To prepare, join advocates for a workshop in Manchester on Tuesday, January 21 — also, email your state legislators today and ask for their support!

The state legislature convened last week, and a public hearing has already been scheduled for the new legalization bill, HB 1648, on Thursday, January 23. This would be a great day for you to visit the state house and voice your support!

Here are the details:

WHAT: Public hearing on HB 1648

WHEN: Advocates will gather for a press conference at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 23. The hearing will begin at 1:30 p.m. Legislators will testify first, followed by members of the public. Please note that the hearing may last several hours.

WHERE: Legislative Office Building, 33 North State Street, Concord (behind the capitol building) — Press conference in lobby, hearing in Rooms 210-212

WHO: All supporters of HB 1648 are welcome to sign in and/or testify in support. You can RSVP here on Facebook.

Since the Senate and governor have already made it clear that they’re not ready to support legalizing and regulating cannabis sales in 2020, we have decided to refocus efforts in support of this bill, which would simply legalize possession and limited home cultivation for adults 21 and older — similar to Vermont’s legalization law. You can read a summary of HB 1648 here.

To help supporters prepare for the hearing, our allies at Americans for Prosperity have offered to host an advocacy workshop at their Manchester office on Tuesday, January 21, and we would love to have you join us! Here are the details:

WHAT: Cannabis Legalization Advocacy Workshop

WHEN: Tuesday, January 21, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Americans for Prosperity, 340 Granite Street (first floor), Manchester

WHO: Supporters of HB 1648

You can RSVP here at the Facebook event page.

Please mark your calendars and share this message with your friends and family. If you can’t make it to the workshop but are interested in testifying at the hearing, please email me directly, and I will send you more information.

Ask your lawmakers to support legalizing and regulating cannabis for adults 21 and older!

On Monday, January 13, Sen. Jeff Brandes (R) introduced a bill, SB 1860, to legalize and regulate cannabis for adults 21 and older. A House companion bill, HB 1389, was also introduced.

Meanwhile, it was announced this week that marijuana legalization will not make it to the ballot for voters to decide on in 2020. However, the state legislature could still legalize cannabis for adult use.

Ask your lawmakers to support SB 1860/HB 1389 to legalize and regulate cannabis for adult use!

Here are a few things the proposed legislation would do:

• Allow adults to purchase up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis in a form for smoking from a licensed Medical Marijuana Treatment Center (MMTC);
• Eliminate the requirement that MMTCs be vertically integrated — meaning businesses would not have to grow, sell, and process cannabis — they could just perform one of the functions;
• Direct the Department of Health to develop procedures to issue and renew licenses for the cultivation, processing, retail sale, and transportation of cannabis;
• Provide for expungement of criminal records for past cannabis convictions; and
• Direct the Department of Agriculture to issue a study on the effects of home cultivation.

By legalizing cannabis for adults 21 and older, Florida can reduce the number of cannabis-related arrests, displace the illicit market, and free up law enforcement resources to focus on serious crimes.

Ask your lawmakers to follow the will of the majority of Floridians to end prohibition and replace it with a system of regulation. Then, forward this message to your networks and encourage them to do the same.

Click here to send a message in support of relief for patients and veterans.

Earlier today, lawmakers reconvened in Columbia to continue their 2019-2020 session. Both the House and Senate are picking up the medical cannabis discussion where they left off. We need your help to make sure the legislature finally gives patients the relief they deserve.

Send your lawmakers a message in support of these bills right now. Our automated system makes it quick and easy to write your lawmakers. You can send a pre-drafted letter, make edits to share your story, or compose your own letter.

Here is a quick summary of where things stand, next steps, and how supporters can help.

Twin bills were introduced last year — one in the House and one in the Senate. Sen. Tom Davis (R) is the lead sponsor behind the Senate bill, S. 366, which was assigned to the Senate Medical Affairs Committee. In 2019, a Senate subcommittee held hearings and advanced the bill with some amendments. The full committee began work on the bill last Spring and is expected to take the bill up again in the coming weeks.

Over on the House side, Rep. Peter McCoy (R) sponsors the bill, H. 3660, which has been posted for a Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee (“3M”) subcommittee hearing next Tuesday.

We want pressure to continue during the session, so please stay tuned. Right now, you can take a moment to send a message to your Senator and House member in support. Help us ensure 2020 will be the year we finally see a law pass. Support S. 366 and H. 3660 today!

Email your lawmakers today and ask them to support a compassionate medical cannabis program!

The legislature kicked off its 2020 session yesterday.

