South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws, the 2020 campaign working to pass two marijuana reform ballot initiatives this November, yesterday announced over 50 endorsements from prominent South Dakotans across the state. The endorsements come from health care professionals, former prosecutors, former elected officials, and business owners, among others. The full list can be viewed here.

The campaign also hosted a video press conference yesterday, featuring Brendan Johnson, former United States Attorney for South Dakota, and Chuck Parkinson, who served in President Reagan’s administration and as a staffer to former United States Senator Jim Abdnor.  

South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws is a statewide ballot question committee, which MPP is supporting, that is working to pass two 2020 ballot initiatives, Amendment A and Measure 26. Constitutional Amendment A would legalize, regulate, and tax marijuana for adults 21 and over and would also require the legislature to pass laws by 2022 regulating the cultivation, processing, and sale of hemp. Initiated Measure 26 would establish a medical marijuana program for patients diagnosed with one or more serious health conditions.

South Dakota will be the first state to vote on medical marijuana and adult-use legalization initiatives simultaneously.

To learn more, get involved, or make a donation to the campaign, visit the campaign's website.

Check out our primary runoff voter guide.

Thank you to everyone who voted in yesterday’s Primary Election, and to everyone who checked out our medical cannabis voter guide and spread the word!

Numerous known supporters will be advancing to the General Election. You can find the unofficial election results here and compare them to our House and Senate voter guides.

Meanwhile, in three Senate primaries and eight House primaries, no candidate received a majority. Those districts are headed to primary runoffs on Tuesday, June 23. Check out our runoff voter guide here to see if there’s a runoff in your district and to learn about candidates’ stances.

After you check out the voter guide, please spread the word. Two primary races were so close they’re headed to a recount. A relatively small number of supporters can sway an election. To have even more impact, you may want to consider volunteering for or donating to candidates you support.

And, stay tuned. We’ll be publishing another voter guide well in advance of November’s General Election.

Contact your representatives today and urge them to pass S. 294!

Last week, the Vermont Senate passed S. 294, a bill that would require the automatic expungement of all cannabis possession offenses. The bill also includes a provision that would decriminalize possession of cannabis in amounts that are up to twice the legal limit for adults.

This important bill faces an uncertain fate in the House of Representatives. Please contact your representatives right now to ask for their support!

If S. 294 is enacted, possession of up to two ounces of cannabis, 10 grams of hashish, four mature plants, and eight immature plants would become a $100 fine for a first offense. The fine would increase to $200 for a second offense and $500 for a third offense. For adults 21 and older, possession of up to an ounce of cannabis, five grams of hashish, two mature plants, and four immature plants has been legal since July 1, 2018.

S. 294 would ensure individuals aren’t criminalized because they don’t know the legal limit or they inadvertently slightly exceed it. It would also wipe clean stigmatizing cannabis records that can make it difficult to get housing, jobs, and an education.

In other news, some legislators still aren’t sure if they want to move the medical cannabis program out of the Department of Public Safety. If you are a registered patient or caregiver, we would be very interested to hear about your experiences with the medical cannabis program. For example, was your application or renewal processed in a timely fashion? Please share your experiences with me at msimon@mpp.org.

Again, please contact your representatives and tell them to support S. 294. Then, urge your friends and family to do the same!

Check out our medical cannabis voter guide and logistical details from the S.C. Elections Commission.

Tomorrow — Tuesday, June 9 — is Primary Election Day in South Carolina. If you’re a registered voter, don’t miss this opportunity to help decide who represents you in Columbia. This year’s election will be critical for determining whether South Carolina will finally enact a compassionate medical cannabis law in 2021.

Before you cast your votes, check out our voter guides for candidates for the South Carolina House and Senate. There is no party registration in South Carolina, so voters can choose either the Republican or Democratic primary ballot.

Here are the details on how to vote, drawn from information posted by the S.C. Elections Commission:

If you have a mail-in absentee ballot:

• For your ballot to count, it must be received by the voter registration office no later than 7:00 p.m. tomorrow, Tuesday, June 9. That means it is now too late for it to arrive by mail. You should instead deliver it to your county voter registration office.
• You CANNOT return your absentee ballot to your polling place.
• You CANNOT vote at your polling place without returning your uncompleted absentee ballot to your voter registration office and receiving a letter authorizing you to vote at the polls.

Voting absentee, in-person today:

• In-person absentee voting ends at 5:00 p.m. TODAY, Monday, June 8. Click here for in-person absentee locations and hours.

