Tell your state senator you support S.167!

Despite having a medical marijuana program since 2018, Pennsylvania’s “zero tolerance” driving under the influence law still does not recognize the difference between medicinal and recreational cannabis use. This statutory oversight places unimpaired medical patients at risk of arrest, prosecution, and conviction every time they operate a motor vehicle, even when driving responsibly. Under current law, any amount of cannabis found in a driver’s system could result in a DUI charge, which carries a penalty of 72 hours of incarceration, a $1,000 minimum fine, and a 12-month license suspension for the first offense, with increased penalties for each subsequent DUI conviction.  

S.167, a bill sponsored by Sen. Camera Bartolotta (R), would amend current law to require proof of actual impairment — similar to the requirements for operating a vehicle while using prescription drugs — to form the basis for a DUI conviction. Thousands of Pennsylvanians have found relief for their chronic illnesses through the medical marijuana program, but until Title 75 is amended, patients will continue to risk arrest and conviction every day for using a substance that does not impair their ability to operate a vehicle.

That’s why we’re calling on Pennsylvania residents to write their state senators today and urge them to sign on as cosponsors to S.167 to remove DUI penalties for legal medical cannabis use. With your support, we can build the momentum needed to get this commonsense reform signed into law.

Thank you for taking action, and please stay tuned for additional updates throughout the 2021 legislative session. 

Ask your N.J. legislators to legalize home cultivation!

Although New Jersey legalized adult-use cannabis in February, growing a single cannabis plant remains a felony! The vast majority of legalization states — including New York and Connecticut — include the legalization of home grow.

Write your state lawmakers today and urge them to sign on as cosponsors to the bills to legalize home cultivation — A.5435, S.3582, A.5552, and S.3420.

Shortly after legalization was finalized in February, Sen. Vin Gopal (D) introduced S.3582, which would allow persons 21 and up to grow and possess up to six plants for personal use, with a maximum of 12 plants per household. It would also allow medical patients to grow up to 10 plants, with a maximum of 12 plants per household. S.3582 was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee where it is awaiting a hearing. In that same month, Assemblymember Bob Auth (R) introduced A.5435, which would legalize possession of six or fewer plants. A.5435 awaits a hearing by the Assembly Judiciary Committee.

In May, Assemblymembers Joanne Downey (D), Eric Houghtailing (D), and Andrew Zwicker (D) cosponsored A.5552 — an Assembly version of S.3582, which is awaiting a hearing by the Law and Public Safety Committee. Separately, in February, Sen. Troy Singleton (D) sponsored S.3420. That bill awaits action by the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee.  

Although two-thirds of New Jersey voters approved legalization last November, growing a single cannabis plant remains a third-degree crime, punishable by three to five years in prison.

That’s why the passage of these bills is crucial in ensuring more New Jerseyans aren’t arrested and prosecuted for a plant that has proven to be far less harmful than alcohol or tobacco.

Please write your legislators today, then spread the word to others so that they, too, can raise their voices for reform.

Sign up here to make your voice heard!

After six long years of advocacy, the South Carolina Compassionate Care Act is poised to get a vote in the state Senate when the legislature returns to work! But to turn this long overdue bill into law we need to make sure the House of Representatives votes, too.

We’ve brought on a grassroots organizing team to prepare constituents in key districts to meet with their state reps and to do all the legwork to schedule and facilitate the meetings.

That’s where you come in … We’re looking for people with a personal connection to the issue who are willing to participate. Please fill out our form. Let us know if you could benefit from medical cannabis, have a loved one who could find relief from cannabis, or are a medical professional, veteran, clergy member, or former law enforcement — or if you are otherwise personally connected to the issue.

Polling shows more than 70% of South Carolina voters support allowing medical cannabis.  But some in law enforcement have been vigorously opposed. To get this done, it’s crucial that state reps hear from their own constituents who are depending on them to pass the Compassionate Care Act.

Personal stories change hearts, minds, and votes. Our team will handle the legwork and make it easy. So please, fill out the form, and share this message with others who may be willing to raise their voices for compassion.

Urge your lawmakers to end cannabis prohibition in 2022!

In case you missed it, House Speaker Adrienne Jones (D) has announced that the House intends to pass a bill to refer legalization to voters on the 2022 ballot. The announcement also included the formation of a legalization workgroup to study the issue. The workgroup held its first meeting last week, which is available to view here.

