S. 25 creates a Cannabis Business Development Fund to assist social equity applicants.

On Monday, Governor Phil Scott signed S. 25, a bill that will strengthen the social equity provisions in Vermont’s cannabis legalization law. S. 25 requires the Cannabis Control Board to reduce or eliminate licensing fees for social equity applicants, which are defined as “individuals from communities that historically have been disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition or individuals directly and personally impacted by cannabis prohibition,” and it creates a Cannabis Business Development Fund to assist these applicants.  

The bill also modifies sections of the law dealing with advertising and other aspects of cannabis regulation. Before passing S. 25, the House removed a provision that would have incentivized municipalities to vote on whether to approve retail sales by March 2023.

In other news, the three-person Cannabis Control Board has begun working to develop regulations for Vermont’s adult-use cannabis market.

Now that Vermont has legalized cannabis and is well on its way to establishing a well-regulated, equitable market, we believe the Vermont Coalition to Regulate Marijuana has succeeded in fulfilling its purpose. Many thanks to Laura Subin, the Necrason Group, and all of our coalition members and allies who worked so hard to end cannabis prohibition in the Green Mountain State!

This will be the final email from the Vermont Coalition to Regulate Marijuana. However, we will continue to send you updates from the Marijuana Policy Project from time to time. It is still imperative that we end the federal war on cannabis, which tears families apart, drives up costs for patients and consumers, and makes local equity efforts more difficult.

We are very grateful for your support, without which this important victory would not have been possible.

Call your state representative right now to ask them to vote “yes” on S.B. 1118!

Exciting news! Last night, the Connecticut Senate approved a bill that would legalize cannabis for adults in a 19-17 vote. The measure now heads to the House of Representatives where a vote is anticipated later today. If passed, Gov. Lamont is expected to sign the bill into law. 

Please call or email your state lawmaker and ask them to vote “yes” on legalization. 

S.B. 1118 would legalize possession and home cultivation of cannabis for adults 21 and older and expunge thousands of past records. Half of new cannabis business licenses would be issued to social equity applicants, who could receive technical assistance, start-up funding, assistance from an accelerator program, and workforce training.

In the final hours of the Senate debate, the bill was amended to remove concerning language that would have allowed existing medical cannabis establishments to qualify for equity licensing through a partnership with an equity applicant that only owned 32% of the venture. We believe the bill as passed is one of the most comprehensive cannabis bills in the nation. You can check out a full summary of the updated bill here.  

Time is short: The House adjourns at midnight on Wednesday, June 9. That’s why it’s critical that you contact your state representative and tell them to vote YES on S.B. 1118.  Then, please spread the word to others. We are so close to the finish line and I know with your support we can get this done in the final days of the session.

Ask your state representative to vote YES on HB 150.

Big news! On Friday, the House Appropriations Committee approved HB 150 — a bill to legalize and regulate cannabis for adults in Delaware. As you may recall, the House Health and Human Development Committee had already approved the bill back in March. Now, the legislation is cleared for a vote by the full House of Representatives. The vote is scheduled for this Thursday, June 10 at 2 p.m.  

Email your representative today and ask them to vote YES on HB 150! 

The bill needs to receive a supermajority (25 votes) to clear the House. The legislature is set to adjourn on June 30. It’s more important than ever that your lawmakers hear from you — ask them to legalize cannabis THIS YEAR by voting YES on HB 150!

HB 150 is the just, equitable cannabis policy that Delawareans deserve. It would legalize possession of up to one ounce of cannabis for adults 21 and older, allow for mandatory expungement of past cannabis possession convictions, and promote equity and inclusion in the legal industry from communities disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition. You can check out our full summary of HB 150 here.

A strong majority of Delawareans support legalization. Ask your state representative to listen to their constituents and vote YES on HB 150. Please help us spread the word by forwarding this message to your friends and family in Delaware or sharing this link on social media — mpp.org/LegalizeDE — and urging your contacts to help get HB 150 past the finish line. 

Ask your Connecticut state lawmakers to legalize cannabis this year.

Exciting news! As you may recall, in April the Judiciary Committee advanced an amended version of Gov. Lamont’s proposal to legalize cannabis for adults over the age of 21 on a 22-16 vote. The final language the committee approved was a major improvement over the bill as-introduced. Lawmakers have now reached an agreement on the details of legalization — now S.B. 1118 — with a Senate vote expected on Monday.  

Please email your state lawmaker and ask them to support legalization.

Some key features of the new bill — which is sponsored by Senate President Martin Looney and House Speaker Matt Ritter — are: 

• Social equity applicant status is defined as an applicant for a cannabis establishment license that is at least 65% owned and controlled by one or more individuals who lived in a disproportionately impacted area for either at least five of the past 10 years or nine of their first 17 years of life. 
• A disproportionately impacted area is a census tract that has either an unemployment rate of over 10% or that has a high rate of drug arrests over the past 40 years.
• Social equity applicants must also have a median income for the last three years that was no more than triple the state’s median income. 

