President-elect Biden will soon announce his pick for the next Attorney General, and rumors are already swirling over possible candidates. For cannabis consumers and patients, as well as reformers, regulators, and members of the industry, few roles in the federal government will be more important than that of the United States Attorney General. 

Call your state representative and state senator TODAY.Year after year, the clock has run out on patients in South Carolina.At a gripping press conference last week, one mother described how she’s been fighting for medical cannabis for six years — half of her daughter’s life — and how other parents have lost their children who medical cannabis may have helped.Margaret Richardson — who suffers from a rare and excruciating illness — described having to “creep around like a criminal” and running out…

Lawmakers make major improvements to cannabis policy in 2019. Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) signed into law three notable bills to improve cannabis policies this year. Here is a quick overview and why they are so important: AB 132 prohibits most employers from denying applicants a job if cannabis shows up on a pre-employment drug test. This bill addresses a big concern — cannabis use can be detected for weeks after ingestion, meaning drug screens in no way correlate with impairment. So far, states have…

On Monday, September 24, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a bill that adds acute pain management to the list of approved conditions eligible for treatment with medical marijuana as an alternative to opioid use. This new law formalizes regulations the New York State Department of Health issued in July, which added opioid replacement and opioid use disorder to the list. This is great news for patients! Access to medical marijuana is no longer limited to those suffering from chronic pain. This bill and regulations…

Sweeping changes include medical cannabis access for opioid patients, streamlined process, and others Illinois’s medical cannabis program took a major step forward today as Gov. Bruce Rauner signed bill SB 336, the Alternatives to Opioids Act, into law. This historic change makes several key improvements: • Opioid patients now qualify. Patients who are — or … Continue reading Illinois governor signs opioid alternative bill, making huge improvements to medical cannabis program

Earlier this year, the Hawaii Legislature overwhelmingly approved SB 2407, which would allow opioid and substance use disorders, and their symptoms, to be treated with medical cannabis if a physician recommends it. But last week, Gov. David Ige announced he intends to veto this compassionate bill. Medical cannabis can ease the devastating symptoms of opiate withdrawal and make it easier for individuals to stay on treatment regimens. For some, this is an issue of life or death. The governor has until…

The Health Commissioner of New York, Howard Zucker, recently announced that a long-awaited study by the Cuomo administration will recommend the legalization and regulation of marijuana for adult use. The study is believed to be at least partly in response to gubernatorial primary candidate Cynthia Nixon’s strong support of marijuana legalization. Mr. Zucker also announced that the Health Department will issue regulations to allow patients who have been prescribed opioids to qualify for the state’s…

The Illinois General Assembly passed the Opioid Alternative Pilot Program Act yesterday during a whirlwind last day of its regular legislative session. If signed into law, SB 336 would allow those who could be prescribed opioid drugs to qualify for the medical cannabis program. It also dramatically improves current law by streamlining wait times and removing fingerprint requirements for patients. This bill would provide welcome relief to thousands who need a safer alternative to harmful opioid drugs.…

The Illinois House of Representatives may soon vote on SB 336, which would allow those who could be prescribed opioid drugs to qualify for the Medical Cannabis Pilot Program. Last month, the Senate passed the measure by a wide margin, but its future in the House is less certain. If you are an Illinois resident, please take a moment to voice your support with your lawmaker today. While opioids can be highly addictive and dangerous, many seriously ill patients across the country are opting for a safer…

Yesterday, Gov. Phil Murphy held a press conference to announce numerous changes to the medical marijuana program in New Jersey that will greatly improve patient access. These include: Approving additional qualifying conditions under a process that was begun in 2016 — including chronic pain and opioid use disorder — which will help reduce opioid dependence and overdose. Setting up a process to add additional businesses and remove the vertical integration requirement, which will increase competition…