As the workgroup begins to meet, the Maryland Cannabis Policy Coalition has created a list of priorities we will be advocating for to ensure that legalization in achieved in 2022 without delay, is equitable, and seeks to repair the past harms of cannabis prohibition. This includes:

• Ensuring any voter referendum is self-executing and legalizes possession and home cultivation with no further legislative action needed.
• If legalization is referred to the ballot in 2022, the legislature should also enact implementing legislation in 2022 to ensure legalization is rooted in social equity and reparative justice.
• Reinvesting the bulk of tax revenue into disproportionately impacted communities.

You can check out the full list here.

It’s important that your lawmakers hear from their constituents. Be sure to reach out to them today and ask them to ensure equitable legalization is achieved in 2022!

A strong majority of Marylanders support legalizing cannabis for adults, but the legislature must act to bring equitable legalization to Maryland. Please reach out to your lawmakers today and share this message with your friends and family in Maryland. Stay tuned for future updates!

Support the families and patients fighting for medical cannabis in Nebraska

Thanks to a new 2022 ballot initiative effort, Nebraskans may have an opportunity to end the criminalization of medical cannabis in their state next year. 

Led by Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana (NMM), a ballot question committee, local advocates intend to qualify a pair of initiatives ahead of the November election next year. In total, they’ll need to gather about 175,000 valid signatures from voters across the state before the July 7, 2022 deadline. Sponsors of the initiatives, State Senators Anna Wishart and Adam Morfeld, recently filed drafts of the measures with the Nebraska Secretary of State. The campaign expects to begin circulating petitions later this month.

You can support the signature drive by donating directly to the campaign! A contribution of any amount will help print petitions, provide fuel for volunteers’ travel, and move the campaign closer to qualifying for the ballot.

The NMM campaign is now recruiting volunteers from across the state. They are working to organize local teams and mobilize supporters to be part of the grassroots signature drive. You can get involved by signing up here!

I hope you will support this important effort to bring compassionate cannabis laws to Nebraska. Please forward this email to other supporters and stay tuned for more updates as the petition language is finalized and the signature drive ramps up!

Good news! On June 30, 2021, Governor Wolf signed P.L. 210 into law, making several improvements to Pennsylvania’s medical cannabis program. P.L. 210 (otherwise known as HB 1024) was sponsored by Rep. Paul Schemel (R-Franklin) and acts on recommendations made by the Department of Health to revise the Medical Marijuana Act, which was signed into law in 2016.

The proposal most notably allows patients to purchase three times as much cannabis as they previously could, and it removes language that steered chronic pain patients to try more dangerous painkillers first. P.L. 210 also narrows the restriction on people with past drug convictions working in or owning medical cannabis businesses. It protects patient safety standards and product quality of Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program while empowering the Medical Marijuana Advisory Board to continue to consider new medical conditions for eligibility. It will also retain certain flexibilities enacted under the state’s COVID-19 disaster declaration that patients and dispensaries found improved safe access. You can check out a summary of P.L. 210 here and a full summary of Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana law here.

Although the updates to the medical marijuana program are welcomed, we know that many residents will still not be able to access cannabis for their medicine. That’s why we are continuing to push for legalization in Pennsylvania. Please take a few minutes to email your state lawmakers to add your voice to the growing number of Keystone residents that support marijuana legalization.  

Minnesota’s Office of Medical Cannabis is once again considering adding new qualifying medical conditions and a mode of administration to the medical cannabis program. It is accepting public comment on:

• Sensible Minnesota’s petition to add GI-uptake infused edibles (i.e., edibles that are not dissolved orally, such as chewable products), and
• Adding anxiety disorder and/or specific sub-conditions — generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety/ social phobia, panic disorder, specific phobias, separation anxiety, and agoraphobia. The Office of Medical Cannabis seeks to limit the condition to individuals who are 25 or older.

You can add your voice in support of expanding the program by submitting written comment by October 1.

Email health.cannabis.adddeliverymethod@state.mn.us to support GI edibles as a new delivery method. Email health.cannabis.addmedicalcondition@state.mn.us to support adding anxiety disorder as a qualifying medical condition and to weigh in on the proposed limitation to those 25 or older.

