If you live in New Hampshire, check to see how your representatives voted and follow up with them today!

Today, the New Hampshire House voted 209-147 to pass HB 481, the bill that would legalize, regulate, and tax cannabis for adults' use. Next, the bill will be referred to the House Ways and Means Committee for further consideration of the proposed taxes and regulatory policies. HB 481 will receive a second House vote sometime in March, and if it passes the House a second time, it will proceed to the Senate.

Please take a few moments to find how your state representative(s) voted and send them a message to follow up. It's important that we thank representatives who voted in favor, and for those who did not, this is a critical opportunity to ask them why they voted no.

After you email a follow-up message to your state legislators, please share this message with your family and friends!

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Lt. Gov. John Fetterman's stops have been scheduled for Clinton, Lackawanna, Schuylkill, and Blair counties.

Hundreds of advocates have already taken the opportunity to make their voices heard during Lt. Gov. John Fetterman's marijuana legalization listening tour. At all but one stop — where the crowd was evenly split — supporters have outnumbered opponents. Local representatives and senators have been on hand in many cases.

Let's keep up the momentum.

Please plan to attend one of the lieutenant governor's stops on his listening tour, which will include all 67 counties. Here are his upcoming stops:

Meadville (Crawford County)
Tonight, Wednesday, February 27, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.
Allegheny College
549 Park Avenue

Pottsville (Schuylkill County)
Saturday, March 2, 1:00 to 2:30 p.m.
Majestic Theater
209 N. Centre Street

Penn State Scranton Dunmore (Lackawanna County)
Saturday, March 2, 5:00 to 6:30 p.m.
Penn State Scranton, Study Learning Center

Lock Haven (Clinton County)
Sunday, March 3, 1:00 to 2:30 p.m.
Sloan Theatre, Lock Haven University
401 N. Fairview Street

Duncansville (Blair County)
Sunday, March 3, 5:00 to 6:30 p.m.
AFSCME AFL-CIO Building
161 Patchway Road

Consider arriving early: In some cases, crowds have been standing-room only.

You can also submit comments online to let the governor know why you support making marijuana legal. (Feel free to draw from our Top 10 document or other materials.) Consider making a pitch for an inclusive, diverse industry, for allowing home cultivation, and for expunging past convictions.

This is a great opportunity to build momentum for commonsense, humane marijuana laws. Don't miss your chance to let your elected officials know it's time to stop branding Pennsylvanians criminals for a substance that's safer than alcohol. And please spread the word to help grow the chorus for reform.

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If you're a New Hampshire resident, please call your state representatives today and urge them to vote for HB 481!

Tomorrow evening, after the scheduled House vote on HB 481, the Tri-City Young Democrats will host an event in Somersworth to help educate people about legalization efforts. I will be there to participate in a panel discussion, which will also feature one of our key allies at the state house: Jeanne Hruska, political director for ACLU-NH.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Panel discussion on cannabis legalization and regulation

WHERE: Teatotaller, 69 High Street, Somersworth

WHEN: 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., Wednesday, February 27

WHO: Matt Simon, New England political director, Marijuana Policy Project
Jeanne Hruska, political director, ACLU-NH
The Tri-City Young Democrats

As we informed you yesterday, the big vote on New Hampshire's legalization bill, HB 481, has been scheduled for tomorrow (Wednesday) morning. Gov. Chris Sununu has made it clear that he will veto the bill if it reaches his desk, but it will be possible to override his veto if at least two-thirds of the House and Senate can be convinced to support the bill.

If you haven't already spoken to your state representatives, please call them one last time today and encourage them to support HB 481, the bill to legalize, regulate, and tax cannabis. (If you tried calling before and encountered difficulties, please try again — there were a few bugs, but they have now been fixed.)

Again, you can read a summary of the bill here, and talking points, poll numbers, studies, and other resources in support of HB 481 are available on this page.

After you call or email your state legislators, please share this message with your family and friends!

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We will need two-thirds majorities to overcome Gov. Sununu's veto threat — if you live in N.H., call your state representatives today!

New Hampshire's legalization bill, HB 481, has been scheduled for a vote in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Feb. 27. Gov. Chris Sununu has made it clear that he will veto the bill if it reaches his desk, but it will be possible to override his veto if at least two-thirds of the House and Senate can be convinced to support the bill.

Please call or email your state representative(s) today and encourage them to support HB 481, the bill to legalize, regulate, and tax cannabis.

You can read a summary of the bill here, and talking points, poll numbers, studies, and other resources in support of HB 481 are available on this page.

If you are able to speak with legislators and learn where they stand, it would be very helpful if you could share the details with me via email.

After you call or email your state legislators, please share this message with your family and friends!

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If you live in New Jersey, contact your lawmakers today and tell them to support legalization!

As you know, the New Jersey Legislature has been grappling with how to best tax, regulate, and legalize marijuana for adults. Until recently, Governor Phil Murphy and Senate President Stephen Sweeney were at a public impasse on a few key details of the bill. Recently, the two have come to a compromise to pass legalization this year. But they don't yet have the needed votes.

That's where you come in.

Please contact your lawmakers now and ask that they support the legalization compromise and end marijuana prohibition.

New Jersey is poised to be the first state in the nation to fully legalize marijuana (including regulated sales) through the legislative process. Please help make history by contacting your lawmakers today. Together, we can bring common sense marijuana policy reform to the Garden State.

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Don't let that be the end of the road — if you live in Hawaii, contact your state senator today!

On February 7, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted unanimously to approve SB 686, which would allow adults 21 and older to possess, cultivate, and consume marijuana. If passed, retail sales would begin in February 2021 at the earliest.

