Contact your state lawmakers and ask them to pass a bill before time runs out!

Exciting news! With just a couple of weeks remaining in the 2021 legislative session, state senators are bringing a bill to legalize marijuana for adults to the floor for a vote this Tuesday! 

Please contact your state legislators right now and encourage them to send a legalization bill to Gov. McKee’s desk before the clock runs out! 

An amended version of the Senate legalization bill, S 568 Sub A, would allow adults 21 and older to possess, purchase, and cultivate cannabis for personal use. The bill also creates a pathway for individuals to expunge and seal past criminal records for cannabis-related convictions and establishes a social equity program to encourage people harmed by cannabis criminalization to participate in the adult-use cannabis market. 

This is the closest Rhode Island has ever come to passing a bill to replace cannabis prohibition with a smarter and more just policy. Please make sure your legislators hear from you before the General Assembly adjourns for the summer. 

Thank you for taking action, and please stay tuned for more updates soon.

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The Constitution State will become the 19th state to end cannabis prohibition.

We did it!

Today, the Connecticut Senate voted (16-11) to concur with a House-passed version of a bill that will legalize cannabis for adults 21 and over. The House passed the bill yesterday in a 76-62 vote. Gov. Ned Lamont has said he will sign the bill into law.

S.B. 1201, sponsored by Senate President Martin Looney and House Speaker Matt Ritter, would legalize possession and home cultivation of cannabis for adults 21 and older and expunge thousands of cannabis-related records.

The legislation is the result of negotiations between lawmakers, advocates, and the broader cannabis community to create an inclusive industry that provides equity to those most harmed by prohibition. Half of new cannabis business licenses would be issued to social equity applicants, who could receive technical assistance, start-up funding, assistance from an accelerator program, and workforce training. In addition to mitigating decades of disproportionate impact, this policy change will generate good-paying jobs and power the state’s economic growth while also allowing adults to make their own decisions about cannabis consumption. A summary of the bill is here.

MPP played a leading role in the fight to reform Connecticut’s cannabis laws, and we’re proud of the hard work invested to ensure passage of equity-centered legalization. We believe the bill as passed is one of the most comprehensive cannabis bills in the nation, and we’d like to thank House and Senate leadership, Rep. Jason Rojas, Rep. Steven Stafstrom, House Speaker Matt Ritter, Sen. Gary Winfield, and Senate President Looney for getting it over the finish line. 

We’d also like to thank Gov. Ned Lamont and his office for their commitment to passing a strong bill. Last but not least, we’d like to thank our amazing Regulate CT lobbying and advocacy team — Paul Nuñez and the staff of Depino, Nuñez and Biggs; Adam Wood of City and State Public Affairs; and Hillary Glass of Reynolds Strategy Group for all of their insight and assistance in a multi-year effort to get this bill done. 

Onward!

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Ask Gov. Edwards to sign medical cannabis flower legislation, too.

On Monday, Gov. John Bel Edwards signed HB 652 into law!

This new law will save thousands of Louisianans from being incarcerated for small amounts of cannabis. Effective August 1, the penalty for possessing up to 14 grams of cannabis will be reduced to a fine of up to $100.

Meanwhile, another important bill — HB 391 — is on Gov. Edwards’ desk.  HB 391 would allow medical cannabis patients to use whole-plant, flower cannabis, which is allowed in all but one other medical cannabis state. Ask the governor to sign it into law.

Thank you to everyone who has worked so hard for humane cannabis policies in Louisiana, including Louisiana Progress — which led the charge on legalization and decriminalization advocacy this year; Kevin Caldwell and Common Sense NOLA, whose trailblazing local decriminalization efforts laid the foundation for statewide reform; and Sensible Marijuana Policy for Louisiana, who have been key to medical cannabis progress and broader reform over the years. We are also so grateful to Rep. Cedric Glover for sponsoring HB 652.

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Urge your state lawmakers to vote “yes” on S.B. 1118!

Last week, the 2021 legislative session ended without a vote in the House of Representatives on S.B.1118, which would have legalized cannabis for adults 21 and older. However, legislative leaders plan to reconvene later this week to take up the issue along with implementing the state budget.

You may recall the Senate passed S.B. 1118 during regular session in a 19-17 vote. However, due to time expiring in the regular session, the bill will now need to be re-approved by the Senate and secure passage in the House. We applaud those senators who voted in support of ending the failed policy of prohibition, but we urge you to contact those senators who voted “no” and encourage them to reconsider their vote.

Please call your state representative and email your state senator.

The draft email to your state senator will either thank them for voting “yes” or ask them to reconsider if they voted “no.”

While we hoped the legislature would pass the bill during the regular session, we’re encouraged that legislative leaders are willing to work overtime to get this important issue across the finish line. Legislative leaders believe they have the necessary votes for passage to make cannabis possession legal by July 1.

In the meantime, you can check out our detailed bill summary here, and we encourage you to continue to contact your state lawmakers to urge them to vote “yes” on S.B. 1118. 