Gov. Laura Kelly (D) has reiterated her support for legalizing medical cannabis, making it part of her personal agenda for 2020. But, a bill must clear the legislature first.

Now is a great time to pressure your legislators to make medical cannabis a priority this year.

It is past time Kansas join the majority of states and establish a well-regulated, compassionate medical cannabis program. Kansas is now surrounded on three sides by states that have legalized either medical cannabis or cannabis for adult use, and 68 percent of Kansans support the medical use of cannabis.

People who could benefit from medical cannabis should not have to wait — and in some cases cannot wait — for the right to use it legally. Please email your lawmakers today and urge them to support a comprehensive medical marijuana program.

Together, we can help Kansas patients access the medicine they deserve.

Ask your lawmakers to support HB 110!

The General Assembly begins its 2020 legislative session today. Last year, HB 110, a bill to legalize, tax, and regulate cannabis for adult use was introduced and passed the House Revenue and Finance Committee (7-1). The bill is now pending action this session in the House Appropriations Committee.

Please email your lawmakers today and ask them to support HB 110!

Delawareans deserve a just, equitable cannabis policy. Replacing cannabis prohibition with sensible regulation would reduce the number of cannabis-related arrests, free up law enforcement resources to focus on more serious crimes, and generate a new source of revenue for the state.

Check out our full summary of HB 110 here.

You can take further action by attending the Delaware Cannabis Advocacy Network’s Citizens’ Cannabis Lobby Day! Help spread the word by sharing the event on Facebook.

When: Thursday, January 16, 10:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Where: Legislative Hall, 411 Legislative Avenue, Dover, DE

Ask your state legislators to stand with 61% of Delawareans and support HB 110. After your contact your lawmakers, please help us spread the word by forwarding this message to your networks in Delaware.

Together, we can end prohibition in the First State!

Secretary of State and Attorney General must review the proposed initiatives before signature collecting can begin

New Approach Montana, a statewide political campaign working to legalize, regulate, and tax marijuana, today submitted two complementary 2020 ballot initiatives to the state government for review. The first is a statutory initiative that would legalize marijuana in Montana for adults aged 21 and over and establish a regulatory framework for cultivation and sales. The second is a constitutional amendment that would allow the legal minimum age for marijuana consumption to be 21.

“Montanans support legalizing marijuana and setting the minimum age at 21,” said Pepper Petersen, spokesperson for New Approach Montana. “Our initiatives will give voters the opportunity to approve those laws at the ballot box on Election Day. It’s time for Montana to stop wasting law enforcement resources that could be spent fighting more serious crime. We can shift marijuana out of the illicit market and into licensed, regulated, and tax-paying businesses. At the same time, we can create jobs and generate significant new revenue for the state.”

The initiatives were hand-delivered to the Secretary of State and the Legislative Services Division today, starting a review process that will also involve the Attorney General and the Governor’s budget director.

New Approach Montana is sponsoring both initiatives, which were were drafted with the assistance of Montana voters, stakeholders, and policy experts.

“These initiatives are the result of a collaborative and diligent drafting process,” said Petersen. “We held seven community listening sessions across the state and received input from hundreds of Montana voters. We’ve spoken with community, church, and tribal leaders. Montana lawyers with experience in ballot initiative drafting and litigation have carefully vetted the details. We’ve received input from Montanans with expertise on our state’s existing medical marijuana program, civil rights, and fiscal policy. We have covered every base.”

The statutory initiative establishes a legalization policy that builds upon Montana’s existing medical marijuana framework.

“It was important to us that Montana entrepreneurs and businesses would be in a strong position to compete in the legalization market, and our initiative ensures that will be the case,” said Petersen. “We have every confidence that this uniquely Montanan approach to marijuana legalization, regulation, and taxation will gain widespread support at the ballot box in November.”

After the Attorney General has approved the final petitions, New Approach Montana must gather 25,468 signatures to qualify the statutory initiative for the 2020 ballot and 50,936 signatures to qualify the constitutional initiative.

New Approach Montana determined that it was necessary to amend the state constitution if Montana was going to follow the example of every other legal state by restricting marijuana to those 21 years and older.

“There is strong precedent for changing the Montana constitution to restrict marijuana to those 21 years and older,” said Petersen. “As a state, we amended the constitution in 1986 to allow the legislature to restrict alcohol sales to those 21 and over. Our 2020 constitutional amendment adds just two words to existing constitutional language that addresses alcohol, so that marijuana can be age-restricted in the same manner.”

The statutory initiative allows possession of up to an ounce by adults aged 21 and older, establishes the Montana Department of Revenue as the regulatory agency, gives Montana medical marijuana providers first entry into the expanded marijuana market, and reduces the tax on medical marijuana from two percent to one percent.

