First, the good news: HB 350, the medical cannabis home cultivation bill, passed the House Health, Human Services, and Elderly Affairs Committee in an overwhelming 20-1 vote. Thanks to all who testified or signed in at the public hearing!

A new study published in the American Journal of Public Health found little effect of adult-use marijuana laws on prevalence of marijuana use among youth.In this examination, researchers focused specifically on 504 justice system-involved adolescents in California, who, as they point out, have substantially higher marijuana use levels as compared to the general youth population. Among this population, they found marijuana use levels in the past 24 hours were similar in 2015 (before adult-use marijuana…

Sign your petitions from home to ensure legalization is on the November ballot! New Approach Montana is pulling out all the stops to get the signatures it needs to qualify adult-use legalization for Montana’s November ballot. Despite getting a late start due to the health crisis sweeping the nation, the campaign launched its signature drive on May 9, instituting a comprehensive set of public health protocols to limit contact between circulators and petition signers. And, earlier this week, the campaign…

Focus returns to the House legalization bill and Gov. Chris Sununu — Email your legislators and call the governor! Yesterday morning, the medical cannabis home cultivation bill (SB 420) passed the Senate in a voice vote. Next, it will proceed to the House, which has passed similar bills by overwhelming margins. Gov. Chris Sununu vetoed a similar bill in 2019, and the Senate was three votes short of overriding his veto, so either the governor or three senators will need to change their positions…

Support the 2020 adult-use legalization ballot campaign! It’s not an exaggeration to say that 2020 could be a game-changer for our movement. With voter referendum efforts in several conservative states underway, a serious campaign in South Dakota has already qualified an adult-use legalization initiative for the 2020 ballot, which will appear alongside a separate medical marijuana proposal. MPP staff are playing a central role in guiding the campaign, and we know that with sufficient resources to…

Click here to register to join us. The Maryland Cannabis Policy Coalition is just one week away from our 2020 cannabis policy lobby day. Be sure to mark your calendars, and join us in solidarity. When: Tuesday, February 4, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Where: Anne Arundel Delegation Room, House Office Building — 6 Bladen Street, Annapolis, MD 21401 Registration: Please complete the registration form here to join us. Prior to meeting with your elected officials, we will provide you with a list of relevant…

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…

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…

In a recent appearance on WPRI’s Newsmakers, Gov. Raimondo indicated that she will reintroduce a plan to legalize marijuana for adults in her budget proposal for the upcoming legislative session, which begins in early January. Pointing to the General Assembly’s recent decision to add six new compassion centers, she said, “Last year we made a step forward with more medical [marijuana], and I think the next logical step is adult use.” She also referenced recent conversations with the governors of Massachusetts…

Lawmakers make major improvements to cannabis policy in 2019. Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) signed into law three notable bills to improve cannabis policies this year. Here is a quick overview and why they are so important: AB 132 prohibits most employers from denying applicants a job if cannabis shows up on a pre-employment drug test. This bill addresses a big concern — cannabis use can be detected for weeks after ingestion, meaning drug screens in no way correlate with impairment. So far, states have…