Voting in-person tomorrow, Tuesday, June 9:

• COVID-19-related public health protocols will be in place, including social distancing, sneeze guards at check-in stations, available hand sanitizer, and masks, face shields, and gloves worn by poll managers.
  • Voters are asked to, but not required to, wear face masks.
  • Voters should display their ID rather than handing it to poll workers.
  • Voters should bring their own pens to sign the poll list.
  • Voters will be provided with a cotton swab to make their selections on the touchscreen voting machines.
• Your polling place may have changed because some polling locations have consolidated and relocated due to the pandemic. Check your polling place at SCVotes.org.
• Bring your photo ID or voter registration card if you do not have one.
• Be patient and understanding with poll workers, who are surely under stress as they facilitate democracy during a pandemic.

Now it’s time to make a plan to vote — if you haven’t already done so — and spread the word.

Thank you for your compassion!

HF 2589 is a mixed bag for patients.

On Wednesday, the Iowa Senate sent Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) a bill (HF 2589) that takes several major steps forward and some equally significant steps backwards for the state’s medical CBD program. The bill passed after a heated debate, during which Sen. Joe Bolkcom (D) called for passage of a superior bill, which would have ensured patients could obtain as much medical cannabis as they need. Sen. Bolkcom also lambasted HF 2589’s negative impact on workers.

Here’s a run down of the good and bad provisions.

On the bright side, HF 2589 would:

• Allow patients with “chronic pain” to qualify, rather than the far more restrictive standard “untreatable pain”
• Add PTSD as a qualifying condition
• Add autism with self-injury or aggression as a qualifying condition
• Remove the 3% limit on THC content
• Allow podiatrists, physicians' assistants, and advance practice nurses to recommend cannabis
• Remove the Department of Transportation’s role in issuing ID cards

The regressive provisions in HF 2589 include:

• Limiting patients to 4.5 grams of cannabis every 90 days (or 50 milligrams per day), unless they have a doctor’s certification that a greater quantity is needed
• Allowing employers to restrict their employees’ cannabis use, including by continuing drug-testing programs
• Disqualifying individuals for receiving unemployment compensation if they were fired due to testing positive for cannabis or another controlled substance, unless it was prescribed
• Providing that workers’ compensation, governmental medical insurance, and other health insurance does not have to cover medical cannabis
• Providing that property owners and those controlling property can prohibit the possession or use of cannabis on the property (This may allow landlords to prohibit medical cannabis use by tenants.)

Last year, Gov. Reynolds vetoed a bill that included a far more reasonable limit of 25 grams every 90 days.

You can contact the governor’s office at 515-281-5211 or via this webform if you would like to weigh in on the legislation.

Thank you for supporting compassion.

Organizations to support

• The African American Policy Forum: A think tank of activists, academics, and policy makers working to address systemic inequalities. The AAPF also co-created the campaign #Sayhername as well as a groundbreaking report of the same name addressing the silence around Black women and girls and police brutality.
  
  
• Black Visions Collective: A Black-led, Queer and Trans-centered, Minnesota-based collective dedicated to transformative justice principles and a world where all Black Lives Matter. 
  
  
• The Loveland Foundation: A nonprofit providing therapy support to black women and girls.
  
  
• Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective: A nonprofit dedicated to the healing, wellness, and liberation of black and marginalized communities.

Resources for protesters

• ACLU information on protesters’ rights
  
  
• VICE guidelines for protesting during a pandemic
  
  
• Legal Aid Society guide on what to expect if you are arrested

Resources for those who want to support the movement in other ways

Donate

NOTE: This list is not exhaustive and there may be local organizations in your community that could benefit from donations not only in the form of money but supplies like bottled water, masks, safe havens, and other supplies and assistance.

