Yesterday, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signed House Bill 701, setting in motion a plan to begin legal marijuana sales in January 2022. 

Cannabis policy reform advocates successfully fended off a series of last-minute attempts to make significant changes that would have undermined Initiative 190, the law voters approved last year by a 14-point margin. After a dramatic series of back-and-forths, state lawmakers agreed on a bill that makes some modifications to the ballot measure but keeps most of the original language intact. Click here to read a comprehensive summary of the legislation.

Pepper Petersen, political director for the New Approach Montana campaign in 2020, heralded passage of the legislation as a victory for Montana’s cannabis community: 

“The Montana Cannabis Guild was in the trenches fighting for the little guys during the 2021 Montana legislative session. Mom and Pop dispensaries are the backbone of cannabis in Montana, and we made sure the laws we passed here this year would keep their interests paramount.”

The Marijuana Policy Project played a leading role in the 2020 ballot initiative campaign to legalize marijuana in Montana, helping to pass CI-118 and I-190 with 57% and 58% of the vote, respectively. Our team is proud to have helped end the failed policy of marijuana prohibition in Montana.

Moments like these are a reminder of why MPP’s work is so important. If you support our efforts to legalize marijuana in other states and at the federal level, please consider making a contribution to help us educate more voters about sensible marijuana policies.

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Submit your comments here — the deadline is this Sunday.

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. 

The department is accepting public comments through an online survey, which you can access here. Responses will be accepted through May 16. 

MPP will be submitting comments and encourages supporters of social equity to make their voice heard, too. We are concerned that the regulations do not define “communities disproportionately impacted by the enforcement of previous marijuana laws,” which is included in the social equity provisions of Prop 207. Furthermore, the eligibility criteria for the social equity licenses are excessively narrow and should be broadened to encourage more people who have been directly or indirectly harmed by cannabis prohibition to apply. 

If you would like to submit comments and have questions, you can contact me directly at jmoffat@mpp.org.

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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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It's time to act.

Politicians in Pierre are attempting to thwart the will of the voters and gut key parts of Measure 26. We need you to join in the fight with us right now. Here's how you can help:

1. Contact your state legislators. The first order of business is defeating House Bill 1100, which would severely delay implementation of the medical marijuana program. Click here to email and call your state senator and representative.
    
2. Meet with your legislators TOMORROW at constituent meetings happening around the state. Lawmakers are holding Legislative Coffees & Cracker Barrels tomorrow (Saturday, Feb. 13). This is an opportunity to make your voice heard and let your legislators know that you want both voter initiatives implemented without delay or interference. Click here for details about the events tomorrow.
    
3. Sign the petition to Gov. Noem. The governor and her friends in the state legislature believe they can gut key provisions of Measure 26 because "the voters don't understand what they voted on." This is an insult to the 70% of South Dakotans who voted for Measure 26. Click here to let Gov. Noem know that you expect the will of the people to be respected.

We won't sit back while politicians attempt to trample on policies enacted by the people of South Dakota. This is where the rubber meets the road, and it's crucial that we hold the line.

Please take action now and share the details with your network by word-of-mouth and through social media.

Thank you.

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Ask your state senator to support S.2535/ A.1897.

Good news! Yesterday, the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee approved S.2535/ A.1897. The combined bills would legalize possession of up to six ounces of cannabis! The measure was approved with an 11-0 vote, with one abstention.

The bills now await a floor vote in the Senate.

Please email your state senator today to ask them to support this important step to implement the voter-enacted legalization initiative.

The amended bills would legalize possession for adults of up to six ounces of marijuana, or up to 170 grams of hashish. Distribution of up to one ounce of cannabis or five grams of hash would carry a civil penalty of $50.

Additionally, prosecutors would be allowed more discretion to dismiss some pending cannabis cases under the proposed amendments — specifically, pending cases for distribution of just under five pounds of marijuana.

Also in a surprise move, the amendments would also reduce the penalty for possession of one ounce or less of psilocybin mushrooms to a disorderly persons offense punishable by a $500 fine and potential jail time.

Finally, in other news, Senate and Assembly budget committees have delayed consideration of bills to implement the legal, regulated cannabis market — A. 21 and S. 21. As Assembly Appropriations Committee Chairman John Burzichelli (D) said, “Negotiations and fine tuning are still underway on that topic.”

After you take action, please spread the word to others so we can put an end to criminalizing cannabis consumers in New Jersey across the finish line.

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Ask your state lawmakers to support legalization, not just decriminalization, immediately, and to improve the regulatory bills!

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Controversial host community agreements have compromised the program’s swift and equitable implementation — tell state legislators it’s time for the Cannabis Control Commission to review and regulate these agreements!

