Emil Ekvardt from the Swedish initiative Great.com interviews Senior Legislative Analyst Matt Simon of MPP as part of their 'Great.com Talks With...' podcast. This series is an antidote to negative news stories that aims to shed light on organizations and experts whose work is making a positive impact on the world.

Listen as Matt discusses the benefits of legalizing cannabis. 

Call your delegate and senator today and urge them to vote in favor of ending cannabis prohibition.

Virginia’s cannabis legalization bills — HB 2312 and SB 1406 — passed their final committees yesterday. The House and Senate are expected to vote on these bills by tomorrow, which is their deadline for advancing the legislation.

Please call your delegate and senator right now and urge them to vote in favor of legalizing cannabis in Virginia!

If at least one of the bills passes the House or Senate this week, the legislative process will continue next week. Since the bills have been amended and are no longer identical, the legislature would probably set up a bicameral committee to reconcile differences between the two bills and make final decisions before sending the bill to Gov. Ralph Northam’s desk.

We are happy with several changes that have been made so far. In particular, we are pleased that HB 2312 no longer increases penalties for public consumption and possession by those who are underage. We will continue pushing legislators to ensure that the final bill will truly serve the interests of all Virginians, including medical patients and individuals from communities that have been disproportionately harmed by the war on drugs.

You can read a summary of HB 2312 here and a summary of SB 1406 here. You can read more details about today’s votes and the legislative process in this article.

If you haven’t already emailed your elected officials, please do so, and please share the link with others!

After you call your delegates and senators, please share this important message with your friends and family.

Contact your lawmakers today and ask them to support HB 32!

Delegate Jazz Lewis’ legalization bill, HB 32, has been scheduled for a committee hearing on Tuesday, February 16 at 1:30 p.m.

Please reach out to your lawmakers ahead of the hearing and urge them to support HB 32 — The Cannabis Legalization and Regulation, Inclusion, Restoration, and Rehabilitation Act of 2021.

You can also raise your voice in support of this legislation by providing written testimony to the committees — House Judiciary and Health and Government Operations. The opportunity to sign-up to testify on the bill will begin two business days before the bill’s scheduled hearing.

Due to the unprecedented nature of this year’s legislative process, I encourage you to read the guidelines provided on how to submit testimony in full. We particularly encourage testimony from supportive law enforcement, clergy, medical professionals, and those who have been impacted by cannabis prohibition.

Maryland Cannabis Policy Conference and Lobby Days

In other news, our allies at Maryland NORML will be holding their second annual Maryland Cannabis Policy Conference virtually this Saturday, followed by lobby days a few days later. Mark your calendars and join us for a deep dive into HB 32!

What: Maryland Cannabis Policy Conference 2021 (online)

When: Saturday, February 6, 1-4 p.m.

Register for the conference here.

You can register for the Maryland Cannabis Policy Coalition’s lobby days — Tuesday, February 9 to Thursday, February 11 — here.

Don’t miss these opportunities to learn more about this important legislation and raise your voice in support. Marylanders deserve a just, equitable cannabis policy, and this could be the year that Maryland ends cannabis prohibition and joins the 15 states and D.C that have legalized cannabis for adults.

P.S. You can also check out the virtual press conference Delegate Lewis and a coalition of advocates held in support of HB 32.

For more information on how to qualify, visit the website for the Office of Medical Cannabis.

Since April 19, 2017, when Gov. Jim Justice signed West Virginia’s medical cannabis bill into law, patients have been waiting for the program to become operational. Fortunately, the wait finally appears to be nearing an end. The state’s Office of Medical Cannabis announced last week that permits have been granted for 100 dispensaries across the state, and today they opened the process for patients to begin registering for the program.

In order to qualify, patients will need to obtain a written certification from a participating physician. A list of physicians is available here. You can now access the patient registration portal from the website for the Office of Medical Cannabis.

It will likely be several months before patients will be able to obtain medical cannabis from dispensaries, but this is a huge step forward for the program. MPP’s summary of the law is available here.

Please share this message with anybody you know who might wish to register for the medical cannabis program in West Virginia!

The legislative session is scheduled to end on February 11 — urge delegates and senators to end cannabis prohibition before the clock runs out!

