Next, the bill will proceed to Gov. Northam’s desk — thanks to all who contacted legislators!

After several days of wrangling over details, legislators from the Virginia House and Senate have agreed to terms on a final version of the adult-use legalization bill. Today, both chambers voted to approve the compromise. 

The legislation will now advance to the desk of Gov. Ralph Northam, who supports legalization. The governor could either sign the bill or request amendments, which would then be considered by the legislature. 

You can read a summary of the final bill here. 

Possession and cultivation of cannabis will not become legal for adults until January 2024, but the state will begin laying the groundwork for the regulated market beginning this July. Legislators did fix some of the issues we raised in a previous email, such as making it clear that adults will be able to share cannabis with other adults and not increasing penalties for underage possession, but they did not do everything we asked. 

We are disappointed that the bill still criminalizes bringing any amount of cannabis into Virginia from outside the Commonwealth’s borders. However, that provision and many others do not take effect until 2024. It is also one of many provisions that requires another vote from the legislature in 2022. We’re relieved that we will have other opportunities to improve this policy before it goes into effect.

This is a huge step forward for cannabis policy in Virginia. Thanks to all who contacted legislators!

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Our calls are working, but we need to keep the pressure on. We’ve managed to delay a vote on HB 1100 twice, but they're going to try again tomorrow.

Again, we’re urging South Dakota legislators to support our common sense compromise on the medical marijuana law, House Bill 1100G. You can read more about the compromise here. 

We need supporters to call the South Dakota State Capitol at 605-773-3851 right now to leave a message for your state representatives in support of the compromise legislation.

When you call, leave your name, district, and your message ("support the compromise and establish legal protections for patients" or something similar). Remember to be polite and respectful.

If you need to find your state representatives, you can use this tool or Open States.

MPP staffers Matthew Schweich and Jared Moffat are playing an important role in supporting the South Dakota grassroots effort to get the medical marijuana measure approved by nearly 70 percent of South Dakota voters implemented as swiftly as possible. Check out this Keloland story to learn more about the compromise effort.

Thank you!

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We are urging legislators to support the common sense compromise on the medical marijuana law, House Bill 1100G. 

And we are urging voters to call the South Dakota State Capitol at 605-773-3851 and leave a message for your State Representatives.

Leave your name, district, and your message ("support the compromise" or something to that effect). Please be respectful when you call, and ask the page to deliver the message.

If you need to look up your State Representatives, you can use this tool or Open States.

Thank you for supporting sensible and compassionate marijuana policies!

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The bill to legalize retail sales and the bill to automatically expunge records for past offenses are both advancing to the desk of Gov. Phil Scott — please call him today and encourage him to sign them into law!

The bill to legalize, regulate, and tax adult-use cannabis sales cleared its final legislative hurdle this morning when the Senate approved it in a final vote of 23-6. The Senate also granted final approval to the bill that would automatically expunge records for past low-level cannabis offenses, in a voice vote. Both bills will now proceed to the desk of Gov. Phil Scott.

Please take a moment to call Gov. Phil Scott at 802-828-3333 and encourage him to sign both bills when they reach his desk!

If you’d like to learn more about the details of these bills, here is a summary of the bill to legalize and regulate sales (S. 54) and here is a summary of the bill that includes the automatic expungement provisions (S. 234).

The process of reaching a compromise on S. 54 was especially challenging for both legislators and advocates, and we are very grateful to the representatives and senators who worked on this bill for their dedication. Although the final bill is not perfect, it is a very important step forward, and it would be a terrible shame if Gov. Scott decides not to sign it into law.

Again, please call Gov. Scott’s office and encourage him to sign both S. 54 and S. 234. After you do so, please share this message with your family and friends!

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House and Senate negotiators agreed to a compromise yesterday evening — urge your lawmakers to support S. 54 in a final vote, then call Gov. Phil Scott and ask him to sign it!

After many years of hard work by legislators and advocates, the House and Senate have finally reached an agreement on the details of a bill to legalize and regulate cannabis sales. Please write your representatives and senators and urge them to support S. 54 in a final vote! Then, call Gov. Phil Scott and encourage him to sign it when it reaches his desk.

Here are some key features of the bill:

• Priority licensing for small-scale cultivators
• Priority licensing for women- and minority-owned businesses
• Independent lab testing of all cannabis sold to patients and adult consumers
• Creating a new independent commission to regulate medical and adult-use cannabis
• Requiring a search warrant prior to saliva testing, which could not be conducted roadside

This has been a difficult compromise for legislators, but Vermonters should be grateful for their hard work and persistence. And now we need representatives and senators to support the bill one last time before it proceeds to the governor’s desk.

Again, please write your state legislators and urge them to support the final compromise, then call Gov. Scott’s office and encourage him to sign it. After you do so, please share this message with your family and friends!

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Legislators are also nearing final agreement on the bill to legalize and regulate sales — ask your legislators to support S. 54, then call Gov. Phil Scott and ask that he sign both bills into law!

The Vermont House of Representatives took a huge step forward today when it voted to approve S. 234, a bill that will automatically expunge all criminal records for past cannabis possession offenses. The bill also decriminalizes possession of cannabis in amounts that modestly exceed the legal limit, which will minimize the possibility that a person could risk criminal penalties for a small mistake.