But, without your help, that could be all the progress the bill makes this year.

Let your senator know you want them to pass legislation to end marijuana prohibition in 2019!

Momentum is stronger than ever, as this is the first time legalization legislation has been approved by a committee in Hawaii. The bill will now go to the Senate Commerce, Consumer Protection, Health, and Ways and Means Committees. It is time to urge your senator to help get this bill another hearing in these committees! Then, we need their votes to keep it moving and send it to the House.

Ending prohibition in 2019 would reduce the number of marijuana-related arrests, displace the illicit marijuana market, and generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue.

Contact your lawmakers today. With your help, Hawaii can take a more thoughtful approach to marijuana.

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We will need two-thirds majorities to overcome Gov. Sununu's veto threat. If you live in New Hampshire, call your state representatives today!

New Hampshire's legalization bill, HB 481, passed the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee today in a 10-9 vote. Although the House of Representatives has voted to pass legalization bills on two previous occasions (2014 and 2018), this is the first time any New Hampshire legislative committee has ever recommended in favor of legalization.

Next, the bill will be scheduled for a vote in the full House of Representatives. Please call your state representative(s) today and encourage them to support HB 481, the bill to legalize, regulate, and tax cannabis.

You can read a summary of the bill here, and talking points, poll numbers, studies, and other resources in support of HB 481 are available on this page.

If you are able to speak with legislators and learn where they stand, it would be very helpful if you could share the details with me via email.

After you call your state legislators, please forward this message to your family and friends!

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If you live in Maryland, sontact your lawmakers today and ask them to support HB 656 and SB 771.

Yesterday, House Speaker Michael Busch and Senate President Mike Miller created a work group to study legalizing marijuana for adult use. The work group, which was announced in December, will be analyzing legalization-related topics such as the impact on the criminal justice system, how to promote participation by small, minority-owed and woman-owned businesses, public health effects, and how the state should license and tax the industry. The group's report is due by December 31, 2019.

Please ask your state delegate(s) and senator to support legislation to legalize, tax, and regulate marijuana for adults 21 and older!

In other news, the hearings for the bills to legalize, tax, and regulate marijuana for adult use this session have been scheduled. The Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee will hear Sen. Will Smith's SB 771 on Tuesday, February 26 at 12:00 p.m. Del. Eric Luedtke's twin bill, HB 656, will be heard by the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, March 6 at 1:00 p.m. You can find a summary of the bills here. The House Judiciary Committee will also hear Del. David Moon's constitutional amendment bill to legalize marijuana for adult use on Wednesday, March 6 at 1:00 p.m.

Note that many bills are on the committees' agendas, so the cannabis bills may not be heard until several hours later.

You can voice your support by providing written or oral testimony at the hearings! We particularly encourage testimony from supportive law enforcement, clergy, substance abuse and medical professionals, educators, and those who have been harmed by marijuana prohibition.

You can find details on how to provide testimony for the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee here and for the House Judiciary Committee here. If you provide oral testimony, you will be limited to three minutes. Please be polite and respectful, dress in business or business casual attire, and avoid repeating points that have already been made.

Please show your support at the upcoming bill hearings, contact your lawmakers, and spread the word to your friends and family in Maryland. Together, we can end prohibition!

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If you live in Wisconsin, let your state lawmakers know it's time for humane marijuana policies.

Wisconsin is rapidly becoming an island of backwards marijuana laws.

Minnesota and Illinois have both decriminalized marijuana and legalized medical cannabis. Meanwhile, in November, Michigan voters made their state the first in the Midwest to legalize marijuana for adults.

Gov. Tony Evers (D) has a bold vision to improve Wisconsin's marijuana laws. His budget, which will be released in late February, will propose decriminalization and expungement, along with a comprehensive medical cannabis program.

But Gov. Evers can't fix Wisconsin's outdated marijuana laws on his own. His proposal would have to pass the legislature, where Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R) is opposed. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R) has said he is "open to medical marijuana when it is prescribed by a doctor," but that Evers' proposal goes too far.

That's where you come in: Write your assemblymember and senator to ask them to support Evers' proposal and to push for it to get a vote.

Then, share this message with friends and family so that they, too, can speak up for commonsense cannabis policies.

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Idaho continues to lag behind other states on marijuana policy reform — it is the only remaining state in the country that does not acknowledge any form of medical marijuana under state law. However, lawmakers this year have proposed two bills to move the state in the right direction.

Rep. John Gannon (D-Boise) is cosponsoring legislation with Rep. Bryan Zollinger (R-Idaho Falls) to replace penalties for first-time marijuana possession offenses involving half an ounce or less with a civil infraction and fine of $250 or eight hours of community service. Currently, possession of three ounces or less is a misdemeanor punishable with up to a year in prison.

Reps. Caroline Nilsson Troy (R-Genesee) and Dorothy Moon (R-Stanley) have introduced a bill that would legalize hemp. Sen. Abby Lee (R-Fruitland) is sponsoring the legislation in the Senate. The move comes on the heels of passage of the most recent Farm Bill at the federal level, which removed hemp from Schedule I status and removes barriers to research and development of the crop. But despite the change in federal law, hemp remains classified as marijuana in Idaho. State police recently seized nearly 7,000 pounds of hemp from a truck driver traveling from Oregon to Colorado. The trucker now faces felony trafficking charges.

No bill to legalize medical marijuana has been introduced this year. Use our email tool to contact your state legislators and urge them to support the creation of a compassionate medical marijuana program. Newly-elected Gov. Brad Little recently opened the door to potentially supporting some kind of medical marijuana law.

Please get involved and contact your elected officials. Marijuana prohibition has failed in Idaho, and it's time to enact reform.

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