Virginia’s cannabis legalization bills — HB 2312 and SB 1406 — have passed two committees each, but there is still much work to be done, and the outcome remains uncertain. Both bills must be considered by a third committee, Finance/Appropriations. Then, at least one of these bills needs to pass the House or Senate by this Friday’s “crossover deadline” to have a chance of passing both chambers before the session concludes on February 11.

Please write your state legislators right now and urge them to vote in favor of legalizing cannabis in Virginia!

MPP has been working to persuade legislators to improve these bills during the committee process. In particular, we are pleased that HB 2312 no longer increases penalties for public consumption and possession by those who are underage. We will continue pushing legislators to ensure that any bill, when finalized, will truly serve the interests of all Virginians, including medical patients and individuals from communities that have been disproportionately harmed by the war on drugs.

You can read a summary of HB 2312 here and a summary of SB 1406 here. Both bills remain works in progress, but we are confident that legislators will continue to improve the language as they move forward.

After you write your delegates and senators, please share this important message with your friends and family.

The Marijuana Policy Project — the nation’s largest cannabis policy reform organization — has announced the election of Sal Pace to serve as the new chair of its Board of Directors. Pace replaces Arcview co-founder Troy Dayton, who has served as MPP Board Chair for the last seven years.

“We're very excited to have Sal as our new chair,” said MPP Executive Director Steve Hawkins. “Sal is a recognized leader in the cannabis reform arena having used his platform as an elected official to advance common sense reforms. With tremendous passion and an in-depth knowledge of cannabis policy issues, he is an excellent choice to lead our board.”

Pace, who has been called “one of the state’s most vocal proponents of marijuana legalization,” represented Colorado’s 46th District from 2008 to 2012, during which he served as House Minority Leader. He also served as Pueblo County Commissioner from 2013 to 2018 and was appointed to Gov. Jared Polis’ transition team when he was first elected in 2018. Pace is widely recognized as one of the nation’s most knowledgeable former elected officials on the subject of marijuana policy.

“Sal Pace has brought a pioneering effort both in the Colorado cannabis program and his leadership nationally. I count Sal as a valuable and essential ally in my work for cannabis reform,” said U.S. Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), co-chair and founder of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus.

During his time in the General Assembly, Pace played a leading role in developing Colorado’s medical marijuana model, earning him recognition as the face of regulation from local news media. He served on several policy and legislative interim committees focused on cannabis, and he founded a national organization of local elected officials, Leaders For Reform, in response to Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ rescission of the Cole memo.

As a county commissioner, Pace led efforts to create the Institute of Cannabis Research at Colorado State University-Pueblo and to establish the first college scholarship program funded by cannabis tax revenue. Prior to running for office, he served as a Congressional and campaign staffer. Pace serves on the boards of the Institute of Cannabis Research, Colorado’s Front Range Rail Commission, and the Colorado Independent Venues Association. He is also an advisory board member for HeadCount's Cannabis Voter Project.

As MPP chair, Pace is ready to hit the ground running at this critical juncture of cannabis policy, criminal justice reform, and racial and social justice our nation currently faces. Said Pace:

Ending marijuana prohibition in the U.S. is the most effective way to address social justice issues. Even with all of MPP’s successes to date changing laws across the country, 600,000 people are still arrested annually, and 40,000 are behind bars because of marijuana charges. As MPP chair, we aren't just focused on legalization, we're also concerned with doing it right, which means equity and diversity in opportunity and correcting the negative impacts from the failed war on drugs.

To learn more about Pace and his plans as MPP Board Chair, check out this Westword interview where he discusses cannabis policy reform efforts in 2021. 

A public hearing on the medical cannabis home grow bill will take place on Monday, February 1 at 3 p.m.

Despite overwhelming testimony from New Hampshire residents in favor of cannabis legalization at Wednesday’s hearing, the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee voted 14-7 to “retain” both legalization bills. As a result, the House will avoid voting on cannabis legalization until 2022, and adults who consume cannabis will continue being fined and arrested for at least another year.

This is infuriating, but advocates will have a second chance to advance cannabis policy on Monday afternoon, February 1, beginning at 3 p.m., when another House committee will consider a medical cannabis home cultivation bill, HB 350.

The hearing will be conducted via Zoom, which means it will be easier than ever for advocates to support making home cultivation legal for patients and caregivers.

