Urge your state senator to call for a hearing and vote on S. 2535. On Thursday, the New Jersey Assembly voted in favor (63-10, with five abstentions) of a decriminalization bill (A.1897) that would decriminalize possession, manufacture, and distribution of up to two ounces of cannabis, reducing the penalty to a $50 civil fine. The bill would also create a virtual expungement process and prohibit discrimination in lending, housing, and public accommodations for prior offenses. You can check out a…

Urge your state lawmakers to support reduced penalties for cannabis. Good news! On Monday, the Assembly Community and Development Affairs Committee advanced a decriminalization bill in a 4-0 vote, with two abstentions. You can check out a summary of the substituted bill that advanced here. While the bill is a step in the right direction, it has some critical shortcomings that need to be fixed. It does not decriminalize or legalize possession of marijuana-related paraphernalia, being under the influence…

There is no excuse for maintaining cannabis prohibition — Urge your state senator to support HB 1648! In February, the New Hampshire House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted in favor of HB 1648, the bipartisan bill that would legalize possession and limited cultivation of cannabis for adults 21 and older in New Hampshire. The bill passed with a veto-proof 236-112 majority and advanced to the Senate, which has rejected previous cannabis legalization bills. Beginning in March, the legislature…

Good news! Last week, Gov. John Bel Edwards signed a bill (HB 819) that will allow doctors to recommend medical cannabis for any medical condition the physician “considers debilitating to an individual patient” that the physician is qualified to treat. Currently, patients can only receive a recommendation for cannabis if they have a medical condition that is specifically listed. HB 819 also adds several qualifying conditions, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS, traumatic brain injury, and chronic…

Earlier this week, South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws and New Approach South Dakota held a well-attended Zoom media availability conference that lasted for more than an hour. Participants in the call included Brendan Johnson, former U.S. Attorney for South Dakota; Chuck Parkinson, former senior Ronald Reagan and U.S. Senator Jim Abdnor staffer; Melissa Mentele, campaign manager for Initiated Measure 26; and Drey Samuelson, political director of South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws, which…

Ask your state lawmakers to support reduced penalties for cannabis possession. Good news! Last week, Sen. Teresa Ruiz, along with cosponsor Sen. Ronald Rice, filed a sweeping decriminalization bill. If passed, the bill would dramatically reduce penalties for distribution and possession charges, prohibit discrimination for past convictions, and automatically expunge marijuana records. You can check out a full summary here. Please email your state senator and assemblymember today to ask them to support…

Because COVID-19 caused major delays in the signature-gathering drive, New Approach Montana — the campaign working to pass two complementary ballot initiatives to legalize, regulate, and tax marijuana for adults 21 and older in Montana — is in a race against time to qualify the constitutional initiative for the November ballot! The constitutional measure (CI 118), which would allow the minimum legal age for marijuana to be set at 21, needs just over 50,000 valid signatures to qualify. The statutory…

South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws, the 2020 campaign working to pass two marijuana reform ballot initiatives this November, yesterday announced over 50 endorsements from prominent South Dakotans across the state. The endorsements come from health care professionals, former prosecutors, former elected officials, and business owners, among others. The full list can be viewed here. The campaign also hosted a video press conference yesterday, featuring Brendan Johnson, former United States Attorney…

Check out our primary runoff voter guide. Thank you to everyone who voted in yesterday’s Primary Election, and to everyone who checked out our medical cannabis voter guide and spread the word! Numerous known supporters will be advancing to the General Election. You can find the unofficial election results here and compare them to our House and Senate voter guides. Meanwhile, in three Senate primaries and eight House primaries, no candidate received a majority. Those districts are headed to primary…

Contact your representatives today and urge them to pass S. 294! Last week, the Vermont Senate passed S. 294, a bill that would require the automatic expungement of all cannabis possession offenses. The bill also includes a provision that would decriminalize possession of cannabis in amounts that are up to twice the legal limit for adults. This important bill faces an uncertain fate in the House of Representatives. Please contact your representatives right now to ask for their support! If S. 294…