Ask your lawmakers to support a comprehensive medical marijuana program! The Medical Cannabidiol Advisory Board, which is charged with adding qualifying medical conditions to Iowa's low-THC medical cannabis program, will be meeting Friday, November 1. If you are a patient suffering from PTSD, please consider attending the meeting to voice your support for adding PTSD as a qualifying condition. When: Friday, November 1, 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Where: Iowa Laboratory Facility – 2240 DMACC Blvd,…

Ask your state lawmakers to end marijuana prohibition in the Keystone State. Great news! Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf now supports legalizing cannabis for adults.Gov. Wolf’s announcement comes on the heels of Lt. Gov. John Fetterman’s statewide listening tour to all 67 counties, where Fetterman found Pennsylvanians overwhelmingly support legalization. You can read the tour report here.Unfortunately, there’s also bad news: The Pennsylvania House of Representatives’ Republican leaders derided Gov.…

If attendees at the Iowa State Fair were looking for a candidate to end the federal government’s failed war on drugs, they would have few choices judging from the speeches at the Des Moines Register’s Political Soap Box.  Every four years, candidates for president flock to this quadrennial staple of the Iowa Caucuses for their 20 minutes before fairgoers for what is essentially presidential speed dating. One after the other over a few days, would-be nominees climb the stage and offer up their best…

New Jersey legislators tabled the state's legalization bill in March, believing it lacked the votes needed to pass the Senate. But Senate President Stephen Sweeney recently gave the effort new hope when he expressed a willingness to try to pass legislation during the "lame duck" session in late 2019. Securing the votes needed to pass the Senate will require all hands on deck — several lawmakers who are on the fence will need to come around. Please do your part. You can send your state legislators…

This fall, House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler is leading "Be Heard on Cannabis" community conversations across Minnesota to explore how to replace cannabis prohibition with sensible regulation. At the end of the process, Rep. Winkler plans to introduce a bill to legalize and regulate cannabis in Minnesota and shepherd it through the House. Mark your calendars for these upcoming dates, to take part and add your voice to the conversation on how to move forward. St. Paul "Be Heard on Cannabis" Community…

The House and Senate will need to work together to get this done — please contact your representatives and senators today! Last week, Gov. Ned Lamont held a press conference with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and the two governors announced that they would work together with other governors in the region to end marijuana prohibition. Gov. Lamont said he would ask the Connecticut Legislature to pass a bill legalizing and regulating cannabis when it convenes in January. This is a promising development,…

After a dozen hours of Democratic presidential candidate debates, there has been virtually no discussion about cannabis policy reform, leaving advocates sincerely disappointed. At a time when several pieces of cannabis legislation are pending in Congress, the absence of any cannabis-focused discussion is even more frustrating. Any list of issues important to Democratic primary voters would have to include not only the broad topic of criminal justice reform, but also the more narrow issue of cannabis…

We have big news to share: Just now, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the SAFE Banking Act (H.R. 1595) in a 321-103 floor vote! Today’s vote was historic, as the SAFE Banking Act is the first standalone cannabis bill to ever receive a full vote in Congress. This legislation would prevent federal financial regulators from punishing financial institutions that provide services to state-legal cannabis businesses. Currently, most banks are unwilling to work with the cannabis industry because…

The emerging cannabis industry — with $17 billion in sales this year — is currently troubled by a lack of racial diversity within its ranks. It is impossible to ignore the fact that members of the African American community and other racial minorities have paid a particularly high price in the war on cannabis. When the business community that follows legalization leaves behind people of color, there is cause for concern.  Recently, equity in the cannabis industry has moved to the forefront of many…

Send a quick message to your legislators to say thanks or express your disappointment. Yesterday was an incredibly frustrating day at the N.H. State House for patients and advocates, as the effort to override Gov. Chris Sununu’s veto on the home cultivation bill fell three votes short of success. The vote was 13-11, and 16 votes would have been necessary in order to pass HB 364 into law. A few senators told us yesterday morning that they were leaning in favor of voting for the override, but when…