Here’s how you can help:

(1) Click here to access the House’s remote sign-in sheet.

(2) Select the date (2/1) and the committee: House Health, Human Services, and Elderly Affairs.

(3) Select HB 350, identify yourself as a “member of the public,” and indicate that you support the bill.

(4) If you wish to speak at the hearing, check the box. If you do not wish to speak, click “continue” and enter your name and contact information on the next page. The Zoom link for this hearing is here.

(5) If you’d like to submit written testimony or simply tell the committee members why you support the bill, you can email them here.

Home cultivation is currently considered a felony in New Hampshire, and there is no exception for registered patients and caregivers. HB 350 would legalize possession and limited cultivation of cannabis for registered patients and caregivers (up to three mature plants, three immature plants, and 12 seedlings per patient). The full text of the bill is available here.

After you sign up to testify or indicate your support, please share this important message with your friends and family!

Urge your state legislators to stand up for patients!

Last year, the Alabama Senate overwhelmingly approved the Compassion Act — which would have legalized medical cannabis — but it stalled in the House when the coronavirus derailed the legislative session.

This year, Sen. Tim Melson, MD, has already filed the 2021 version of the bill, SB 46. State lawmakers return to work on Tuesday. Let’s make sure they come back knowing their constituents want the Compassion Act to be at the top of their agenda!

It takes less than a minute to send your lawmakers an email through our automated system. You can personalize the message or rewrite it.

Alabama’s lack of medical marijuana protections is increasingly an outlier. Thirty-six states, including Florida, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi, allow medical cannabis, and polling shows 75% of Alabama voters support it.

While SB 46 is far better than the status quo, we are also encouraging lawmakers to make some improvements. The bill currently steers intractable pain patients to try opiates first, even though they are far more dangerous than cannabis. It also puts onerous burdens on physicians that will depress participation.

Please write your lawmakers today to urge them to improve and enact SB 46, and then spread the word to other compassionate Alabamians.

Contact your state senator and ask them to support SB 107!

I have some encouraging news to share with you. Last week, Sen. Sharif Street filed a bill with the Judiciary Committee to decriminalize up to 30 grams of cannabis.

Currently, possession and distribution of 30 grams of cannabis (or eight grams of hashish without intent to sell) is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days imprisonment and a $500 fine.

Under SB 107, the penalty for possession and distribution would be reduced to a summary offense and a $25 civil fine. The penalty for smoking cannabis in public places would be reduced to a $100 civil fine.

While the measure is an important step toward ending the failed policies of the war on cannabis, it wouldn’t reduce penalties associated with paraphernalia. In other words, cannabis consumers could still be jailed for the baggie cannabis is stored in, even if the cannabis itself is decriminalized.

The bill has not yet been scheduled for a hearing. We know that inaction will only lead to continued arrests and the ruining of more lives of Pennsylvanians.

Please consider emailing your state senator and asking them to strengthen the bill and sign on as a cosponsor.

Thank you for your support, and please continue to look out for updates throughout the 2021 legislative session.

Sign up here to indicate your support or to testify via Zoom on Wednesday, January 27.

Two legalization bills have been introduced in the New Hampshire House of Representatives, and both have been scheduled for hearings in the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee on Wednesday, January 27, beginning at 11 a.m. The hearings will be conducted via Zoom, which means it will be easier than ever for Granite Staters to support ending cannabis prohibition.

HB 629 would legalize possession and limited cultivation of cannabis for adults 21 and older, and HB 237 would legalize, regulate, and tax cannabis for adults. Here’s how you can help:

(1) Click here to access the House’s remote sign-in sheet.

(2) Select the date (1/27) and the committee: House Criminal Justice and Public Safety.

(3) Select either HB 629 or HB 237, identify yourself as a “member of the public,” and indicate that you support the bill.

(4) If you wish to speak at the hearing, check the box. If you do not wish to speak, click “continue” and enter your name and contact information on the next page.

(5) After you submit the form, you can repeat this process for the other bill.

Summaries of the two bills are available here: HB 629, HB 237. You can access the full text of the bills here: HB 629, HB 237.

For those who wish to testify, here are some pointers on how to make a positive impact with your testimony.

After you sign up to testify or indicate your support, please share this important message with your friends and family!