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Urge your state lawmakers to vote “yes” on S.B. 1118!

Yesterday, the 2021 legislative session ended without a vote in the House of Representatives on S.B.1118, which would have legalized cannabis for adults 21 and older. However, legislative leaders plan to reconvene sometime later this month to take up the issue along with implementing the state budget.

You may recall the Senate passed S.B. 1118 earlier this week in a 19-17 vote. Due to time expiring in the regular session, the bill will now need to be re-approved by the Senate and secure passage in the House.

While we hoped the legislature would pass the bill during the regular session, we’re encouraged that legislative leaders are willing to work overtime to get this important issue across the finish line. ­­­Regardless of whether the vote is next week or the following, House leadership is confident that they have the necessary votes for passage to make cannabis possession legal by July 1.

Please call or email your state lawmakers and ask them to vote "yes" on legalization.

In the meantime, you can check out our detailed bill summary here, and again, we encourage you to continue to contact your state lawmakers to urge them to vote in favor of S.B. 1118. 

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Ask Gov. Edwards to sign HB 652 into law! 

On Monday, the Louisiana Senate voted to pass HB 652 — which would reduce the penalty for possessing up to 14 grams of cannabis to a fine of up to $100. The House already passed the bill, so it now heads to Gov. John Bel Edwards’ desk.

Email Gov. Edwards today ask him to sign this important reform into law.

Louisiana was the incarceration capital of the United States until recently. While the legislature has reduced several penalties, many continue to be jaw-droppingly harsh and tear families apart. Under current law, a first offense for possessing up to 14 grams carries up to 15 days in jail. The penalty increases for additional convictions, and a fourth or subsequent simple possession offense carries up to eight years in jail.

Please ask Gov. Edwards to reduce this vastly disproportionate penalty by signing HB 652 into law.

Thank you to everyone who has worked so hard for humane cannabis policies in Louisiana, including Louisiana Progress — which led the charge on legalization and decriminalization advocacy this year; Kevin Caldwell and Common Sense NOLA, whose trailblazing local decriminalization efforts laid the foundation for statewide reform; and Sensible Marijuana Policy for Louisiana, who have been key to medical cannabis progress and broader reform over the years. We are also so grateful to Rep. Cedric Glover for sponsoring the bill.

P.S. In other news, the bill to allow medical cannabis flower — HB 391 — is now headed to Gov. Edwards, too! Meanwhile, the Senate gutted and replaced the bill to tax medical cannabis flower, HB 514. The House did not concur, so that bill is headed to conference.

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S. 25 creates a Cannabis Business Development Fund to assist social equity applicants.

On Monday, Governor Phil Scott signed S. 25, a bill that will strengthen the social equity provisions in Vermont’s cannabis legalization law. S. 25 requires the Cannabis Control Board to reduce or eliminate licensing fees for social equity applicants, which are defined as “individuals from communities that historically have been disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition or individuals directly and personally impacted by cannabis prohibition,” and it creates a Cannabis Business Development Fund to assist these applicants.  

The bill also modifies sections of the law dealing with advertising and other aspects of cannabis regulation. Before passing S. 25, the House removed a provision that would have incentivized municipalities to vote on whether to approve retail sales by March 2023.

In other news, the three-person Cannabis Control Board has begun working to develop regulations for Vermont’s adult-use cannabis market.

Now that Vermont has legalized cannabis and is well on its way to establishing a well-regulated, equitable market, we believe the Vermont Coalition to Regulate Marijuana has succeeded in fulfilling its purpose. Many thanks to Laura Subin, the Necrason Group, and all of our coalition members and allies who worked so hard to end cannabis prohibition in the Green Mountain State!

This will be the final email from the Vermont Coalition to Regulate Marijuana. However, we will continue to send you updates from the Marijuana Policy Project from time to time. It is still imperative that we end the federal war on cannabis, which tears families apart, drives up costs for patients and consumers, and makes local equity efforts more difficult.

We are very grateful for your support, without which this important victory would not have been possible.

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Call your state representative right now to ask them to vote “yes” on S.B. 1118!

Exciting news! Last night, the Connecticut Senate approved a bill that would legalize cannabis for adults in a 19-17 vote. The measure now heads to the House of Representatives where a vote is anticipated later today. If passed, Gov. Lamont is expected to sign the bill into law. 

Please call or email your state lawmaker and ask them to vote “yes” on legalization. 

S.B. 1118 would legalize possession and home cultivation of cannabis for adults 21 and older and expunge thousands of past records. Half of new cannabis business licenses would be issued to social equity applicants, who could receive technical assistance, start-up funding, assistance from an accelerator program, and workforce training.

In the final hours of the Senate debate, the bill was amended to remove concerning language that would have allowed existing medical cannabis establishments to qualify for equity licensing through a partnership with an equity applicant that only owned 32% of the venture. We believe the bill as passed is one of the most comprehensive cannabis bills in the nation. You can check out a full summary of the updated bill here.  