There are now more than 30 cannabis retail stores operating in Massachusetts, and the state recorded over $400 million in sales in 2019. These are the first retail stores serving adults in the northeast, and we know that this is only the beginning of what will become a robust market throughout the region.

Unfortunately, the rollout of the program has been frustrating for many Bay Staters, especially those who are trying to get businesses up and running. In particular, the requirement that applicants sign host community agreements (HCAs) with municipalities has created significant problems, especially for smaller businesses. HCAs detail benefits cannabis businesses must provide to a locality, such as fees and “voluntary” donations. They are typically negotiated between individual business applicants and the locality, rather than localities having generally applicable terms.

Massachusetts law already caps the amount of financial benefits HCAs may require, but the Cannabis Control Commission has not reviewed HCAs to ensure compliance. There have been many reports of HCAs exceeding the limits of the law. Fortunately, the legislature’s Cannabis Policy Committee has advanced a bill, S 1126/H 3536, that would clarify the rules for HCAs and give the Cannabis Control Commission express authority to regulate them.

Please contact your state legislators and urge them to support this urgently needed reform!

Then, please share this message with your family and friends.

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New law sets the stage for automatic expungement

On Monday, in addition to referring legalization to voters, the New Jersey Legislature passed a reworked bill to expunge or seal thousands of past convictions, including marijuana charges. Just two days later, Gov. Phil Murphy signed the bill into law.

This new law removes a scarlet letter that has derailed countless lives. Marijuana convictions can make it difficult to get housing, jobs, professional licensing, and to further one’s education. With 62% of New Jersey voters supporting legalization, it is particularly nonsensical to haunt individuals for life for using cannabis.

S.4151 includes several improvements Gov. Murphy requested when he conditionally vetoed a prior version, along with a few tweaks from the legislature.

Among other changes, the new law will:

• Require the courts to implement an automatic sealing process for most marijuana offenses;
• Set up a task force to make recommendations on the automatic sealing process;
• Allow individuals who have completed their sentences for lower-level marijuana offenses to apply for and be granted expungement while awaiting automatic sealing;
• Remove fees for expungement; and
• Allocate $15 million for implementation.

For more details, check out this article.

This is an important step forward to improving New Jersey’s marijuana policies. But, more action is needed to bring justice to the Garden State’s marijuana laws. New Jersey can save 30,000 individuals the trauma of arrests between now and Election Day by decriminalizing marijuana in the lame duck session. Let lawmakers know you want them to stop the arrests.

Thank you for raising your voice for sensible, humane marijuana policies!

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If you live in Michigan, ask your state legislators to support automatic expungement for low-level marijuana offenses.

For decades, marijuana prohibition destroyed lives and harmed communities in Michigan. Fortunately, voters said enough is enough and passed Prop 1 last year. As the state now moves forward with implementing a legal marijuana market, we must take steps to undo past injustices and support those who have been most impacted by punitive marijuana laws.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has publicly called for prior low-level marijuana offenses to be erased from individuals' criminal records. And now, state Sen. Jeff Irwin is sponsoring legislation, SB 263, to automatically expunge prior marijuana use and possession convictions, which could affect nearly 250,000 residents in the state.

Send a letter to your state legislators and ask them to support this important legislation.

In a related update, the Marijuana Regulatory Agency recently released rules to implement Prop 1's social equity provisions. Residents of the 19 cities in which marijuana arrests rates were disproportionately higher than the rest of the state will be eligible for technical assistance, fee reductions, and educational resources to help them get a leg up in obtaining a marijuana business license. You can find a list of the cities and more details about the new regulations here.

As Michigan finds itself in an exciting new era of legalization, we cannot leave behind those who have suffered as a result of prohibition. It is encouraging to see policymakers taking steps to address these issues, and we will continue monitoring the state's progress.

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Last week, the Marijuana Regulatory Agency issued emergency rules signed by Gov. Whitmer to guide the process of establishing a legal cannabis market for adults in Michigan.

The new regulations include several forward-thinking provisions, including the creation of licenses for on-site cannabis consumption areas and temporary events, so long as they are permitted by the local town or city government. The guidelines also address how the agency will work to promote participation in the cannabis industry by communities that have been disproportionately harmed by marijuana prohibition. You can read a summary of the emergency rules here. Head regulators have announced their intention to begin accepting applications for marijuana business licenses by November, and sales are expected to start early next year.

MPP was the driving force behind passage of Proposal 1 — the 2018 ballot initiative that legalized marijuana in Michigan. We are excited to see implementation moving forward, and we are proud of the progress that is being made. The voters agreed with us that prohibition must be dismantled, and now, we are watching that happen!

We are grateful to all of you who have steadfastly supported our marijuana reform efforts over the years. The hard work is paying off. Let's remain engaged and ensure that the implementation process in Michigan continues to follow the spirit and letter of the law.

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