Five bills to be heard Thursday, one on Friday

The New Hampshire House of Representatives kicked off the new year by narrowly voting down a 2021 bill to legalize cannabis and create a regulated market (HB 237)  and then overwhelmingly approving a different bill (HB 629) legalizing home possession and cultivation. HB 629 now heads to the far more challenging Senate.

Next week, the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee will be holding hearings on six different bills to improve cannabis policies, including proposals to kick legalization to voters.

Last year, the committee, chaired by Daryl Abbas, recommended killing legalization bills, but now Abbas has proposed his own vision of legalization, HB 1598. However, his model is unfeasible due to federal law. It would only allow cannabis to be sold through state-run stores. Until federal law changes, that’s a non-starter: states cannot require staff to commit federal felonies by selling cannabis. Doing so would be preempted.

The House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee will also consider three resolutions (CACRs) to refer cannabis legalization to voters, via a constitutional amendment. They each require 60% in both the House and Senate, and then two-thirds of the popular vote.

Both the legalization bills and the three CACRs will receive hearings on Thursday, January 20 in person at the State House, Reps Hall (107 North Main Street, Concord) — with the first hearing scheduled at 9:30 a.m. on Abbas’ state-run monopoly and the last one scheduled to start at 2:30 p.m.

The House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee will also hold a hearing on Friday, January 21 at 1:45 p.m. at Legislative Office Building (33 N State Street, Concord), Rooms 202-204 on prohibiting law enforcement from using the scent of cannabis as probable cause for a search. Cannabis has already been decriminalized in New Hampshire. Law enforcement shouldn’t be able to invade personal privacy — and initiate a risky and insulting stop — over the supposed scent of a plant that has been decriminalized.

If you’re not comfortable attending in person but want to make your voice heard on any or all of these bills, you can email comments to HouseCriminalJusticeandPublicSafety@leg.state.nh.us.

For the full list of bills, a short summary, and the times of each hearing, check out this summary from the New Hampshire Coalition for Common Sense Marijuana Policy.

Ask your legislators to support medical cannabis.

While cannabis policy reform is sweeping the nation, Tennessee remains one of only 14 states with no effective medical cannabis law.

But with your help, this can be the year Tennessee finally enacts a compassionate medical cannabis law! The legislature has convened for its 2022 legislative session. Last year, the legislature passed a bill that expanded the state’s ineffective CBD law by allowing additional medical conditions to qualify and increasing the allowable threshold in CBD oil to 0.9%.

Please ask your legislators to support a compassionate, comprehensive medical cannabis program in Tennessee!

Polling has shown that the overwhelming majority of Tennessee voters support legalizing cannabis for medicinal purposes. Still, the legislature must act in order to bring this long overdue policy change to the Volunteer State.

After you reach out to your lawmakers, be sure to share this message with your friends and family in Tennessee and encourage them to do the same!

Tell your legislators it’s time to support legalization!

Earlier this week, the 2022 session for Florida’s legislature kicked off. Although this year is a short session that ends in just three months, lawmakers have already filed several cannabis-related proposals, and many remain pending from the 2021 session.

Decriminalization

While Florida voters enacted a medical cannabis program in 2014, Florida remains one of only 19 states that imposes jail time for simple possession.

Action: Let’s make this the year Florida enacts sensible cannabis reform!

In October 2021, Minority Leader Sen. Bobby Powell (D) sponsored S 470, which would reduce the penalty for possession of up to 20 grams of cannabis to a $100 fine plus court costs. The following month, Rep. Dotie Joseph (D) filed H 725, which reduces the penalty for possession of up to one ounce of cannabis to a $50 fine. And in December 2021, Rep. Mike Caruso (R) filed H 957, which decriminalizes possession up to 20 grams. Each of these bills has been refiled for the 2022 legislative session.

Legalization

Earlier this week, Sen. Gary Farmer (D) filed three measures that collectively propose a legal adult-use cannabis market in the Sunshine State. S 1658 would impose a 15% sales tax on cannabis sold at retail stores and tax sales of food or beverages containing cannabis sold by a cannabis consumption site at a rate of 19 cents per milligram of THC. The bill also provides that counties and municipalities can establish additional sales taxes of up to 3.75% of the sales price of cannabis sold at retail stores. Counties and municipalities would be allowed to impose an additional tax of up to four cents per milligram of THC on sales of food or beverages containing cannabis sold by consumption sites.

Action: Tell your legislator it’s time to support legalization!

On the other side of the aisle, S 776 was sponsored by Sen. Jeff Brandes (R) in the 2021 session. The proposal would legalize possession of up to four ounces and has also been reintroduced for the 2022 session.

