Follow up with your senator to say thanks or express your frustration.

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.

The vote mostly fell along party lines. Seven of the 10 Senate Democrats voted against the hostile motion to table the bill, joined by two of the 14 Senate Republicans. Once again, the three Manchester-area Democratic senators (Kevin Cavanaugh, Lou D'Allesandro, and Donna Soucy) voted against the interests of patients, joining twelve Republicans in support of the motion to table.

Although this is extremely frustrating, we should be grateful to the nine senators who voted against the motion to table: Senators Harold French (R), Jay Kahn (D) Rebecca Perkins Kwoka (D), Suzanne Prentiss (D), John Reagan (R), Cindy Rosenwald (D), Tom Sherman (D), David Watters (D), and Rebecca Whitley (D).

Please take a moment to thank your senator if they voted in favor or express your frustration if they voted to maintain the status quo.

HB 350 would have legalized limited home cultivation for registered patients and caregivers (up to three mature plants, three immature plants, and 12 seedlings per patient). It passed the House in a voice vote after being approved 20-1 in committee. Gov. Chris Sununu vetoed a similar bill in 2019.

A new home cultivation bill will almost certainly be reintroduced in 2022.

Read more

Ask your state senator to support legalization.

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.

Gov. Tim Walz supports legalization, meaning Sen. Gazelka’s Senate majority is the only thing standing in the way of legalization of cannabis in Minnesota.

Legalization would create tens of thousands of desperately needed jobs and hundreds of millions in tax revenue, and it would reduce unnecessary stops, searches, and arrests that unfairly and unequally target Black Minnesotans.

Let your state senator know you want the Senate to legalize cannabis for adults in 2022.

Then, spread the good news to others in Minnesota.

Read more

Ask your legislators to pass the S.C. Compassionate Care Act in 2022.

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.

We need your help to make sure that never happens again — and that 2022 is the year that patients finally get relief.

While the delay is heartbreaking, there is reason for hope. The South Carolina Medical Affairs Committee advanced medical cannabis legislation, and the bill sponsor — Sen. Tom Davis (R) — secured a commitment from his colleagues to allow the S.C. Compassionate Care Act to get a Senate floor vote early next year. Meanwhile, Gov. Henry McMaster’s stance on medical cannabis is improving. 

If you are a seriously ill patient who can benefit from medical cannabis, a close family member of a patient who could benefit, or if you’re a supportive veteran, past or current member of law enforcement, or medical professional, please let me know. Your voice is particularly important to this effort. Please include your address or nine-digit zip code so we can figure out who your state legislators are.

Together, we can finally bring a compassionate medical cannabis law to the Palmetto State.

Read more

Sign up to become a volunteer signature gatherer.

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.

While we hoped that enough lawmakers would listen to their constituents and do the right thing, this outcome was not entirely unexpected. 

Now it’s up to the people of Nebraska to provide the relief that so many patients and families deserve. The ballot committee, Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana, is now rallying supporters and ramping up their signature drive to put medical cannabis on the ballot in 2022. Please take action now to support this effort:

• Sign up to be a volunteer signature gatherer.

• Make a contribution to help the campaign print petitions and hire staff to oversee the signature drive.

In 2020, Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana overcame a pandemic and collected more than enough signatures to qualify the initiative — and they can do it again. Unfortunately, a deeply flawed ruling from the Nebraska Supreme Court kept the initiative off the 2020 ballot. But this time they’re backing a one-sentence constitutional amendment designed to avoid all potential legal challenges. They are also working with a team of legal experts to guide the drafting of complementary statutory language. In short, their plan is to replicate the successful model of the 2020 casino gaming initiatives that passed in Nebraska last year. 

Nebraskans overwhelmingly support creating a system of safe, legal access to medical cannabis. Please support and get involved with the 2022 ballot campaign. With your help, the people will prevail. 

Read more

Submit your comments here — the deadline is this Sunday.

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. 

The department is accepting public comments through an online survey, which you can access here. Responses will be accepted through May 16. 

MPP will be submitting comments and encourages supporters of social equity to make their voice heard, too. We are concerned that the regulations do not define “communities disproportionately impacted by the enforcement of previous marijuana laws,” which is included in the social equity provisions of Prop 207. Furthermore, the eligibility criteria for the social equity licenses are excessively narrow and should be broadened to encourage more people who have been directly or indirectly harmed by cannabis prohibition to apply. 

If you would like to submit comments and have questions, you can contact me directly at jmoffat@mpp.org.

Read more

Let your state senator know that it is past time Louisiana stop jailing cannabis consumers.

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. Please take a moment to let your state senator know you want them to support this modest bill — HB 652.

A supermajority of Louisianans support making marijuana legal for adults. At the very least, you can let your senator know, Louisianans should not be incarcerated for simple possession of cannabis.

