Tell your elected officials to support reforming West Virginia’s outdated cannabis policies! West Virginia’s 2020 legislative session is underway, and several cannabis-related bills have been introduced, including bills to improve the medical cannabis law, to decriminalize possession, and to legalize, regulate, and tax cannabis for adults’ use. It is unlikely that a legalization bill will be seriously considered in 2020, but there appears to be a much better chance that legislators will support…

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…

Urge your senator to support SB 420! Last year, the New Hampshire House and Senate passed a bill that would have allowed patients and caregivers to grow a limited supply of cannabis. Sadly, Gov. Chris Sununu vetoed the bill. The House voted to override his veto, but the Senate fell three votes short of doing so. A nearly identical bill, SB 420, passed the Senate Health and Human Services Committee last week, and it is scheduled for a vote in the full Senate on Thursday, February 6. For the sake…

Contact your elected officials today and urge them to support allowing home cultivation! Eleven states have legalized cannabis for adults’ use, and Washington is one of only two that does not allow home cultivation. Fortunately, legislation is advancing in Olympia that would legalize home cultivation of up to six plants per person and 15 per household. Please contact your elected officials and urge them to support HB 1131 and SB 5155! To have an even greater impact, show up in person at the House…

Send a quick message to your legislators to say thanks or express your disappointment. Yesterday was an incredibly frustrating day at the N.H. State House for patients and advocates, as the effort to override Gov. Chris Sununu’s veto on the home cultivation bill fell three votes short of success. The vote was 13-11, and 16 votes would have been necessary in order to pass HB 364 into law. A few senators told us yesterday morning that they were leaning in favor of voting for the override, but when…

The Senate will vote TOMORROW (September 19) — please urge your senator to support overriding the veto and passing HB 364 into law! In an overwhelming show of support for patients, the N.H. House voted 259-120 to override Gov. Chris Sununu's veto of HB 364! The Senate is expected to cast a final vote on the bill tomorrow, and if it passes there by more than two-thirds, the governor's veto will be overridden and the bill will become law. It is critical that all 24 senators hear from us today! Please…

Urge your state senator to support overriding the veto and passing HB 364 into law! Patients have expressed dissatisfaction with New Hampshire's therapeutic cannabis program from the outset, so it should come as no great surprise that the program has flunked a legislative performance audit. On Sunday, the Union Leader reported that the medical cannabis program received a "failing grade," in part because "nearly 100% of patients fail to receive cards... within a mandated time frame." The opponents…

Call the governor's office one last time today and urge him to sign HB 364! Yesterday, after a series of delays, the medical cannabis home cultivation bill was finally delivered to Gov. Chris Sununu's desk. That means the governor will have until Saturday to sign or veto HB 364, which would allow registered patients and caregivers to cultivate a limited supply of cannabis at home. If he takes no action, the bill will become law without his signature. Please call Gov. Sununu one last time and urge…

Late yesterday, the Rhode Island Senate adopted the House's budget bill, sending the legislation to Gov. Raimondo for her approval. Although the governor's January budget proposal included a plan to legalize marijuana for adults, the state legislature removed it and instead increased the number of licenses for medical marijuana compassion centers from three to nine. The budget also raises the annual licensing fees for these businesses to $500,000 — by far the highest in the nation. Though the outcome…

If you live in Rhode Island, contact your state representative and ask them to oppose these provisions in the budget. This Friday, the Rhode Island House will debate H 5151 Sub A, the budget bill for the coming fiscal year. As written, Article 15 of this legislation would make two significant changes to undermine the state's medical marijuana program. First, the House budget would require all patients who wish to grow for themselves to register as their own caregiver. Then, it empowers the Department…