Separately but concurrently, legislators have come very close to reaching final agreement on the details of S. 54, the bill to legalize and regulate cannabis sales. Please write your representatives and senators and urge them to support final passage of both bills! Then, call Gov. Phil Scott and encourage him to sign them when they reach his desk.

The Senate has already approved S. 234. Since the bill was amended by the House, it will return to the Senate for a final vote before it proceeds to the governor’s desk. You can read a summary of the bill here. VCRM director Laura Subin recently testified in support of this bill in the House Judiciary Committee (via Zoom) and did an excellent job explaining the importance of automatically expunging records!

The conference committee on S. 54 has reached a compromise on all issues except whether or not to include a local option tax in addition to state taxes. The legislators are expected to finalize the details of their agreement at their next meeting. A revised summary of the bill’s key provisions is available here.

Again, please contact your state legislators and urge them to support passage of both of these bills, then call Gov. Scott’s office and encourage him to sign them. After you do so, please share this message with your family and friends!

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Ask the governor and Senate president to compromise on the details and bring legalization up for a vote!

As you may have heard, the New Jersey Legislature will not be voting on marijuana legalization before the year’s end. While there is political will to pass legalization in New Jersey, lawmakers couldn’t agree on the details — including a tax rate — this year.

If you're a New Jersey residernt, please call Gov. Phil Murphy at 609-292-6000 and Senate President Stephen Sweeney at 856-251-9801 and ask that they come to a compromise and bring legalization up for a vote early next year. Marijuana prohibition has cost New Jersey millions of dollars and ruined thousands of lives. It’s time for it to end.

In better news, New Jersey regulators recently doubled the number of medical marijuana dispensaries (“ATCs”) from six to a total of 12. Patients will soon have more access to purchase the medicine that they need.

But it’s important that New Jersey legalizes marijuana to further improve access to this life-saving plant. New Jersey’s medical cannabis law remains among the most restrictive in the nation, and it leaves behind most pain patients. Please, reach out to the governor and Senate president and ask that they work out the details to swiftly end marijuana prohibition. Then, spread the word to others in New Jersey who can raise their voices for humane marijuana policies.

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On October 4 in Salt Lake City, medical marijuana supporters and opponents announced that they have reached an agreement on a compromise medical marijuana law that will be enacted during a November special session after the 2018 election.

Regardless of the outcome of Prop 2 — the medical marijuana ballot initiative that MPP helped to draft — the legislature will enact the compromise bill. Utah Governor Gary Herbert has committed to calling the special session.

MPP strongly supports the agreement because it will ensure that a workable medical marijuana law is enacted and implemented. In Utah, a statutory ballot initiative can be amended or even repealed by a simple majority in the legislature. If Prop 2 passed without any agreement on next steps, patients may have been left waiting years to access legal medical cannabis. This compromise eliminates that uncertainty and ensures legislative leaders are committed to making the law work.

This agreement has the support of the Utah Patients Coalition (the Prop 2 campaign committee), Utah Governor Gary Herbert, the Speaker of the Utah House of Representatives, the Utah Senate President, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the Utah Medical Association.

The compromise bill, while not ideal and cumbersome in certain respects, is workable and provides a path for Utah patients to legally access medical cannabis, including whole-plant products. MPP staff were consulted during the negotiations and provided critical input on the final agreement.

MPP has been assisting the campaign since its inception in early 2017. We helped draft the initiative, and we made significant financial contributions to fund the successful signature drive (and its subsequent legal defense). While we still wish to see Prop 2 pass, both sides have agreed to de-escalate their campaign activities.

MPP would like to thank the many individual donors who supported the Utah Patients Coalition over the last 18 months. Your generosity enabled a successful signature drive. If Prop 2 had not qualified for the ballot, yesterday’s agreement would not have been possible.

Very soon, one of the most conservative states in the country will enact a medical marijuana law. That demonstrates that any state in the country can have a medical marijuana law. MPP will continue to work across the country to achieve that goal.

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After weeks of persistent advocacy from Massachusetts residents, the Senate and House have reached a compromise that largely respects the will of the people. The House’s flawed “repeal and replace” bill would have made disastrous changes to the law voters approved, and we are relieved that the Legislature has agreed to a more sensible plan for implementing legalization.

The compromise bill’s most significant changes relate to local control and taxes. The legislation adjusts the local control policy, allowing local government officials in towns that voted “no” on the 2016 ballot initiative to ban marijuana businesses until December 2019. For towns that voted “yes” in 2016, any bans must be placed on a local ballot for voters to approve. The maximum tax rate — which depends on whether towns adopt optional local taxes — will increase from 12% to 20%. Under the bill, the state tax will be 17%, and the local option will be 3%.

MPP and our allies successfully led the 2016 campaign to legalize and regulate marijuana in Massachusetts. After our historic victory in November, it was concerning to see some members of the House propose drastic changes to the initiative approved by the voters. But thanks to the work of thousands of dedicated supporters across the Commonwealth, the law approved by voters will remain largely intact.

The bill isn't perfect, and we preferred the original language of the ballot initiative. However, given how problematic the House bill was, we are satisfied with the final compromise.

We generated over 1,000 calls to state legislators urging them to reject the House’s “repeal and replace” bill. To everyone who made a call, thank you!

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