Time is short: The House adjourns at midnight on Wednesday, June 9. That’s why it’s critical that you contact your state representative and tell them to vote YES on S.B. 1118.  Then, please spread the word to others. We are so close to the finish line and I know with your support we can get this done in the final days of the session.

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Ask your state representative to vote YES on HB 150.

Big news! On Friday, the House Appropriations Committee approved HB 150 — a bill to legalize and regulate cannabis for adults in Delaware. As you may recall, the House Health and Human Development Committee had already approved the bill back in March. Now, the legislation is cleared for a vote by the full House of Representatives. The vote is scheduled for this Thursday, June 10 at 2 p.m.  

Email your representative today and ask them to vote YES on HB 150! 

The bill needs to receive a supermajority (25 votes) to clear the House. The legislature is set to adjourn on June 30. It’s more important than ever that your lawmakers hear from you — ask them to legalize cannabis THIS YEAR by voting YES on HB 150!

HB 150 is the just, equitable cannabis policy that Delawareans deserve. It would legalize possession of up to one ounce of cannabis for adults 21 and older, allow for mandatory expungement of past cannabis possession convictions, and promote equity and inclusion in the legal industry from communities disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition. You can check out our full summary of HB 150 here.

A strong majority of Delawareans support legalization. Ask your state representative to listen to their constituents and vote YES on HB 150. Please help us spread the word by forwarding this message to your friends and family in Delaware or sharing this link on social media — mpp.org/LegalizeDE — and urging your contacts to help get HB 150 past the finish line. 

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Ask your Connecticut state lawmakers to legalize cannabis this year.

Exciting news! As you may recall, in April the Judiciary Committee advanced an amended version of Gov. Lamont’s proposal to legalize cannabis for adults over the age of 21 on a 22-16 vote. The final language the committee approved was a major improvement over the bill as-introduced. Lawmakers have now reached an agreement on the details of legalization — now S.B. 1118 — with a Senate vote expected on Monday.  

Please email your state lawmaker and ask them to support legalization.

Some key features of the new bill — which is sponsored by Senate President Martin Looney and House Speaker Matt Ritter — are: 

• Social equity applicant status is defined as an applicant for a cannabis establishment license that is at least 65% owned and controlled by one or more individuals who lived in a disproportionately impacted area for either at least five of the past 10 years or nine of their first 17 years of life. 
• A disproportionately impacted area is a census tract that has either an unemployment rate of over 10% or that has a high rate of drug arrests over the past 40 years.
• Social equity applicants must also have a median income for the last three years that was no more than triple the state’s median income. 

• Dedicates 50% of the maximum number of each license type for social equity applicants.
• Allows existing medical businesses to become licensed after paying a hefty conversion fees that are directed to social equity start-up; the fee can be reduced by half if they incubate one to two social equity businesses. 
• Allows adults to possess up to one and a half ounces on their person and allows up to five ounces in a locked location in one’s home, the person’s locked glove box, or their vehicle’s trunk.
• Decriminalizes first offense of possession of more than five ounces on one's person and more than eight ounces in one’s home, person’s locked glove box, or their vehicle, and cultivation of up to six plants.
• Starting October 1, 2021, allows medical patients who are at least 18 to securely cultivate up to three mature and three immature plants in their homes.
• Starting July 1, 2023, allows all adults 21 and older to securely cultivate up to three mature mature and three immature plants in their homes.
• Creates a free, automatic erasure process for cannabis possession and sale convictions up to four ounces or six mature plants.
• Eliminates law enforcement’s ability to initiate a search on the basis of odor of cannabis or burnt cannabis.
• Creates $50 million in bonding for initial funding for start-up capital for social equity applicants, the cannabis business accelerator program, and workforce training developed by the Social Equity Council.
• Beginning on July 1, 2023, directs 60% to 75% of the cannabis excise tax revenue to the Social Equity and Innovation Fund. Social Equity and Innovation funds can be used to promote social equity in relation to access to capital for businesses, funding workforce education; and funding for community investments.
• Beginning on July 1, 2023, directs 25% of cannabis excise tax revenue to the Prevention and Recovery Services Fund for substance abuse prevention, treatment and recovery services, and collection and analysis of data regarding substance use.
• Establishes the Social Equity Council to further develop equity criteria, priority in licensing and direct cannabis revenue.
• Creates a cannabis business accelerator program.

Although the bill is a vast improvement from what was presented in earlier versions of S.B. 888, we still have concerns that the language could be better tailored to assure equity applicants are at the forefront of the licensing process. We’ll continue pushing for those provisions to be removed but still strongly support the bill’s passage as it contains a ton of good provisions and is far better than the status quo. You can check out a full summary of the updated bill here.  

The bill needs 21 votes to secure passage in the Senate and advance to the House. Time is short: Both chambers adjourn at midnight on June 9. That’s why it’s critical that you contact your state senator and tell them to vote YES on S.B. 1118. With your continued support, I know we can get this across the finish line before the legislature adjourns. 

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