• Dedicates 50% of the maximum number of each license type for social equity applicants.
• Allows existing medical businesses to become licensed after paying a hefty conversion fees that are directed to social equity start-up; the fee can be reduced by half if they incubate one to two social equity businesses. 
• Allows adults to possess up to one and a half ounces on their person and allows up to five ounces in a locked location in one’s home, the person’s locked glove box, or their vehicle’s trunk.
• Decriminalizes first offense of possession of more than five ounces on one's person and more than eight ounces in one’s home, person’s locked glove box, or their vehicle, and cultivation of up to six plants.
• Starting October 1, 2021, allows medical patients who are at least 18 to securely cultivate up to three mature and three immature plants in their homes.
• Starting July 1, 2023, allows all adults 21 and older to securely cultivate up to three mature mature and three immature plants in their homes.
• Creates a free, automatic erasure process for cannabis possession and sale convictions up to four ounces or six mature plants.
• Eliminates law enforcement’s ability to initiate a search on the basis of odor of cannabis or burnt cannabis.
• Creates $50 million in bonding for initial funding for start-up capital for social equity applicants, the cannabis business accelerator program, and workforce training developed by the Social Equity Council.
• Beginning on July 1, 2023, directs 60% to 75% of the cannabis excise tax revenue to the Social Equity and Innovation Fund. Social Equity and Innovation funds can be used to promote social equity in relation to access to capital for businesses, funding workforce education; and funding for community investments.
• Beginning on July 1, 2023, directs 25% of cannabis excise tax revenue to the Prevention and Recovery Services Fund for substance abuse prevention, treatment and recovery services, and collection and analysis of data regarding substance use.
• Establishes the Social Equity Council to further develop equity criteria, priority in licensing and direct cannabis revenue.
• Creates a cannabis business accelerator program.

Although the bill is a vast improvement from what was presented in earlier versions of S.B. 888, we still have concerns that the language could be better tailored to assure equity applicants are at the forefront of the licensing process. We’ll continue pushing for those provisions to be removed but still strongly support the bill’s passage as it contains a ton of good provisions and is far better than the status quo. You can check out a full summary of the updated bill here.  

The bill needs 21 votes to secure passage in the Senate and advance to the House. Time is short: Both chambers adjourn at midnight on June 9. That’s why it’s critical that you contact your state senator and tell them to vote YES on S.B. 1118. With your continued support, I know we can get this across the finish line before the legislature adjourns. 

Tell U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan it’s time to end marijuana prohibition!

Last week, Gov. Chris Sununu signed HB 89, a bill adding autism spectrum disorder as a qualifying condition for the therapeutic cannabis program and adding moderate to severe insomnia as a qualifying symptom. This is welcome news, but most New Hampshire residents believe the state should go much further and legalize cannabis for adults’ use. A new poll published by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center indicates that three out of four Granite Staters support legalizing cannabis. This includes support from 86% of Democrats, 83% of Independents, and 62% of Republicans.

You can read more about the poll in this Marijuana Moment article.

Unfortunately, New Hampshire’s two U.S. senators have not supported legalization. Senator Jeanne Shaheen was quoted in a recent article saying, “I don’t support legalizing marijuana.” Senator Maggie Hassan opposed decriminalization bills and medical cannabis home cultivation bills during her tenure as governor, and she has not indicated a change in position since being elected to the Senate.

Write Senators Shaheen and Hassan today and urge them to support ending the federal prohibition of cannabis!

If you are a Twitter user, you can Tweet at them here: @SenatorShaheen and @SenatorHassan.

After you email these two U.S. senators, please share this message with your friends and family.

Call Gov. Abbott today and ask him to sign HB 1535 into law!

Texas’ 2021 legislative session adjourned on Monday, May 31. Although several cannabis reform bills were introduced this year, only one very modest reform — HB 1535 — was approved by the legislature. The bill now heads to Governor Greg Abbott’s desk for action.

Call the governor’s office today and ask that he sign HB 1535 into law!

The bill would expand the state’s low-THC medical cannabis program to include people with cancer and PTSD. It would also modestly increase the current 0.5% THC cap on medical cannabis to 1%.

Sadly, the Senate did not take up a bill — HB 441 — that would have eliminated the threat of jail time for up to one ounce of cannabis. Let your lawmakers know you want them to decriminalize cannabis during the next legislative session!

While HB 1535 is a modest improvement, there is still a great deal of work to be done to establish an effective medical cannabis program for patients across the Lone Star State.

After you call the governor and ask him to sign HB 1535 into law, please also reach out to your lawmakers to ask them to establish an effective medical cannabis program and decriminalize cannabis when they return in 2023!

Ask your state senator to stop jailing cannabis consumers!

Yesterday, the Louisiana Senate voted to allow medical cannabis in its raw, flower form in a 23-14 vote!

The Senate made some tweaks to the bill (HB 391), so it will head back to the House before landing on Gov. John Bel Edwards’ desk. The Senate has not yet voted on the separate bill (HB 514),  which MPP opposes, that would tax flower cannabis.

Meanwhile, a Senate Judiciary Committee advanced a bill (HB 652) to decriminalize possession of up to 14 grams of cannabis. The full Senate could vote on it as soon as Tuesday.