Separately, there are three additional­­­ legalization measures that remain pending in the House that were introduced during the 2021 session.

Be sure to reach out to your lawmakers to let them know you want them to legalize cannabis for adult use this session! After you reach out, please urge your friends and family in Florida to do the same.

Tell your legislators it’s time to support legalization!

Last week, the 2022 session for Pennsylvania’s legislature began. Last year saw several legalization and decriminalization proposals, but none received a hearing or were called for a vote. Luckily, many of the 2021 proposals have carried over to 2022, which presents another opportunity to enact sensible, humane cannabis policy before the session adjourns in November.  

Decriminalization

Despite Pennsylvania authorizing medical cannabis in 2016, it remains one of 19 states that continues to punish cannabis possession with jail time in most parts of the state. Let’s urge the legislature to end this injustice in 2022.

SB 107, sponsored by Sen. Sharif Street (D), would reclassify possession of a small amount of cannabis from a misdemeanor to a summary offense carrying a $25 fine. Public use would be a $100 fine. HB 204, sponsored by Rep. Edward Gainey (D), would reduce the penalty for possession of a small amount of cannabis to a fine of up to $100. Neither bill received a hearing in 2021, but both bills have been carried over to 2022.

Legalization

Last year, several legalization bills were proposed, although none received a hearing. In the House, Rep. Jake Wheatley (D) sponsored HB 2050, which is the third version of Rep. Wheatley’s legalization proposal. Also in the House, Rep. David Delloso (D) sponsored HB 1180, which would legalize and regulate cannabis for adults. However, HB 1180 seeks to establish state-controlled cannabis stores similar to those for alcohol, which would be in direct contradiction to federal law prohibiting state employees from working directly with cannabis. Both bills carried over into the 2022 session.

Meanwhile in the Senate, Sen. Daniel Laughlin (R) sponsored SB 473, which would also set up a legalization framework for the Keystone State. SB 473 also carried over to 2022.

Action: Tell your legislators it’s time to support legalization!

Be sure to reach out to your lawmakers to let them know you want them to end arrests for cannabis possession and to legalize cannabis for adult use this session! After you reach out, please urge your friends and family in Pennsylvania to do the same.

Ask your legislators to stop jailing cannabis consumers.

While cannabis policy reform is sweeping the country, Alabama remains one of only 19 states that still imposes jail time for simple possession of cannabis. The legislature has convened for its 2022 legislative session, and now is the perfect time to let your elected officials know you want them to catch up with the times.

Ask your state legislators to support decriminalizing cannabis in Alabama!

Polling has shown that 63% of Alabama voters support legalizing cannabis for adult use. Surely the margin is even stronger for decriminalization. Still, the legislature must act in order to bring this long overdue policy change.

Thousands of people are arrested each year for cannabis possession in Alabama. Black Alabamians are 4.1 times more likely to be arrested than their white counterparts. In Dekalb County, Black individuals are 45 times more likely to be arrested, the second highest disparity in the nation. The legislature must act in order to bring this long overdue policy change to the Yellowhammer State.

Ask your state legislators to support reducing the penalty for cannabis possession from possible jail time to a civil fine.

Stay tuned for updates — including any efforts to implement and expand the medical cannabis program the legislature enacted last year. To see our summary of the program, click here.

After you reach out to your lawmakers, be sure to share this message with your friends and family in Alabama and encourage them to do the same!

Ask your state rep. to vote “yes” on the medical cannabis bill.

Great news! This afternoon, the Mississippi Senate voted 47-5 to restore a medical cannabis law to the Magnolia State. Now, the bill heads to the House of Representatives, where it is expected to come up in committee as soon as next week.

Ask your state representative to restore the will of voters!

More than a year after Mississippi voters overwhelmingly approved an initiative to legalize medical cannabis, the Magnolia State remains one of only 14 states with no effective medical cannabis law. Due to a technicality that overturned Initiative 65 (as well as the entire ballot initiative process), the patients of Mississippi are continuing to suffer needlessly.

Legislators crafted a compromise bill in anticipation that Gov. Tate Reeves (R) would call a special session of the legislature last fall. But the governor never called a special session. There is a possibility that some legislators are getting cold feet and may not want to pass a medical bill or pass one that is so restrictive that it does not resemble I-65 at all. SB 2095 is the best legislation to accomplish the goal of medical cannabis in Mississippi. Click here for our bill summary.

Reach out to your state rep. right now to let them know you want an effective medical cannabis program. Without hearing from YOU (and your family and friends), the House may choose to not pass a medical bill to alleviate the suffering of patients in Mississippi. Please continue to make your voices heard!

