Contact your state senator and ask them to support SB 107!

I have some encouraging news to share with you. Last week, Sen. Sharif Street filed a bill with the Judiciary Committee to decriminalize up to 30 grams of cannabis.

Currently, possession and distribution of 30 grams of cannabis (or eight grams of hashish without intent to sell) is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days imprisonment and a $500 fine.

Under SB 107, the penalty for possession and distribution would be reduced to a summary offense and a $25 civil fine. The penalty for smoking cannabis in public places would be reduced to a $100 civil fine.

While the measure is an important step toward ending the failed policies of the war on cannabis, it wouldn’t reduce penalties associated with paraphernalia. In other words, cannabis consumers could still be jailed for the baggie cannabis is stored in, even if the cannabis itself is decriminalized.

The bill has not yet been scheduled for a hearing. We know that inaction will only lead to continued arrests and the ruining of more lives of Pennsylvanians.

Please consider emailing your state senator and asking them to strengthen the bill and sign on as a cosponsor.

Thank you for your support, and please continue to look out for updates throughout the 2021 legislative session.

Sign up here to indicate your support or to testify via Zoom on Wednesday, January 27.

Two legalization bills have been introduced in the New Hampshire House of Representatives, and both have been scheduled for hearings in the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee on Wednesday, January 27, beginning at 11 a.m. The hearings will be conducted via Zoom, which means it will be easier than ever for Granite Staters to support ending cannabis prohibition.

HB 629 would legalize possession and limited cultivation of cannabis for adults 21 and older, and HB 237 would legalize, regulate, and tax cannabis for adults. Here’s how you can help:

(1) Click here to access the House’s remote sign-in sheet.

(2) Select the date (1/27) and the committee: House Criminal Justice and Public Safety.

(3) Select either HB 629 or HB 237, identify yourself as a “member of the public,” and indicate that you support the bill.

(4) If you wish to speak at the hearing, check the box. If you do not wish to speak, click “continue” and enter your name and contact information on the next page.

(5) After you submit the form, you can repeat this process for the other bill.

Summaries of the two bills are available here: HB 629, HB 237. You can access the full text of the bills here: HB 629, HB 237.

For those who wish to testify, here are some pointers on how to make a positive impact with your testimony.

After you sign up to testify or indicate your support, please share this important message with your friends and family!

Email your state legislators today and urge them to support bringing Virginia’s cannabis laws into the 21st century!

Virginia’s legislative session began last week, and several important cannabis policy reform bills have already been introduced. The following pieces of legislation all appear to have a realistic chance of passing in 2021:

• SB 1406 would legalize, regulate, and tax cannabis with a strong emphasis on social equity.
• HB 2218 and SB 1333 would allow registered patients to use whole-plant, flower cannabis rather than limiting them to only the use of extracts.
• HB 2113 and SB 1283 would require automatic expungement of criminal records for past cannabis-related offenses.

It’s encouraging to see that the governor and many legislators want Virginia to move forward with cannabis policy reforms in 2021, but some elected officials still aren’t sure it is a good idea. If you live in Virginia, please write your state legislators today and urge them to support reforming Virginia’s cannabis laws by passing these important bills!

If you are a patient who would benefit from access to whole-plant cannabis, please also take a moment to email the members of the Health, Welfare and Institutions (HWI) Committee’s Subcommittee on Health Professions. They are scheduled to consider HB 2218 on Thursday, and it’s important that the delegates on this committee hear from you. If you have a personal story to share that illustrates why access to whole-plant cannabis is important to you, it would be great if you could include that in your message to legislators.

After you take action, please share this message with your friends and family!

Reach out to your lawmakers today and ask them to support HB 32!

The General Assembly kicked off its 2021 legislative session today! This could be the year that Maryland ends cannabis prohibition and joins the 15 states and D.C that have legalized cannabis for adults.

Delegate Jazz Lewis (D) pre-filed a comprehensive legalization bill: HB 32 —“The Maryland Cannabis Legalization, Regulation—Inclusion, Restoration, and Rehabilitation Act of 2021.”

Now is a great time to let your lawmakers know that you want them to legalize cannabis in 2021!

