Last week, the 2022 session for Pennsylvania’s legislature began. Last year saw several legalization and decriminalization proposals, but none received a hearing or were called for a vote. Luckily, many of the 2021 proposals have carried over to 2022, which presents another opportunity to enact sensible, humane cannabis policy before the session adjourns in November.

Alabama lags behind almost every state in the nation on cannabis policy. It is one of only 14 states without a medical cannabis law, and one of only 19 that still jails individuals for simple possession. With your help, that could finally change this year! The Alabama Senate overwhelmingly approved medical cannabis legislation in February, for the third year in a row. Meanwhile, the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced a bill to reduce the penalty for cannabis possession to a fine.

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…

Earlier today, Gov. Ralph Northam signed SB 2 into law, which decriminalizes cannabis possession. Starting July 1, possession of up to an ounce will be punishable by a civil fine of up to $25 instead of a criminal penalty and potential jail time. This is the lowest fine of any decriminalization law! Virginia now joins the 26 states and Washington, D.C. that have stopped jailing their residents for possessing small amounts of marijuana. Here are a few details about the new law: Reduces the…

Legislature approves medical cannabis improvements. During an unprecedented one-day session — where delegates convened under a canopy and senators met in the Virginia Science Museum — the legislature considered Gov. Ralph Northam’s amendments to legislation — SB 2/HB 972 — to decriminalize simple cannabis possession in Virginia. The legislature rejected two of the governor’s proposed amendments to the bill — an amendment to push back the due date of a legalization study and an amendment to remove…

Urge your senators to support HB 550. Exciting news! Yesterday, the House of Delegates approved (93-44) a bill that would increase the amount of cannabis decriminalized in Maryland from 10 grams to one ounce. It now heads to the Senate. Contact your senator today and ask them to support HB 550!The bill — HB 550 — would make possession of up to an ounce of cannabis punishable by a civil fine of $100 rather than a criminal penalty that carries possible jail time. Also, a person could no longer be…

Virginia is about to become the 27th state to decriminalize marijuana possession! The legislature has approved a bill to stop arresting and jailing Virginians for simple marijuana possession. It now heads to Gov. Ralph Northam’s desk, and it is expected that he will sign it into law. The bill would make possession of one ounce or less of marijuana a civil penalty punishable by a $25 fine. Under current law, marijuana possession is a criminal offense punishable by up to 30 days in jail and/or up…

Ask your lawmakers to support legalizing, taxing, and regulating marijuana for adult use. Today, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed A08420 into law, which will fix the state's decriminalization law and provide for automatic expungement for those with certain misdemeanor cannabis convictions. The law will take effect in 30 days. This reform will save thousands of New Yorkers from arrest and allow those with previous cannabis convictions to move on with their lives. It also reduces the penalty for possessing…

Good news! With Gov. Doug Burgum’s signature on House Bill 1050, we’ve reached a milestone: half the states in the country have eliminated jail time penalties for possession of small amounts of marijuana! It is encouraging to see lawmakers in a conservative state like North Dakota acknowledge and rectify the injustice of jailing people for possession of small amounts of marijuana. Politicians can no longer ignore public support for marijuana policy reform, which is growing quickly in every part…

If you live in Texas, contact your state senator in support of marijuana decriminalization. Yesterday, the Texas House of Representatives passed HB 63, a bill that would stop arresting and jailing individuals who possess up to an ounce of cannabis. The bill now heads to the Texas Senate for a vote. Already, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick tweeted that HB 63 is “dead” in the Texas Senate. Let your senator know that marijuana decriminalization is not dead in Texas today! While the bill removes the threat of…