Yesterday, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signed House Bill 701, setting in motion a plan to begin legal marijuana sales in January 2022. 

At long last, Minnesota’s medical cannabis patients will be allowed to use cannabis in flower form instead of being limited to extracts and other more costly preparations!

Today, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed the Compassion Act (SB 46) into law, making Alabama the 36th state to legalize cannabis for medical use.

Colorado lawmakers are now considering a bill that is bad for patients and bad for consumers, and we would like your help opposing this prohibitionist measure. Now referred to as HB21-1317, this bill would require the state to gather skewed data on the supposed harms of cannabis use, which could be used to ban cannabis products. Yep, here we go again.

Yesterday, the New Hampshire Senate ignored the needs of patients, voting 15-9 to “table” the medical cannabis home cultivation bill. This means HB 350 will not be considered unless the Senate votes to remove it from the table (which is extremely unlikely). As a result, home cultivation will remain a felony in New Hampshire, with no exception for registered patients and caregivers.

Last night, the Minnesota House of Representatives voted to legalize cannabis in a 72-61 vote! Unfortunately, however, the legislature only has two days left before it adjourns for the year, and the Senate will not be taking up legalization. When the legislature reconvenes in 2022, legislation picks up where it left off — HF 600 will already be out of the House and in the Senate. However, Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka has said his Republican caucus is strongly opposed.

The South Carolina Legislature adjourned today after once again failing to pass the S.C. Compassionate Care Act. This means another year of needless suffering for people with cancer, severe pain, seizure disorders, and other ailments.

Yesterday, Nebraska lawmakers effectively killed LB 474, legislation that would have established one of the most conservative medical cannabis programs in the country. Though a bipartisan majority of state senators voted to end a filibuster and allow the bill to proceed, it ultimately came up two votes short of meeting the necessary threshold.

The Arizona Department of Health Services recently released a draft of rules that will guide implementation of the social equity licensing program for cannabis businesses, which was included as part of the voter-approved Prop 207 that legalized cannabis for adults last year. 

Good news! Yesterday evening, the Louisiana House of Representatives voted to reduce the penalty for possession of 14 grams of cannabis to a fine of up to $100 with no jail time. This bill would save Louisianans the trauma, humiliation, and disruption caused by being locked in a jail cell for possessing a substance that is safer than alcohol.