Tennessee is increasingly an outlier when it comes to cannabis policy. Two of its neighbors have legalized cannabis for adults 21 and older — Virginia and Missouri. Neighboring Kentucky, Alabama, Arkansas, and Mississippi have comprehensive medical cannabis laws. Meanwhile, Tennessee remains one of only 11 states that does not have a medical cannabis program.

It's up to the legislature to reform Tennessee's outdated cannabis laws. Senator Janice Bowling (R) has sponsored SB489, which would create a comprehensive program to allow seriously ill patients to use and safely access medical cannabis.

Last year, similar legislation did not pass out of committee, but with President Trump extolling the benefits of medical cannabis, this may be the year!

Now is the time to push for this piece of legislation, as the committee process begins. If you live in Tennessee, it's crucial that lawmakers hear from you that medical cannabis policy reform is important to their constituents. 

A March 4 committee hearing has been scheduled in Colorado on a regressive bill — SB 25-076 — that would ban adults 21-24 from buying cannabis with more than 10% THC while making other changes that increase waste, drive up prices, and hamstring the industry.

SB 25-076 would:

• Limit inhaled cannabis to 500 milligrams of THC per package, making it illegal to sell even an ⅛ ounce (at 14.2% or more potency) per package and requiring consumers to purchase twice as many vape carts for the same amount of THC
• Drive up costs, and thus prices, and waste, making legal cannabis less competitive with the illicit market and hemp-derived synthetic cannabinoids
• Prohibit adults 21-24 from buying cannabis with over 10% THC, driving 90% of sales to young adults to the much riskier illicit market

If you live in Colorado, ask your lawmakers to defeat this regressive bill.

To go the extra mile, you can testify in person, in writing, or remotely.

What: Senate Business, Labor, and Technology hearing on SB 25-076
When: Tuesday, March 4, 2:00 p.m.
Where: Old Supreme Court Chamber, 200 E. Colfax Ave. Denver, CO 80203 — or online.

Driving 21-24-year-olds to the illicit and hemp-derived synthetic THC market is a terrible move for health and safety. Recently, a smoke shop's THC products were found laced with fentanyl. And in 2019, illicit THC vapes were found to have an unsafe additive that caused lung injury and death.

Meanwhile, state-legal cannabis businesses are already struggling to compete with the illicit and hemp-derived synthetics markets, which don't have to pay excise taxes or comply with costly lab and regulatory costs. The bill would kill jobs and jeopardize small businesses, driving sales underground. 

Marijuana decriminalization and legalization bills in West Virginia have been filed by Senator Mike Woelfl this session! We are thrilled the Mountain State has the opportunity to evolve on cannabis laws, as many of its neighboring states have.

The decriminalization bill, SB 219, would:

• Reduce the penalty for possession of under 15 grams to a fine of no more than $25, removing the possibility of jail time
• Downgrade the offense from a criminal misdemeanor to a civil violation

The legalization bill, SJR3, would refer a state constitutional amendment to voters that — if approved — would:

• Allows adults 21 years of age and older to legally possess no more than two ounces of cannabis and four plants
• Provide that any prior convictions for possession of two ounces or less of cannabis will be dismissed and/or expunged

If you live in West Virginia, ask your legislator to support these efforts to change the cannabis regulatory landscape!

In 2023, the FBI Uniform Crime Report found 1,854 adult arrests in West Virginia for simple marijuana possession (with 86% of agencies reporting).

West Virginia is the fourth worst state for racial disparities in marijuana arrests — Black people are 7.3 times more likely to be arrested for cannabis possession than white people in the state, despite similar use rates.

It's time for West Virginia to catch up with Ohio, Maryland, and Virginia — and to give voters a chance to end the war on cannabis.

Included in Gov. Kathy Hochul’s budget proposal was language to remove the ban on giving law enforcement probable cause to search vehicles based solely upon the odor of cannabis. This prohibition on searches based on odor was a key part of New York’s 2021 legalization law.

