Ask your state lawmakers to support legalization, not just decriminalization, immediately, and to improve the regulatory bills! Exciting news! Yesterday, key legislative committees advanced two decriminalization measures and two bills to implement legalization and regulation of cannabis.These come less than a week after New Jersey voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot question to legalize and regulate cannabis for adults 21 and older. The referendum does not take effect until January 1, 2021,…

As Election Day 2020 draws near, we hope you are registered and have made a plan to vote. This is an important election year for our movement to end prohibition, with several states considering cannabis-related ballot measures.At MPP, we expect that for the fifth election in a row, voters in multiple states will approve cannabis reform ballot initiatives. This will put even more pressure on Congress to fix our broken federal cannabis laws.Here’s a quick rundown of cannabis on the 2020 ballot:Montana…

Last week, former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle announced the he, along with Rapid City resident and former Reagan Administration Senior Official Chuck Parkinson, is endorsing Amendment A and Measure 26, the marijuana reform ballot initiatives that South Dakota voters will consider this November. Former Sen. Tom Daschle represented South Dakota in Congress from 1979 to 2005 and is one of the longest-serving Senate Democratic leaders in history. He is a native of Aberdeen, South Dakota, and a…

Ask your state lawmakers to support expanding patient access to medical cannabis! Good news! On Thursday, the New Jersey Assembly and Senate are scheduled to vote on twin bills to allow healthcare practitioners to authorize medical cannabis using telemedicine. The bills — Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt’s A. 1635 and Sen. Declan O’Scanlon’s S. 619 — are particularly important in these times of COVID, when many are concerned about any unnecessary in-person interactions. Both bills are scheduled for…

Exciting news! Yesterday, Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration took another important step to preserve safe access to medical cannabis during COVID by issuing a waiver that would allow home delivery of medical cannabis to patients and designated caregivers. The waiver implements one of the key provisions contained in Jake Honig’s Law that was signed into law in 2019. At the onset of the COVID public health emergency, Gov. Murphy’s administration issued waivers providing for curbside pick-up, remote…

Urge your state senator to call for a hearing and vote on S. 2535. On Thursday, the New Jersey Assembly voted in favor (63-10, with five abstentions) of a decriminalization bill (A.1897) that would decriminalize possession, manufacture, and distribution of up to two ounces of cannabis, reducing the penalty to a $50 civil fine. The bill would also create a virtual expungement process and prohibit discrimination in lending, housing, and public accommodations for prior offenses. You can check out a…

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…

Ask your state lawmakers to support reduced penalties for cannabis possession. Good news! Last week, Sen. Teresa Ruiz, along with cosponsor Sen. Ronald Rice, filed a sweeping decriminalization bill. If passed, the bill would dramatically reduce penalties for distribution and possession charges, prohibit discrimination for past convictions, and automatically expunge marijuana records. You can check out a full summary here. Please email your state senator and assemblymember today to ask them to support…

Ask Gov. Murphy to ensure safe access for medical cannabis patients. On March 21, Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration took an important step to preserve safe access to medical marijuana by declaring New Jersey’s Medicinal Marijuana Program an essential service. Later that month, his administration issued waivers providing for curbside pick-up, remote consultations, and expedited employee on-boarding. While MPP applauds Gov. Murphy’s decisive emergency action, there is still a need for additional pathways…

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…