The initiative sets a 20% sales tax on marijuana (this would not apply to medical marijuana) and allocates the tax revenue to land, water, and wildlife conservation programs, veteran services, substance abuse treatment, long-term health care, local governments where marijuana is sold, and general revenue for the state.

“Our campaign’s initial analysis found that a 20% marijuana sales tax would generate over $37 million per year in new revenue by 2025,” Peterson said.

More information, including the full texts of the initiatives, can be found at: www.newapproachmt.org.

If there’s an election in your town, find out where candidates stand before you vote! If not, please contact your representatives and senators today.

Two special elections for state representative are being held in Connecticut tomorrow (Tuesday, January 14), and these races could be critical to our success on cannabis legalization in 2020. If you live in one of these two districts, we strongly encourage you to vote! State legislative districts are relatively small, and we’ve seen races decided by a single vote.

To find out where candidates stand, we sent them surveys consisting of one simple question: “Would you support legislation to legalize, regulate, and tax marijuana for adults 21 and older?” Here are the details on who is running and where they stand on the issue:

In the 48th Assembly District (portions of Colchester, Lebanon, Mansfield, and Windham), Brian Smith (D-Colchester) responded yes to our survey. Mark DeCaprio (R-Lebanon) did not respond. During a public forum, DeCaprio indicated that he does not support legalization.

In the 132nd Assembly District (portions of Fairfield), Jennifer Leeper (D-Fairfield) responded yes to our candidate survey. Brian Farnen (R-Fairfield) did not respond.

If you have friends or family living in one of these districts, please forward this message to them and remind them to vote tomorrow! If you’re not sure about your voter registration status or where to vote, click here for more information.

Finally, if you don’t live in one of these districts, please email your elected officials right now and urge them to support ending marijuana prohibition in 2020!

The wait is over. After submitting well over the required number of voter signatures in September last year, Mississippians for Compassionate Care has received the good news that their initiative to legalize medical marijuana will appear on the November ballot!

Polling indicates that 77 percent of Mississippians support allowing medical marijuana. The state currently has a CBD program, but access is severely restricted.

Although a supermajority of residents are on the side of reform, some politicians, such as Republican Gov. Phil Bryant, are opposed. Those against the measure will likely do what prohibitionists often do: misinform and use fear tactics to dissuade voters.

If you live in the state, please get involved. You can support the campaign and learn more about Mississippians for Compassionate Care by visiting their website. Passage of a medical marijuana law in one of the most conservative states in the country would be a major victory for patients and families living there as well as for our movement.

Ask your lawmakers to support SB 2!

The General Assembly kicked off its 2020 legislative session this week, and there is a real possibility that Virginia could decriminalize marijuana possession this year. To turn this possibility into a reality, lawmakers need to hear this is a priority for their constituents. That's where you come in.

Let your legislators know you want them to support SB 2 to decriminalize marijuana in 2020!

Sen. Adam Ebbin (D) has filed a bill — SB 2 — that would decriminalize marijuana possession by making possession of one ounce or less punishable by a maximum civil fine of $50. Under current law, simple possession of marijuana carries up to a $500 fine and 30 days in jail. You can check out our one-pager on decriminalization in Virginia here.

Decriminalization has gained increasing support from both elected officials and Virginians. Just last week, Gov. Ralph Northam (D) put decriminalization at the top of his 2020 criminal justice agenda.

This move is long overdue. Virginia is currently lagging behind the 26 states that have stopped jailing their residents for marijuana possession.

Please email your lawmakers today and ask them to decriminalize cannabis in 2020. Then, share this message with your friends and family in Virginia and encourage them to do the same.

With MPP’s support, South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws has become the first legalization campaign to qualify a citizens’ initiative for the 2020 ballot!

The new decade is off to an exciting start for our movement! Earlier this week, South Dakota Secretary of State Steve Barnett announced that the constitutional initiative to legalize and regulate marijuana for adults has succeeded in qualifying for the general election ballot!

In an impressive feat, the campaign gathered over 50,000 signatures in under two months to meet the required threshold. This is a huge step forward and cause for celebration, but we know an even tougher battle lies ahead. Powerful politicians in the state are dead set against legalization, and there’s no doubt they will marshall all the resources they can in an effort to defeat the initiative. South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws needs your help now more than ever.This news follows on the heels of another recent announcement that a statutory medical marijuana measure has also qualified for the November ballot. That means South Dakota will be the first state to vote on medical marijuana and adult-use legalization initiatives simultaneously!