Although New York decriminalized cannabis back in 1977, New York City police largely ignored the law and made the city the marijuana arrest capital of the world for years — with Black and Latino people disproportionately targeted. Removing the ban on searches based on the real or feigned smell of cannabis will turn back the clock and open the door on intrusive and racially discriminatory enforcement.

If you live in New York, let your lawmakers know no one should be presumed to be a criminal and be subject to a search for legal activity. People who work in cannabis cultivation and processing often smell like cannabis when they get off work. Just say NO to searches based solely on the smell of cannabis!

Georgia is increasingly an outlier when it comes to cannabis policy. It is one of only 19 states that continues to jail cannabis consumers, and Georgia's low-THC medical cannabis program is so limited MPP does not count it as a "medical cannabis state."

That could change this year! A bipartisan group of legislators have submitted HB440 – the PEACH (Providing Effective Access to Cannabis for Health) Act. This legislation would allow all forms of medical cannabis, including flower, instead of limiting it to oils. HB 440 also adds some qualifying ailments, and removes the language on many ailments that only qualify at severe or end stage situations. In addition, it offers reciprocity for out-of- state patients.

If you live in Georgia, urge your legislators to support expanding access for medical cannabis patients!

The legislature session began in January for a two-year legislative cycle. Last year Georgia lawmakers proposed a bill to create a functional medical cannabis program, but the bill failed to make it out of committee. 

In February, the Arkansas General Assembly approved SB59, which could pay for students' breakfasts with taxes generated from medical cannabis. HB1408 would allow patients to use Health Savings Accounts or Flexible Spending Accounts for medical cannabis.

However, no lawmaker has submitted language to decriminalize cannabis, a reform that is desperately needed. Arkansas remains one of only 19 states that still incarcerates individuals for possessing small amounts of cannabis. Arkansas currently has some of the harshest cannabis laws in the nation. Possessing less than four ounces of cannabis is a misdemeanor carrying up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500.

If you live in Arkansas, ask your legislator to stop jailing cannabis consumers!

Partial data reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program shows that 84% of law enforcement agencies reporting made 4,976 arrests for cannabis possession in Arkansas in 2023. Law enforcement resources could be put to far better use. It is time your legislators heard from you that custodial arrests for small amounts of cannabis is not what the citizens want!

The 2025 Texas legislative session is underway, and a bill to stop jailing cannabis consumers has been filed!

Representative John Bucy III (D) has introduced HB1790, which would remove criminal penalties for possession of up to one ounce of cannabis flower, among other drug policy reforms. Texas continues to be an outlier when it comes to arresting people for possessing small amounts of cannabis.

If you live in Texas, ask your legislators to support this legislation.

Reform is urgently needed in Texas. MPP's decriminalization report highlighted a case from March 2021. Marvin Scott III died in jail about nine hours after being incarcerated during booking for possessing less than two ounces of cannabis (the general charge for possession of small amounts of cannabis in Texas). Scott suffered from schizophrenia and was confined in a restraint bed with a spit mask, pepper sprayed, and subjected to a pressure point control technique. He went into fatal cardiac arrest.

As President Trump has said, people should not be jailed for possessing small amounts of cannabis.

We will continue to keep you up to date with cannabis policy reforms on the legislative agenda this year in Texas. 

On Thursday, February 27, Montana lawmakers will hold a hearing on an outrageous bill (SB 255) that would force adult-use cannabis consumers to register with the state at a cost of $200 per year! Those who don't pay up would lose their ability to legally purchase, possess, or use cannabis.

What: Business, Labor and Economic Affairs Committee Hearing on SB 255 — Revise recreational marijuana laws to require a marijuana identification card
Where: Montana Capitol, Room 422, 1301 E 6th Ave., Helena, MT 59601. Parking information.
When: Thursday, February 27, 2025 at 8:30 a.m.

If you live in Montana and plan to testify in person next Thursday, please arrive early as seating is limited. Be sure to sign the witness sheet when you arrive. If you can't attend in person, you can sign up for remote testimony or submit written comments through the Public Participation portal. Anyone wishing to testify remotely must register at least two hours before the hearing begins.