Write your state senator today to ask them to vote “yes” on HB 652. Let them know Louisianans shouldn’t be thrown in jail for using a substance that is safer than alcohol.

HB 652 would reduce the maximum penalty for possession of up to 14 grams to a $100 fine. Right now, the penalty  is up to 15 days in jail and/or a fine of up to $300.

While progress is being made, the legislature lags far behind the public on cannabis policy reform. Polling shows two-thirds of Louisiana voters support legalization, but efforts to end cannabis prohibition have died on the House floor.

Rep. Richard Nelson’s legalization bill — HB 699 — was pulled from consideration after a companion cannabis tax bill failed. And yesterday, the House voted down Rep. Candace Newell’s bill to set up a framework for legalization — HB 709 — in a 39-62 vote.

Several cities aren’t waiting for the legislature to roll back Louisiana’s devastating and racist war on marijuana. New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and East Baton Rouge have all decriminalized marijuana in recent years. More recently, New Orleans Council President Helana Moreno proposed an ordinance to dismiss all pending cases for misdemeanor possession of marijuana and pardon anyone who has a conviction. Almost 10,000 cases and convictions could be cleared.

Stay tuned for more updates, and don’t forget to write your state senator in support of decriminalization. It will save thousands of Louisianans from the trauma, disrespect, and disruption of being jailed for cannabis.

Urge your representative to support the MORE Act.

Today, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) reintroduced the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act. If enacted, the legislation would end the federal prohibition of cannabis by removing it from the Controlled Substances Act and ending criminal penalties under federal law.

Send an email to your representative in support of the MORE Act. In addition to federally decriminalizing and descheduling cannabis, the MORE Act would require federal courts to expunge prior cannabis-related convictions and provide for resentencing; provide grants and funding to communities most harmed by the war on cannabis; lift barriers to licensing and employment in the cannabis industry; block federal agencies from denying public benefits or security clearances due to cannabis use; protect immigrants from being denied citizenship over cannabis; and allow VA physicians to recommend medical cannabis to veterans.

Further, since serious criminal justice reform cannot progress in our country without ending the war on cannabis, the MORE Act would set federal policy on a path toward correcting an unfair system by addressing many of the harms caused by prohibition using an equity and justice-centered framework. A summary of the bill’s key provisions can be found here. 

The House of Representatives previously passed the MORE Act in December 2020, but the bill did not advance in the Senate.

With the reintroduction of MORE, members of Congress on both sides of the aisle have the opportunity and responsibility to come together and pass this important piece of legislation. The prohibition and criminalization of marijuana has led to decades of injustice and devastating consequences, particularly in Black, Latino, and low-income communities, and it’s clear that a strong majority of Americans do not support the status quo. It is past time for Congress to listen to the American people and take real action towards ending the war on cannabis and advancing serious criminal justice reform.

Please urge your U.S. representative to support this legislation, and then share the link to take action far and wide. We’ll continue to keep you up-to-date on MORE and other federal cannabis reforms. 

Call your senator today and ask them to improve and pass HB 1535!

With just a few days left in the legislative session, the medical cannabis expansion bill is getting close to the finish line!

Yesterday, the Senate State Affairs Committee unanimously passed (9-0) a bill (HB 1535) that would expand the state’s low-THC cannabis program. The bill has already been approved by the House of Representatives and is now cleared for a vote by the full Senate.

Please call your senator to improve and pass HB 1535.

Disappointingly, the bill was amended to reduce the cap on THC from 5% to 1% by weight. (The current cap is 0.5%.) The committee also amended the qualifying conditions: The bill now expands the program to include PTSD but omits chronic pain.

The legislative session is set to end on May 31. Ask your senator to stand with patients and improve the state’s low-THC cannabis program before session ends.

Thank you to our allies at Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy, who are working hard to improve and pass this legislation. Please call your senator today, and stay tuned for future updates!

Ask your state senator to allow — but not tax — flower cannabis.

This evening, the Louisiana Senate is scheduled to consider allowing raw/flower medical cannabis (HB 391), along with a separate bill that would impose state and local sales tax on it (HB 514). Both bills have already passed the House.

Ask your state senator to vote “yes” on allowing flower (HB 391) and “no” on  taxing suffering patients (HB 514).

We also have disappointing news on the legalization front. Rep. Richard Nelson’s marijuana legalization bill (HB 699) was pulled from consideration on the House floor after a companion bill to tax sales (HB 434) was voted down. The tax bill required a two-thirds vote, but only received 47 yeas and 49 nays.

On a brighter note, Gov. John Bel Edwards recently acknowledged legalization “is going to happen in Louisiana eventually.” His comments suggest he is beginning to come around on the issue.

In other news, Rep. Cedric Glover’s bill to stop jailing those found with up to 14 grams of cannabis (HB 652) has been scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee tomorrow. It already passed the House in a 68-25 vote. 

Please send a note to your state senator to ask them to support Rep. Glover’s decriminalization bill. Let them know Louisiana needs to stop turning lives upside down over a plant that is safer than alcohol.

Thank you for supporting humane cannabis policies!