Ask your lawmakers to support legislation to legalize cannabis for adults 21 and older. The General Assembly kicks off its 90-day 2020 legislative session today! To recap, the marijuana legalization workgroup met during the off-session and came to the consensus that they would not recommend legislation to legalize marijuana for adult use this session. However, the legislature could now be on track to seriously consider legalization in 2021. Keep up the pressure by emailing your legislators and…

Urge your state legislators to work with new Governor Andy Beshear and pass a medical cannabis law in 2020! After years of frustration for patients and advocates in Kentucky, it’s possible that lawmakers in Frankfort will finally pass a medical cannabis law during the 2020 legislative session, which begins today. Last year, the House Judiciary Committee overwhelmingly approved a medical cannabis bill, but time ran out, and it did not receive a floor vote. Please write your legislators today and…

Join us for an advocacy day at the State House on Thursday, January 9 — but first, write your representatives and urge them to support S. 54! The Vermont Legislature will convene on Thursday, January 9, so what better day to remind legislators that cannabis regulation needs to be a top priority in 2020? All members of the Vermont Coalition to Regulate Marijuana are encouraged to visit the State House that day and join us as we encourage legislators to pass S. 54. Here are the details: WHAT: Cannabis…

There’s a new law in the Land of Lincoln! Yesterday, while ringing in a new decade, Illinois also saw the official start of legal cannabis sales for adults 21 and older.   Illinois residents can now purchase and possess up to 30 grams of raw cannabis, cannabis-infused products containing no more than 500 mg of THC, and five grams of cannabis product in concentrated form. Visitors to the state can purchase half those amounts. More than 40 dispensaries throughout Illinois have been approved to sell…

New law sets the stage for automatic expungement On Monday, in addition to referring legalization to voters, the New Jersey Legislature passed a reworked bill to expunge or seal thousands of past convictions, including marijuana charges. Just two days later, Gov. Phil Murphy signed the bill into law. This new law removes a scarlet letter that has derailed countless lives. Marijuana convictions can make it difficult to get housing, jobs, professional licensing, and to further one’s education. With…

Ask lawmakers not to lose sight of other needed reforms. Today, a supermajority of the New Jersey Senate and Assembly voted to refer adult-use legalization to voters. The Senate vote was 24-16, while the Assembly approved the voter referral 49-24-1. On Tuesday, November 3, 2020, New Jersey voters will decide whether to approve a short constitutional amendment that replaces marijuana prohibition with regulation. While we are optimistic that voters will put an end to New Jersey’s eight-decade-long…

As the rest of the region moves forward, the Nutmeg State should not remain an island of prohibition — please contact your representatives and senators today! Massachusetts recently concluded its first year of retail cannabis sales to adults, and the results are in: nearly $400 million in sales, an estimated $67 million in state tax revenue, and up to $11.8 million in tax revenue for municipalities. There are still only about 35 retail stores open in the state, up from the original two that opened…

Last week, Legalize ND submitted petition language to put an initiative to legalize, regulate, and tax marijuana before the voters next November. Once the measure is approved for circulation by the secretary of state, activists must gather 13,452 voter signatures before July 6, 2020 to qualify for the ballot. In 2018, North Dakotans rejected a proposal to legalize marijuana for adults 59% to 41%. This time around, however, Legalize ND worked closely with the North Dakota Legislative Council and…

Next year, Arkansas could make history and become the first southern state to end marijuana prohibition and wipe the slate clean for people with criminal records for marijuana convictions.  The Marijuana Policy Project has endorsed two constitutional ballot initiatives being spearheaded by Arkansans for Cannabis Reform. The first would establish a system to legalize and regulate marijuana for adults 21 and older. The second would create a pathway for individuals to remove previous marijuana offenses…

At long last, Minnesota plans to include chronic pain in its medical cannabis program. Unless the legislature overturns the Department of Health’s recent decision, chronic pain will be a qualifying condition for medical cannabis beginning in August 2020. The department also approved adding macular degeneration, effective next August. Qualifying patients must register with the state and submit a medical professional’s certification to access the program. While “intractable pain” has been included…