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!

The legislative session is beginning, and we need to make sure cannabis regulation is a top priority — write your representatives and urge them to support S. 54!

The Vermont Legislature convenes tomorrow — Thursday, January 9 — and we will be at the State House to remind legislators that cannabis regulation should be a top priority in 2020. All members of the Vermont Coalition to Regulate Marijuana are encouraged to join us in Montpelier as we encourage legislators to pass S. 54.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Cannabis Advocacy Day

WHERE: Vermont State House, 115 State Street, Montpelier

WHEN: 8-10 a.m., State House Cafeteria, 2nd Floor — Informal meet-and-greet breakfast with legislators. Complimentary coffee, bagels, and pastries will be served.
11 a.m., Cedar Creek Room, 2nd Floor — Press conference with legislators and advocates.

WHO: Supporters of S. 54 — Please RSVP here.

If you’re coming to Montpelier, it may be a good idea to reach out to your representatives in advance to ask if they’re available to meet with you while you’re in Montpelier. You can find your representatives’ contact info here.

You can read a summary of the bill, as approved by the House Government Operations Committee, here.

If you haven’t already done so, please email your representatives now and ask for their support. Then, share this message with your family and friends!

Ask your lawmakers to support legislation to legalize cannabis for adults 21 and older.

The General Assembly kicks off its 90-day 2020 legislative session today!

To recap, the marijuana legalization workgroup met during the off-session and came to the consensus that they would not recommend legislation to legalize marijuana for adult use this session. However, the legislature could now be on track to seriously consider legalization in 2021.

Keep up the pressure by emailing your legislators and asking them to legalize cannabis for adult use.

Although legalization is unlikely in 2020, we expect the legislature to take up other cannabis policy reform efforts this session to improve the state’s decriminalization law and medical cannabis program. We need all hands on deck to keep improving Maryland’s cannabis laws.

Mark your calendars and join us in solidarity at our 2020 cannabis policy lobby day!

When: Tuesday, February 4 (8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.)

Where: Anne Arundel Delegation Room, House Office Building – 6 Bladen Street, Annapolis, MD 21401

Registration: Please complete the registration form here to join us.

It is important lawmakers hear from as many constituents as possible. Join us at lobby day to send a strong message to the General Assembly to pass cannabis policy reform legislation this session and increase support for adult-use legalization.

After you email your lawmakers, please also help us spread the word by forwarding this message to your networks in Maryland and sharing our lobby day Facebook event.

P.S. If you have been personally impacted by cannabis prohibition, please contact the coalition to find out how you can be of special help to our effort.

Urge your state legislators to work with new Governor Andy Beshear and pass a medical cannabis law in 2020!

After years of frustration for patients and advocates in Kentucky, it’s possible that lawmakers in Frankfort will finally pass a medical cannabis law during the 2020 legislative session, which begins today. Last year, the House Judiciary Committee overwhelmingly approved a medical cannabis bill, but time ran out, and it did not receive a floor vote.

Please write your legislators today and urge them to legalize medical cannabis in 2020!

Rep. Jason Nemes has already pre-filed a bill on this subject, and newly elected Governor Andy Beshear has indicated that he strongly supports medical cannabis. However, some legislative leaders — including Senate President Robert Stivers — remain opposed, so the challenge for advocates will be getting a bill through the legislature and to the governor’s desk.

It’s critical that legislators hear from their constituents who support medical cannabis. After you write your legislators, please share this message with your friends and family.

Join us for an advocacy day at the State House on Thursday, January 9 — but first, write your representatives and urge them to support S. 54!

The Vermont Legislature will convene on Thursday, January 9, so what better day to remind legislators that cannabis regulation needs to be a top priority in 2020? All members of the Vermont Coalition to Regulate Marijuana are encouraged to visit the State House that day and join us as we encourage legislators to pass S. 54.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Cannabis Advocacy Day

WHERE: Vermont State House, 115 State Street, Montpelier, VT

WHEN: 8-10 a.m., State House Cafeteria, 2nd Floor — Informal meet-and-greet breakfast with legislators. Complimentary coffee, bagels, and pastries will be served.
11 a.m., Cedar Creek Room, 2nd Floor — Press conference with legislators and advocates.

WHO: Supporters of S. 54 — Please RSVP here.

You can read a summary of the bill, as approved by the House Government Operations Committee, here.

Please contact your representatives now and ask for their support. Then, share this message with your family and friends!

New law sets the stage for automatic expungement

On Monday, in addition to referring legalization to voters, the New Jersey Legislature passed a reworked bill to expunge or seal thousands of past convictions, including marijuana charges. Just two days later, Gov. Phil Murphy signed the bill into law.

This new law removes a scarlet letter that has derailed countless lives. Marijuana convictions can make it difficult to get housing, jobs, professional licensing, and to further one’s education. With 62% of New Jersey voters supporting legalization, it is particularly nonsensical to haunt individuals for life for using cannabis.

S.4151 includes several improvements Gov. Murphy requested when he conditionally vetoed a prior version, along with a few tweaks from the legislature.

Among other changes, the new law will:

• Require the courts to implement an automatic sealing process for most marijuana offenses;
• Set up a task force to make recommendations on the automatic sealing process;
• Allow individuals who have completed their sentences for lower-level marijuana offenses to apply for and be granted expungement while awaiting automatic sealing;
• Remove fees for expungement; and
• Allocate $15 million for implementation.

For more details, check out this article.

This is an important step forward to improving New Jersey’s marijuana policies. But, more action is needed to bring justice to the Garden State’s marijuana laws. New Jersey can save 30,000 individuals the trauma of arrests between now and Election Day by decriminalizing marijuana in the lame duck session. Let lawmakers know you want them to stop the arrests.

Thank you for raising your voice for sensible, humane marijuana policies!