HB 32 was carefully crafted with racial equity and reparative justice at the forefront. In addition to legalizing personal possession and cultivation of cannabis for adults and expunging past cannabis convictions, the bill provides robust provisions to ensure Black business ownership and participation in the legal industry and reinvest in communities hardest hit by the war on cannabis. You can check out our full summary of the legislation here.

By legalizing marijuana and establishing a regulated market for adults 21 and older, Maryland can further reduce the number of marijuana-related arrests being made, create a new source of revenue and jobs for the state, and begin to repair the decades of harm that cannabis prohibition has caused, particularly in communities of color.

Marylanders deserve a just, equitable cannabis policy. Please reach out to your lawmakers to support HB 32 today, share the action on social media, and encourage your family and friends in Maryland to do the same. Stay tuned for future updates.

Together, we can end prohibition in the Free State!

Contact your elected officials today and urge them to support allowing home cultivation for adults 21 and older!

Fifteen states have now legalized cannabis for adults’ use, and Washington is one of only three that does not yet allow home cultivation. Fortunately, a new bill has been introduced in Olympia that would legalize home cultivation of up to six plants per adult and 15 per household.

Please contact your elected officials and urge them to support HB 1019!

The bill has been scheduled for a public hearing in the House Commerce and Gaming Committee on Friday morning. In addition to writing your state legislators, you may wish to submit written testimony to the committee or sign up to testify via videoconference. Here are the details:

When: Friday, January 15, 10:00 a.m.

What: Public hearing on HB 1019 in House Commerce and Gaming Committee

Where: Links to the bill text and video feed are available here. You can offer a brief comment on the bill here, and you can sign up to testify via videoconference or submit written testimony here.

Much like home brewing of beer, there is no good reason to deny adults the freedom to grow their own cannabis. For many Washingtonians, such as those who don’t live near a retail store, home cultivation would provide an ethical and cost-effective alternative to purchasing from the unregulated market.

A similar bill passed this committee in a 9-2 vote last year, but it did not receive a vote in the full House of Representatives.

After you email your elected officials, please share this message with your friends and family!

Ask your lawmakers to legalize, tax, and regulate cannabis for adults 21 and older this session.

The General Assembly convened for an unprecedented legislative session today. With the coronavirus pandemic preventing legislators from meeting in person, both chambers will meet via Zoom.

There is increasing momentum for Delaware to move forward with legalization this year. Several seats were flipped in the General Assembly last November, and there are now 15 states — including Delaware’s neighbor, New Jersey — that have legalized cannabis for adults. Rep. Ed Osienski, sponsor of the 2020 legalization bill, plans to introduce a bill again this session.

Please reach out to your lawmakers today and urge them to support legalization!

Replacing cannabis prohibition with sensible regulation would reduce the number of cannabis-related arrests and police interactions, free up law enforcement resources to focus on more serious crimes, and generate a much needed new source of jobs and revenue for the state.

To help get legalization over the finish line this year, email your lawmakers and ask them to support legalization, share this action on social media, and encourage others to do the same. Stay tuned for future updates on the 2021 legalization effort.

Together, we can end prohibition in the First State!

Write your elected officials, then call your senator’s office and urge them to support the legislation!

Last year, the Kentucky House voted 65-30 to pass the medical cannabis bill, but Senate leaders refused to give it a vote. Fortunately for patients who are suffering needlessly without safe, legal access to cannabis, Rep. Jason Nemes and other compassionate legislators have vowed to continue the fight in 2021.

Kentucky’s legislative session begins today, so now would be a great time to write your state legislators in support of medical cannabis. After you do so, please call your senator’s office and urge them to support the bill!

While you’re at it, please take a moment to call Senate President Robert Stivers’ office and tell him this legislation is urgently needed for Kentuckians who are battling serious medical conditions.

After you write your state legislators, call your senator’s office, and call Senate President Robert Stivers’ office, please share this message with your friends and family.

Ask Gov. Murphy to sign S.21/A.21 and A.1897/4269 immediately!