Or send postal mail to:

Office of Medical Cannabis 
P.O. Box 64882
St. Paul, MN 55164-0882

When Minnesota’s medical cannabis law passed in 2014, its list of qualifying conditions and modes of administration were among the most restrictive in the country — leaving behind huge numbers of patients and prohibiting raw cannabis. But, thanks to years of advocacy led by Sensible Minnesota, the program has steadily improved. Chronic pain, macular degeneration, PTSD, autism, and obstructive sleep apnea have been added through the petition process, and the legislature added whole-plant flower cannabis this year.

Please comment on one or both petitions to help the program continue to improve. To go the extra mile, forward this message to other Minnesotans who may be interested in raising their voices.

On Thursday, the New Orleans City Council approved a package of three ordinances to move the city as close as it can legally get to legalizing cannabis possession. 

Beginning on September 15, the ordinances — sponsored by Council President Helena Morena — will pardon about 10,000 cannabis possession convictions and pending charges. New Orleans had previously reduced the penalty for cannabis possession to a fine-only offense. 

With this new policy, anyone who receives a summons under the law will have it immediately forgiven, with no action needed from the court or the ticketed individual. 

Smoking cannabis in public will be a ticketable offense under the Smoke-Free Air Act. 

As Council President Moreno explained, “These new policies will help NOPD build community trust and use saved manpower hours to address major issues like shootings, murders, and the overall prevention of violence in our city. We must begin to rethink the historical practices that have over-incarcerated, over-fined, and stigmatized our communities for decades. The time to end the criminalization of cannabis possession is now.”

Congratulations to our allies at CommonSense NOLA, including Kevin Caldwell; Council President Morena; and everyone else who worked so hard to enact these measures! 

Good news! On Tuesday, Gov. Chris Sununu signed HB 605 into law, adding opiate use disorder to New Hampshire’s medical cannabis program and allowing visiting patients to purchase cannabis while in the state. 

Opiate use disorder will only qualify if the patient was certified “by a board certified addiction medicine or addiction psychiatry provider who is actively treating the patient for opioid use disorder” and if the patient has “associated symptoms of cravings and/or withdrawal.”

Meanwhile, patients who are visiting from other medical cannabis states can begin buying cannabis in New Hampshire starting on September 7. They may only buy cannabis from New Hampshire ATCs (dispensaries) three times in a 12-month period unless they produce a statement from their health care provider stating that they have a condition listed under New Hampshire law. 

The governor previously signed SB 162, which makes tweaks to the medical cannabis law, including allowing New Hampshire-registered patients to go to any ATC beginning on September 7 instead of requiring them to designate a single ATC. Patients are still limited to two ounces every 10 days and can have their ID cards revoked if they exceed the limit.

ATCs will be allowed to cultivate up to three mature plants per patient in the program, replacing the limit of three mature plants per patient who designated it. SB 162 also removes the five-patient cap on caregivers and allows medical providers to specify that a patient ID card is valid for up to three years. 

While we’re glad to see New Hampshire’s cannabis policies continue improving, they lag far behind the state’s neighbors and voters’ wishes. New Hampshire is an island of prohibition, surrounded by jurisdictions where cannabis is legal for adults. Unfortunately, Gov. Chris Sununu is a prohibitionist, and the Senate has repeatedly killed legalization efforts. Let your lawmakers know it’s past time the state stop punishing adults for using a plant that is safer than alcohol.

The penalty for just under a half-ounce of cannabis is reduced to a fine.

Louisiana’s new cannabis “decriminalization” law — HB 652 — took effect yesterday!

On August 1, 2021, the penalty for possessing up to 14 grams of cannabis (0.49 oz.) was reduced to a fine of up to $100. For those unable to pay, the court shall use its discretion for alternatives, such as community service or installment payments. Thanks to the new law, possession of up to 14 grams is now enforced by a summons (like a traffic ticket) not an arrest.

This new law does not reduce penalties for possessing over 14 grams or for possession with intent to distribute or sales of any amount. Those penalties remain harsh.

We are grateful to everyone who has worked so hard for humane cannabis policies in Louisiana, including bill sponsor Rep. Cedric Glover and Louisiana Progress — which led the charge on legalization and decriminalization advocacy this year. We also appreciate each of you who urged your lawmakers and the governor to support this important reform, which will save thousands from the trauma of arrest and incarceration!

Stay tuned for updates on efforts to legalize and regulate cannabis for adults’ use. The Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice is studying the issue before the legislature reconvenes next year. And, in New Orleans, the proposed ordinance to pardon past and future cannabis possession offenses awaits a vote.