. Then, spread the word to other New Jerseyans who support humane marijuana policies.

Urge your U.S. Representative to support the MORE Act on the House floor!

Just moments ago, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee passed the most far-reaching cannabis legalization bill that has ever received a committee vote in Congress. The bill will now be sent to the full House of Representatives. This is a historic moment in our decades-long campaign to end cannabis prohibition at the federal level.

Sponsored by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-NY), the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act is a comprehensive approach to fixing our nation’s broken cannabis laws. In addition to federally decriminalizing and descheduling cannabis (thus allowing states to set their own policies), the MORE Act contains strong social equity provisions with an emphasis on restorative justice for communities most impacted by cannabis prohibition. Here are a few things the legislation would do:

• remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act;
• require federal courts to expunge prior cannabis-related convictions and provide for resentencing;
• provide grants and funding to communities most harmed by the war on cannabis — including by assessing a five percent federal tax on cannabis sales, with revenue used to fund programs such as job training, legal aid for those affected by prohibition, and small business loans for socially and economically disadvantaged individuals;
• lift barriers to licensing and employment in the cannabis industry;
• block federal agencies from denying public benefits or security clearances due to cannabis use;
• protect immigrants from being denied citizenship over cannabis; and
• allow VA physicians to recommend medical cannabis to veterans.

We have two requests:

1. Contact your representative in support of the MORE Act — help build support for this legislation.
2. Donate to MPP — provide us with the resources to maintain pressure on Congress to enact landmark federal cannabis reform.

Let’s put an end to cannabis prohibition — with justice for all.

Click here to send a message to your state senator.

Earlier this month, the Michigan House of Representatives passed legislation to create a simple process for people to expunge marijuana convictions from their records. A package of bills that includes marijuana expungement is expected to receive a vote in the Senate during the first week of December.

Please send a message to your state senator urging them to vote in favor of allowing expungement for past marijuana convictions.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has expressed strong support for the idea and will likely sign the proposal into law if it reaches her desk. 

The legislation could impact an estimated 235,000 residents in Michigan who have been convicted of an offense that is now legal under the state’s voter-approved marijuana legalization law. These convictions unfairly hold people back and make it much more difficult to secure a job.

Last year, the voters of Michigan decided adults shouldn’t be treated as lawbreakers for using marijuana. But those who were harmed by the war on marijuana are still being punished. Please ask your state senator to support expungement and end this injustice.

Thank you.

Panel discussion at the Jupiter Room will feature advocates and legislative leaders — encourage your Manchester area friends to join the MCRC and attend this important event!

If you live in or near Manchester, please join us on Thursday, November 21 as we launch the Manchester Cannabis Reform Coalition with an expert panel and Q&A session.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Manchester Cannabis Reform Coalition Kickoff, Featuring Panel and Q&A

WHEN: 6:30-8 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 21

WHERE: Jupiter Hall, 89 Hanover Street, Manchester

WHO: Senator John Reagan (R-Deerfield)
Rep. Renny Cushing (D-Hampton)
Matt Simon, Marijuana Policy Project
Jeanne Hruska, ACLU-NH
Ross Connolly, Americans for Prosperity New Hampshire

You can RSVP here at the Facebook event page.

Please mark your calendars for November 21 and share this message with your friends and family in the Manchester area!

Rochester conversation scheduled for Saturday, December 7

House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler’s “Be Heard on Cannabis” community conversations are in full swing, giving Minnesotans a chance to weigh in on how to replace cannabis prohibition with sensible regulation. At the end of the process, Rep. Winkler plans to introduce a bill to legalize and regulate cannabis in Minnesota and shepherd it through the House.

Mark your calendars for these upcoming dates, to take part and add your voice to the conversation on how to move forward.