Exciting news! Today, both the N.J. Senate and Assembly voted to advance two bills that would legalize possession of up to six ounces of cannabis and create the regulatory structure for adult-use sales. The Assembly passed S.21/A.21, “The NJ Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Act,” in a 49-24 vote with six abstentions. The Senate passed the measure in a 23-17 vote with no abstentions.

You may recall that a constitutional amendment legalizing cannabis, which was approved by around two-thirds of New Jersey voters on Election Day, takes effect January 1. But it only allows for legalization of a regulated market, which means possession of cannabis remains illegal until Gov. Phil Murphy signs the enabling legislation.

Under the negotiated version of S.21/A.21, the number of cultivation licenses would be capped at 37 for the first 24 months after the bill’s enactment. Facilities with 2,500 square feet or less and fewer than 1,000 plants are not included in the cap. The sales tax revenue would be divided up, with 70 percent going to social justice programs and 100 percent of cultivation excise fees going to a social equity fund that would be directed to social justice reforms in communities disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs. The remaining 30 percent of sales tax revenue would be used to support the work of the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission and for enforcement personnel training and equipment for drug recognition experts.

The excise fee, which could be imposed by the newly formed Cannabis Regulatory Commission nine months after the first recreational cannabis sales, is structured to rise as the average price of cannabis falls.

Also today, the Assembly passed an amended version of A.1897/4269. Under the amended bill, up to six ounces of cannabis and 170 grams of hashish could be possessed legally with no associated criminal or civil penalties. Additionally, the bill removes penalties for use or possession for people currently on parole or probation. The bill also eliminates the odor of cannabis as a basis to initiate a search of a person and removes cannabis-related offenses from consideration in pretrial release and detention. The Senate passed the measure last month in a 29-4 vote with no abstentions. Today, the Assembly passed the measure in a 64-12 vote with one abstention.

Both bills now head to Gov. Murphy for his signature.

Ask your state legislators to cosponsor the South Carolina Compassionate Care Act.

On Wednesday, Sen. Tom Davis (R) and Rep. Bill Herbkersman (R) pre-filed bills that would allow seriously ill patients to use and safely access medical cannabis in South Carolina.

As Rep. Bill Herbkersman explained, “It is unacceptable that South Carolinians with serious illnesses have to break the law to alleviate their suffering. My brother [who died of cancer] deserved better. Our friends, family, and neighbors deserve the same options to medicine that are afforded to Americans in 36 other states. Waiting any longer will only add to the suffering that is experienced by those who are plagued with debilitating illnesses.”

Now is the time to let your legislators know their constituents are counting on them to do everything possible to ensure the Compassionate Care Act becomes law in 2021. Send them a message today.

If you or a loved one has a special connection to the issue — such as if you could benefit from medical cannabis or you are a medical professional — consider following up with a call to share your experience.

You can also check out a summary of the House version of the bill here, and the Senate bill here. 

It’s past time South Carolinians have the medical freedom that patients have in Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Florida, and 32 other states. Raise your voice today to let your state legislators know that their constituents are counting on them. Then, spread the word to other compassionate South Carolinians.

Reach out to your lawmakers today to urge them to prioritize legalization when they return to Dover in 2021.

November’s election results brought new opportunity to end cannabis prohibition in the First State. Several seats were flipped in the General Assembly, and there are now 15 states — including Delaware’s neighbor, New Jersey — that have legalized cannabis for adults.

The legislature is set to reconvene its 2021 session on January 12. Now is a great time to make sure lawmakers know their constituents want equitable legalization enacted next year.

Also, be sure to mark your calendars and join a virtual Delaware cannabis legalization panel discussion next week hosted by our allies at Delaware Cannabis Advocacy Network.

Here are the details:

When: Wednesday, December 16, 7-9 p.m. ET

Where: Zoom and Facebook Live

Featuring keynote speaker: Major Neill Franklin (Ret.), a 34-year law enforcement veteran of the Maryland State and Baltimore Police Departments and Executive Director of Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP)

For more information on the virtual event, you can contact the Delaware Cannabis Advocacy Network at (302) 404-4208 or info@delawarecannabis.org.

To help get legalization over the finish line next legislative year, please email your lawmakers and ask them to support legalization, then share this action on social media and encourage others to do the same.

Together we can end prohibition in the First State!