• Beyond The Streets: 26 Ways To Support The Protests (by Ejeris Dixon)
  
  
• Black Lives Matter
  
  
• Local chapters of Black Lives Matter
  
  
• National Bail Funds
  
  
• Justice for Breonna Taylor
  
  
• #IRunWithMaud (Ahmaud Arbery)
  
  
• National Police Accountability Project
  
  
• Official George Floyd Memorial Fund
  
  
• The Colin Kaepernick Know Your Rights Camp Legal Defense Initiative
  
  
• Campaign Zero

Sign a petition

• #JusticeforBre
  
  
• ‘Hands Up Act’
  
  
• NAACP #WeAreDoneDying Petition

Resources for allies

• Showing Up for Racial Justice: An organization specifically for white allies interested in working toward racial justice
  
  
• Answers to questions you may have about the Black Lives Matter movement
  
  
• Glossary of basic definitions for terms you’ll come across in your education and work as an ally
  
  
• A checklist tool for white allies against racism
  
  
• Resources to learn more about how race, class, and gender intersect and contribute to oppression

Good news! On Tuesday, the Connecticut Legislative Regulations Review Committee approved allowing medical cannabis to treat chronic pain — although it narrowly defined the term. The Board of Physicians recommended adding chronic pain as a qualifying condition on September 27, 2019. Previously, Connecticut was the only state medical marijuana program that did not permit patients to treat chronic pain with medical marijuana.

The revision permits medical marijuana to be recommended for adults with “chronic pain of at least six months duration associated with a specific underlying chronic condition refractory to other treatment intervention.” Unfortunately, that narrow definition means physicians can only recommend cannabis to patients who have sought treatment for their chronic pain for at least six months and whose pain has been resistant to other treatments.

The committee also approved the use of medical marijuana to treat Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, an inherited disorder that weakens the body’s connective tissue and leads to weakened blood vessels and organs.

While these revisions undoubtedly expand patients’ ability to use medical marijuana to treat their aliments, Connecticut will have one of the most restrictive chronic pain provisions in the country. Patients will have to suffer for months before trying cannabis and will first be steered to far more dangerous medications.

Earlier this year, a bill to allow any adult, 21 or older, to use cannabis stalled due to a COVID-related closure of the capitol. It’s our hope that the Connecticut Legislature takes up the issue of adult-use cannabis in a special session this year or during the 2021 regular session. Many individuals who suffer from conditions that can be treated with marijuana aren’t able to access medical marijuana cards.

Please join us by writing Gov. Ned Lamont to urge him to prioritize legalization. You can go the extra mile by spreading the word to others, calling his office at 860-566-4840, or making an appeal on Twitter.

We wish you and your loved ones well and thank you for your continued support.

Look up your legislative districts, then check out our S.C. House and S.C. Senate voter guides.

Next Tuesday, June 9 is Primary Election Day for the South Carolina Legislature. This year’s elections will be critical for determining whether South Carolina will finally enact a compassionate medical cannabis law.

We’ve put together a voter guide on where the candidates stand on medical cannabis. It includes responses to the South Carolina Compassionate Care Alliance’s  candidate questionnaire, along with whether incumbents cosponsored medical cannabis bills, and incumbents’ past committee votes.

First, look up your state legislative districts and precinct location here. After you fill in your information, the second section will display your Voting Districts. You’re looking for the number of your SC Senate District and SC House District.

Then, check out our voter guides for South Carolina Senate races and South Carolina House races to see where candidates in your district stand.

Registered voters can vote in either party’s primary on June 9 — or in advance by absentee ballot. South Carolina does not have registration by party. If your district is not listed in our voter guide, there is not a competitive primary. You can check back for our voter guide leading up to the General Election.

State legislative races have been so close some have tied and were decided by a coin toss. Don’t miss out on this chance to help decide who represents you in Columbia. To go the extra mile, you can volunteer for or contribute to candidates you support.

After you take a look at our voter guide, please spread the word. And if you speak to a candidate about medical cannabis and get new information that we have not included, let us know at Karen@mpp.org.

Ask Gov. Edwards to sign the bill when it lands on his desk.

Exciting news! On Wednesday, the Louisiana Senate followed the House’s lead and overwhelmingly approved legislation (HB 819) to allow medical cannabis for any debilitating medical condition. HB 819 would significantly expand Louisiana’s medical cannabis program: Patients currently only qualify if they have one of the specifically listed medical conditions.

Ask Gov. John Bel Edwards to sign HB 819 into law when it lands on his desk.

Before HB 819 makes it to the governor’s desk, the House must consider a Senate amendment that requires cannabis sales to be entered into the prescription drug monitoring database.

Disappointingly, a bill to allow whole-plant, raw cannabis — HB 385 — did not advance before a deadline. Meanwhile, the House-passed bill to allow home delivery — HB 792 — was removed from consideration because the sponsor believes pharmacies already have the ability to deliver medical cannabis. (The Board of Pharmacy has granted them temporary permission to do so due to the coronavirus.)

Thanks for your support and compassion!