Ask your legislators to stop jailing cannabis consumers.

While cannabis policy reform is sweeping the country, Georgia remains one of only 19 states that still imposes jail time for simple possession of cannabis.

Polling shows more than 70% of Georgia voters support legalizing cannabis for adult use, and surely the margin is even stronger for decriminalization. Yet more than 45,000 people were arrested in 2018 alone for cannabis possession in the state! The legislature must act in order to bring this long overdue policy change to the Peachtree State.

Make sure your lawmakers know this issue matters to voters. Let your lawmakers know it’s time to stop arresting cannabis consumers. Ask them to support changing the penalty for possession from possible jail time to a civil fine.

After you reach out to your lawmakers, be sure to share this message with your friends and family in Georgia and encourage them to do the same!

And stay tuned for other updates — including about efforts to expand Georgia's very limited, medical cannabis program, which applies only to low-THC cannabis extracts.

Ask your lawmakers to support HB 305!

Exciting news! Rep. Ed Osienski (D) has just introduced HB 305, a bill that would make cannabis legal for adults 21 and older, replacing prohibition with a system of regulation that focuses on public health and equity.

The bill is broadly similar to last year’s legalization bill, HB 150, but includes some important changes including allocating seven percent of tax revenue from legal sales to a Justice Reinvestment Fund. You can check out our full summary of HB 305 here.

It’s important your lawmakers hear from you — ask them to support HB 305 this session!

The bill will first be taken up by the House Health and Human Development Committee. Stay tuned for future updates about the bill hearing and how to raise your voice in support of equitable legalization this year.

By passing HB 305 this year, Delaware can further reduce police interactions and arrests for cannabis, boost public health and public safety by displacing the illicit market, create a new source of jobs and revenue, and begin to repair the decades of harm cannabis prohibition has caused in communities of color.

After you email your lawmakers, please share this message with your friends and family in Delaware and encourage them to do the same.

Together, we can end prohibition in the First State!

Contact your legislators in support of the medical cannabis bill.

More than a year after Mississippi voters overwhelmingly approved an initiative to legalize medical cannabis, the Magnolia State remains one of only 14 states with no effective medical cannabis law. Due to a technicality that overturned Initiative 65 (as well as the entire ballot initiative process), the patients of Mississippi continue to suffer needlessly.

Ask your legislators to restore the will of voters!

Legislators crafted a compromise bill in anticipation that Gov. Tate Reeves (R) would call a special session of the legislature last fall. But the governor never called the special session. There is a possibility that some legislators are getting cold feet and may not want to pass a medical bill or pass one that is so restrictive it does not resemble I-65 at all. The legislature has convened for its 2022 legislative session, and SB 2095 is the best legislation to accomplish the goal of medical cannabis in Mississippi. Click here for a bill summary.

The bill passed out of committee this afternoon and could get a floor vote as soon as tomorrow.

Reach out to your legislators right now to let them know you want an effective medical cannabis program. Without hearing from YOU (and your family and friends), the legislature may choose not to pass a medical bill or pass one that is so restrictive it will not meet the needs of the patients of Mississippi. Please continue to make your voices heard!

Let your lawmakers know you want them to expedite the implementation of retail sales!

Last year, Virginia made history by becoming the first state in the South to legalize cannabis for adults. While adults can now legally possess and cultivate cannabis in the state, other aspects of the law — such as details for establishing a regulated cannabis market — don’t kick in until 2024. And, nearly all of the cannabis sales provisions are subject to further approval by the incoming legislature and governor.

Let your lawmakers know that you want them to expedite cannabis sales and preserve equitable legalization in Virginia!

The sooner Virginia implements legal sales, the sooner it can provide residents with safe, regulated access to cannabis and begin to repair the decades of harm cannabis prohibition has caused through strong equity provisions.

Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin (R) has not been specific on equity provisions in the legislation he’d want to change, but stated, “All of that will be on the table. Again, I don’t look to overturn the bill, but I think we need to make sure that it works.”

To address the disproportionate harm caused to communities of color by decades of prohibition, it is imperative that Virginia’s legalization law maintains strong social equity provisions. You can check out MPP’s summary of Virginia’s legalization law here.

We also remain concerned about a provision in the law that criminalizes bringing small amounts of cannabis into Virginia for personal use. This provision requires re-enactment this year, and we will continue to push for it to be removed.

The legislature has just convened for its 2022 session. Now is a great time to reach out to your lawmakers and let them know you want them to stand strong on an equitable cannabis industry and expedite cannabis sales in the Commonwealth. Please share this message with your friends and family in Virginia and encourage them to do the same!