The millions of cannabis arrests in the U.S. over the last 25 years have caused humiliation, trauma, lost jobs, evictions, deportations, derailed dreams — and even death. But far too few of the stories have been told. This is Tahir's story. Please tell us yours.

Five years after California voters legalized cannabis for adults, the San Jose City Council is considering taking a giant step backwards. It is considering including cannabis in a proposed ban on smoking and vaping in apartments and condos.

The Arizona Department of Health Services recently released a draft of rules that will guide implementation of the social equity licensing program for cannabis businesses, which was included as part of the voter-approved Prop 207 that legalized cannabis for adults last year. 

Ask your state legislators to embrace reform in 2021.The North Carolina Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice has recognized that cannabis policy reform is essential to racial justice. It is recommending reducing the penalty for possessing up to 1.5 ounces of cannabis to a civil fine and expunging past convictions. It also called for a study of legalization.Let your state lawmakers know you want them to heed this call when they reconvene next year.The task force includes Attorney General…

Ask your lawmakers to decriminalize or legalize cannabis before they adjourn! On June 15, the Georgia Senate Democratic Caucus proposed the Georgia Justice Act — a broad measure that includes more than a dozen provisions to address police brutality and racism. One of those provisions is reducing the penalty for simple possession of marijuana to a fine with no jail time. The legislature is expected to adjourn tomorrow, so the clock is ticking. Contact your lawmakers NOW to let them know it’s past…

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…

By Steve Hawkins, executive director, Marijuana Policy Project The coronavirus crisis has abruptly forced all Americans to reexamine our priorities. Entire sectors of the economy have been shuttered as we reduce contact between people to flatten the curve and reduce the death toll. Elected officials and regulators, in particular, must reevaluate a wide range of government policies to ensure a swift, coordinated, and appropriate response to the pandemic. One public policy that offers no benefit…

On Tuesday, the American Medical Association announced that while they still consider marijuana a dangerous drug and a public health concern, federal efforts to curb marijuana use are ineffective. The organization recommended continuing the criminalization of marijuana sales but suggested that marijuana use be treated with a public health approach rather than incarceration. The AMA also stated that they would be paying close attention to Colorado and Washington as they begin to implement regulated…

The last two weeks have been full of announcements from the federal government about marijuana policy. None of them has been positive, and none of them should be surprising. First, the Department of Justice stated that it retained the ability to prosecute anyone who cultivates, processes, or distributes medical marijuana, regardless of state law. As noted earlier on this blog, this is not really a change in policy, but it is certainly disappointing to see the Department of Justice is unwilling to…