Meanwhile, the Louisiana House of Representatives has not yet taken up to bills to legalize marijuana for adults’ use. The votes have been rescheduled for today. While it is unlikely that Louisiana’s legalization bills will become law this year, the more lawmakers hear a groundswell of support from their constituents, the quicker that day will come.

Please take a few minutes to call your state representative and ask them to vote “yes” on the legalization bills — HB 699 and HB 434. Our automated software makes it easy to find your state rep’s name and number, and it provides talking points and a sample script you can use to help guide your call. 

Sheriffs who oppose legalization are out in force to try to persuade state reps to vote against legalization. It is crucial that state reps hear from supportive constituents before they cast their votes.

To go the extra mile, urge your friends and family to write their legislators in support of legalization and decriminalization by sharing the link on Facebook or Twitter.

P.S. The bill to allow flower cannabis in the medical cannabis program (HB 391) is on the move, too. It’s already passed the House and is scheduled for a hearing this morning in the Senate Health and Welfare Committee starting at 10 a.m. You can reach out to your lawmakers in support of the bill here.

Read more

It’s critical that you contact your state senator in the next 24 hours.

It’s time to act.

Over the past several months, families and patient advocates have been urging state legislators to approve a compassionate medical cannabis law in Nebraska. Now the time has come, and tomorrow, members of the Unicameral will debate and ultimately decide the fate of LB 474, which would legalize medical cannabis for patients with serious health conditions. 

It’s critical that you take action now and contact your senator. You can use this online tool or look up your senator and their contact information on the Nebraska Legislature website. 

It takes less than five minutes to leave a message with your senator’s office, and they welcome input from their constituents. Just a handful of calls could make the decisive difference in how they vote. 

When you call, leave a short message with your name, where you live, and personal reason explaining why you think patients should not be criminalized for using medical cannabis to relieve suffering for a serious, debilitating health issue.

Children with epilepsy, veterans with chronic pain, and thousands of other patients could have the relief they deserve if Nebraska joins the 36 other states that have adopted compassionate medical cannabis laws. 

Please don’t wait. Take action now and ask others to do the same. 

Read more

Ask your state rep to vote "yes" on HF 600.

Minnesota House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler’s marijuana legalization bill has passed through 12 House committees and is headed to the full House floor! This will be the first time ever that a legalization bill has gotten a House floor vote in Minnesota.

Ask your state rep and senator to support legalizing cannabis.

Our automated system makes it quick and easy to write your state lawmakers. Simply type in your name and address, look over our draft letter, make any revisions you’d like, and hit “send.”

Legalization would create tens of thousands of good jobs and hundreds of millions in tax revenue, and it would reduce unnecessary stops, searches, and arrests that unfairly and unequally target Black Minnesotans. It would also treat adults like grown-ups, allowing them to make their own choices about a substance that is safer than alcohol.

Please write your lawmakers TODAY. Then, forward this email to others or spread the word on social media so that others can raise their voices for humane, sensible cannabis policies.

Read more

Contact your senator and ask them to legalize medical cannabis this year.

Today, the House of Representatives passed a bill that would legalize medical cannabis in Kansas! The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.  

Let your senators know you want them to legalize medical cannabis this year! 

The bill lists 23 medical conditions that would qualify patients for the program, including PTSD and chronic conditions that cause “severe, persistent pain.” It was amended on the floor to include lupus as a qualifying condition as well. Unfortunately, however, smoking and vaping products would be prohibited.

There are just a few days left before the legislature adjourns its veto session. It’s critical your senators hear from you; ask them to stand with patients and support legalizing medical cannabis this year!

Patients who could benefit from medical cannabis should not have to wait another year to legally access it. Help make sure this is the year Kansas joins the majority of other states and establishes a medical cannabis program by reaching out to your senators and sharing this message with your friends and family. 

Read more

Ask Gov. Ivey to sign the medical cannabis bill if it makes it to her desk.

Great news! The Alabama House of Representatives just passed medical cannabis in a 68-34-1 vote. The bill already passed the Senate (20-10), but because it was amended in the House, the two versions need to be reconciled before it can head to Gov. Ivey.

Although it has passed the Senate three years in a row, this is the first time the House of Representatives has ever passed medical cannabis legislation.

You can check out our summary of the bill here.

Please take a few minutes to ask Gov. Kay Ivey to sign SB 46 into law if it lands on her desk. Here are some talking points you can use:

• Patients with cancer, multiple sclerosis, intractable pain, and other terrible medical conditions deserve our compassion and mercy.

• Some of our suffering neighbors with chronic medical conditions find that prescription medicines simply do not work for them. Their cancer wasting, seizures, pain, and spasms simply have not responded to available treatments.

• If a suffering patient’s physician recommends medical cannabis, Alabama law should not stand in the way. 

Then, spread the news with other compassionate Alabamians.

Read more