Ask your lawmakers to stop arresting cannabis consumers this year!

Cannabis policy reform is continuing to gain momentum in the Texas Legislature! The House of Representatives approved two bills last week:

• HB 441, which would eliminate the threat of jail time for up to one ounce of cannabis while creating an opportunity for deferral, dismissal, and non-disclosure. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration. 
  
  
• HB 1535, which would expand the state’s low-THC medical cannabis program. The bill would add cancer, chronic pain, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as conditions that could qualify people for the program. The bill now heads to the Senate.

Be sure to reach out to your state senator and ask them to stop arresting cannabis consumers and support HB 441.

Then, please call your senator to improve and pass HB 1535.

The legislative session is set to end on May 31. Make sure your lawmakers know this issue matters to voters; ask them to support decriminalization and an effective medical cannabis law this year.

Stay tuned for future updates!

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On Monday, Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) signed HF 2589 into law, expanding the list of medical conditions that qualify for Iowa’s Medical Cannabidiol Program, revising the amount of THC that can be possessed, and making other changes — both good and bad — to the program.

The new law, which took effect today, makes the following changes:

• Revises the 3% THC cap to instead allow products with a total of 4.5 grams of THC every 90 days, with exceptions for cases where providers specify a specific, greater quantity is needed
• Adds post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to the list of qualifying conditions
• Allows any patient with “chronic pain” to qualify, thus greatly expanding the number of pain patients who qualify (Currently, only patients with “untreatable pain” qualify.”)
• Allows podiatrists, physicians' assistants, and advanced practice nurses to recommend cannabis, in addition to doctors
• Removes the Department of Transportation’s role in ID cards
• Allows property owners and employers to ban medical cannabis use and provides that workers' compensation and health care do not have to cover medical cannabis

For more details about the law, as amended, check out our summary. We are disappointed that Gov. Reynolds stood in the way of a higher cap on the 90-day supply. Last year, the legislature sent her a bill capping THC at 25 grams every 90 days. The 4.5 gram caps is insufficient for many patients, who will not be allowed access to a sufficient amount of their medicine unless their providers are willing to sign a waiver.

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Good news! Last week, Gov. John Bel Edwards signed a bill (HB 819) that will allow doctors to recommend medical cannabis for any medical condition the physician “considers debilitating to an individual patient” that the physician is qualified to treat. Currently, patients can only receive a recommendation for cannabis if they have a medical condition that is specifically listed.

HB 819 also adds several qualifying conditions, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS, traumatic brain injury, and chronic pain associated with sickle cell anemia or fibromyalgia.

Gov. Edwards also signed a bill to protect banks serving medical cannabis businesses from state penalties (HB 211) and one to protect physicians and medical facilities involved in medical cannabis (HB 418).

All three take effect on August 1.

HB 819 was sponsored by Rep. Larry Bagley (R). Bagley had been opposed to medical cannabis until he heard from constituents who found it relieved their pain. Now, he has become a champion.

His turnaround shows the dramatic impact constituent stories can have on their lawmakers. Considering reaching out to your state legislators about other marijuana policy reforms you care about.

If you’re a medical cannabis patient who has had problems with the program — perhaps due to the limited number of medical cannabis pharmacies or the lack of access to raw, flower cannabis — you may want to let your state senator and representative know.

You can also reach out to urge your lawmakers to support decriminalization or legalization of cannabis.

Thanks for your support and compassion!

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Good news! On Tuesday, the Connecticut Legislative Regulations Review Committee approved allowing medical cannabis to treat chronic pain — although it narrowly defined the term. The Board of Physicians recommended adding chronic pain as a qualifying condition on September 27, 2019. Previously, Connecticut was the only state medical marijuana program that did not permit patients to treat chronic pain with medical marijuana.

The revision permits medical marijuana to be recommended for adults with “chronic pain of at least six months duration associated with a specific underlying chronic condition refractory to other treatment intervention.” Unfortunately, that narrow definition means physicians can only recommend cannabis to patients who have sought treatment for their chronic pain for at least six months and whose pain has been resistant to other treatments.

The committee also approved the use of medical marijuana to treat Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, an inherited disorder that weakens the body’s connective tissue and leads to weakened blood vessels and organs.

While these revisions undoubtedly expand patients’ ability to use medical marijuana to treat their aliments, Connecticut will have one of the most restrictive chronic pain provisions in the country. Patients will have to suffer for months before trying cannabis and will first be steered to far more dangerous medications.

Earlier this year, a bill to allow any adult, 21 or older, to use cannabis stalled due to a COVID-related closure of the capitol. It’s our hope that the Connecticut Legislature takes up the issue of adult-use cannabis in a special session this year or during the 2021 regular session. Many individuals who suffer from conditions that can be treated with marijuana aren’t able to access medical marijuana cards.

Please join us by writing Gov. Ned Lamont to urge him to prioritize legalization. You can go the extra mile by spreading the word to others, calling his office at 860-566-4840, or making an appeal on Twitter.

We wish you and your loved ones well and thank you for your continued support.

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Ask Gov. Edwards to sign the bill when it lands on his desk.

Exciting news! On Wednesday, the Louisiana Senate followed the House’s lead and overwhelmingly approved legislation (HB 819) to allow medical cannabis for any debilitating medical condition. HB 819 would significantly expand Louisiana’s medical cannabis program: Patients currently only qualify if they have one of the specifically listed medical conditions.

Ask Gov. John Bel Edwards to sign HB 819 into law when it lands on his desk.

Before HB 819 makes it to the governor’s desk, the House must consider a Senate amendment that requires cannabis sales to be entered into the prescription drug monitoring database.

Disappointingly, a bill to allow whole-plant, raw cannabis — HB 385 — did not advance before a deadline. Meanwhile, the House-passed bill to allow home delivery — HB 792 — was removed from consideration because the sponsor believes pharmacies already have the ability to deliver medical cannabis. (The Board of Pharmacy has granted them temporary permission to do so due to the coronavirus.)

Thanks for your support and compassion!

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