Eden Prairie "Be Heard on Cannabis" Community Conversation
When: Monday, November 18, 6:30 p.m.
Where: Eden Prairie Community Center, Cambria Room, 16700 Valley View Road, Eden Prairie, MN 55346

Eagan "Be Heard on Cannabis" Community Conversation
When: Tuesday, November 19, 6:30 p.m.
Where: Eagan Community Center, South Oaks Meeting Room, 1501 Central Parkway, Eagan, MN 55121

Mankato “Be Heard on Cannabis" Community Conversation
When: Wednesday, November 20, 6:00 p.m.
Where: Gustavus Adolphus College Heritage Banquet Room, 800 W College Avenue, Saint Peter, MN 56082

Hibbing "Be Heard on Cannabis" Community Conversation
When: Saturday, November 23, 2:00 p.m.
Where: Memorial Building little theater, 400 East 23rd Street, Hibbing, MN

Rochester "Be Heard on Cannabis" Community Conversation
When: December 7, 3:00 p.m.
Where: Heintz Center at the Rochester Community and Technical College, 851 30th Avenue SE, Rochester, MN

For a list of the hosts and panelists who will lead each community conversation, along with other cities "Be Heard on Cannabis" will visit, check out Rep. Winkler’s "Be Heard on Cannabis" webpage. And stay tuned for updates to the list. The following are expected to host community conversations: Austin, Crystal, Fridley, Maple Grove, New Brighton, Spring Lake Park, and Woodbury.

Don't miss your chance to let your elected officials know it's time to stop punishing Minnesotans for a substance that's safer than alcohol. You may want to consider making a pitch for an inclusive, diverse industry, for allowing home cultivation, and for expunging past convictions.

Even if you're not able to make it, you can still make your voice heard. Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman has an online survey you can complete here. Finally, please spread the word by email or social media to help grow the chorus for reform.

Regulators have announced December 1 as the first day of adult-use sales

Big news! Starting next month, Michiganders will be able to legally purchase marijuana from regulated businesses. Yesterday, officials with the Marijuana Regulatory Agency announced that a “dozen or so” existing medical marijuana dispensaries will be authorized to open their doors and sell a portion of their supply to adults 21 and older on December 1.

It’s been just over a year since voters approved Proposal 1, which ended marijuana prohibition and paved the way for the establishment of a legal marijuana market. Since then, state regulators have worked expeditiously to establish a regulatory framework for legal sales. Compared to other legalization states, Michigan’s implementation timeline has been fairly quick.

In just a few weeks, adults in Michigan will be able to legally purchase marijuana from a licensed business. This is a huge milestone, because shifting marijuana sales into a regulated environment is a win for public health and public safety. And this was one of the primary goals when MPP decided to launch the legalization ballot initiative campaign back in 2017. This is what it looks like when we win.

Thanks to the hard work of the MPP staff and campaign team, volunteers, generous donors, and the wisdom of the voters, we’re seeing the beginning of a new chapter of marijuana policy in Michigan.

But marijuana remains federally illegal, and there are still only 11 legal states, so please consider contributing to MPP to help us bring reform to the rest of the country.

Panel discussion at the Jupiter Room will feature advocates and legislative leaders — mark your calendar and encourage your friends to attend this important event!

It has been another very frustrating year for cannabis policy reform advocates in New Hampshire, and Manchester’s three state senators are a big part of the reason. Despite the fact that their state party’s platform calls for legalization of cannabis, Democratic Senators Donna Soucy, Lou D’Allesandro, and Kevin Cavanaugh all voted to kill the bill that would have allowed limited home cultivation by qualifying patients.

If you’re wondering how this could have been possible, check out this article describing the role of Manchester Police Chief Carlo Capano and Mayor Joyce Craig in bringing about the defeat of HB 364.

It’s clear that activists need to become more organized and active in the Queen City. If you live in or near Manchester, please join us on Thursday, November 21 as we launch the Manchester Cannabis Reform Coalition with an expert panel and Q&A session. Here are the details:

WHAT: Manchester Cannabis Reform Coalition Kickoff, featuring expert panel and Q&A

WHEN: 6:30-8 p.m., Thursday, November 21

WHERE: Jupiter Hall, 89 Hanover Street, Manchester

WHO: Sen. John Reagan (R-Deerfield)
Rep. Renny Cushing (D-Hampton)
Matt Simon, Marijuana Policy Project
Jeanne Hruska, ACLU-NH
Ross Connolly, Americans for Prosperity New Hampshire

You can RSVP here at the Facebook event page.

Please mark your calendars for November 21 and share this message with your friends and family in the Manchester area!