When the chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, Sen. Bill Rabon, introduced SB 711, the odds of passing medical cannabis legislation in North Carolina improved dramatically. The Senate appears to be taking this bill seriously, and it’s possible they could schedule a public hearing on it very soon.

Great news! In a 6-5 vote, the Louisiana House Administration of Criminal Justice Committee voted to advance Rep. Richard Nelson’s bill to legalize and regulate marijuana for adults 21 and older. It now heads to the full House of Representatives!

Good news! As you may recall, earlier this month the Connecticut Judiciary Committee advanced an amended version of Gov. Lamont’s proposal to legalize cannabis for adults 21 and older in a 22-16 vote. The final language the committee approved was recently released, and it’s a major improvement over SB 888 as introduced.

Things are heating up around cannabis legalization in the Ocean State! This Thursday at 4 p.m., the House Finance Committee in the Rhode Island General Assembly will hold a public hearing on several cannabis bills, including Article 11 of Gov. McKee’s budget proposal, which outlines a plan to legalize, regulate, and tax cannabis for adults.

Next week, two legislative committees in Baton Rouge will be hearing testimony on bills that would bring Louisiana’s cannabis policies into the 21st century.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Secure and Fair Enforcement Banking Act of 2021 (SAFE Banking Act) in a bipartisan vote of 321-101. The bill now moves to the U.S. Senate for consideration.

After many frustrating years of inaction, North Carolina legislators finally appear to be seriously considering cannabis policy reforms. Last week, Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger (R-Raleigh) acknowledged that “public opinion is changing” on the issue and indicated that the legislature may be willing to consider medical cannabis legislation.

On Monday, lawmakers returned to Baton Rouge for their 2021 legislative session. More than a dozen cannabis policy bills have been proposed — including bills to legalize cannabis and to allow flower cannabis in the state’s medical cannabis program.

Last night, I was on a Facebook Live event with Nebraskan Families for Medical Cannabis, a coalition of patients and parents of children with epilepsy who are fighting to pass a medical cannabis law in Nebraska. Hearing their stories drives home why it’s so important for every Nebraskan to contact their state senator about medical cannabis.

Several bills have been introduced to reform Texas’ outdated cannabis laws. Among the proposals are bills to expand the state’s current low-THC medical cannabis program; to decriminalize possession of up to an ounce of cannabis; and to legalize, tax, and regulate cannabis for adults 21 and older.