The voter-approved legalization initiative, I-190, explicitly prohibits the collection of personal information from adult-use cannabis consumers. Under I-190, the Department of Revenue is not authorized to require or record personal information beyond verifying a consumer's age. This is an intrusion in privacy that would recriminalize cannabis for most Montanans, who do not want to pay to be on a government list as cannabis consumers.

By imposing a state registration system, SB 255 subjects law-abiding cannabis consumers to surveillance and government overreach. This also puts Montanans at risk under federal law. Cannabis remains federally illegal, and gun owners who are cannabis consumers face up to 10 years in prison.

Under SB 255's provisions, only Montana residents could register. Consumers would be required to keep a state-issued card in their "immediate possession at all times." It further stipulates that "law enforcement officers have access to accurate and up-to-date information on marijuana cardholders" and that state officials may use the program "to track marijuana cardholder purchases."

If you live in Montana, make sure lawmakers hear from you! Do not be intimidated. Testify and demand they vote NO on this harmful proposal!

Bad news! The Idaho House and Senate have both passed an outrageous bill, HB 7, that imposes a mandatory minimum $300 fine for possession for small amounts of cannabis. It now heads to Governor Brad Little's desk. If you live in Idaho, ask the governor to veto this excessive fine.

An Idaho combat veteran voiced his concerns before the committee, expressing how this bill could harm veterans with high fines for just needing an edible. We share those concerns about how this bill will be detrimental to Idahoans who use cannabis for therapeutic uses.

Making it worse, this mandatory minimum fine is also in addition to possible jail time! These harsh mandatory fines would have devastating effects on Idahoans, especially those who struggle to make ends meet, including patients who are using cannabis medically.

Unfortunately, Gov. Little has an anti-cannabis history. We need as many Idahoans as possible to let him know voters deserve more freedom, and less draconian cannabis laws, not more.

If you live in Idaho and want to go the extra mile, place a call to the governor's office or contact him on Twitter/X after you send an email. If you make a call, be sure to leave your name, number, and the city or town you live in, and politely ask the governor to veto HB 7, which would impose a harsh mandatory minimum fine on possessing even a tiny amount of marijuana. You can mention that judges should have the discretion, especially since cannabis is used as a medicine for many — including veterans.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been confirmed by the Senate as the new Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Kennedy has a long track record of supporting drug policy reform, including cannabis reform, and has often spoken about his own struggles with substance misuse. During his candidacy for President, he said that if elected, he would "decriminalize cannabis at the federal level", and that states should be able to decide their own cannabis laws without federal interference. In an appearance on C-SPAN months later, he went even further when he called for federally legalizing marijuana and instituting a tax to fund drug rehabilitation and treatment centers.

However, since being nominated by President Trump to lead HHS, he has been less clear about his plans for supporting federal cannabis reform. In fact, his most recent comments on cannabis suggest that he may be changing his tune on actively supporting federal cannabis decriminalization and legalization. When asked during his Senate confirmation hearings if he would commit to working with the DOJ and DEA to resume the process of rescheduling marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III, he stated that he would "defer to the DOJ and DEA on the allocation of their resources and the development of their priorities."

In his first post-confirmation interview on Fox News, Kennedy remarked that, "I hear stories all the time of the impacts of marijuana on people—and the really catastrophic impacts on them." However, he also acknowledged that state legalization efforts can help open opportunities to conduct more research on the health impacts and medical efficacy of cannabis.

How Kennedy will choose to engage with federal cannabis policy as HHS secretary remains to be seen. While his long-standing support for drug policy reform is encouraging, his seeming inclination to defer to Congress and other federal agencies on key issues regarding cannabis policies bring into question whether he will ultimately act as a reliable ally in the fight to end federal cannabis prohibition.

MPP will continue to monitor administration officials' statements and actions regarding cannabis policy, and will use all means at our disposal to push for comprehensive federal cannabis legalization that respects state laws and the rights of all Americans.