This morning, New Hampshire’s GOP-controlled House of Representatives voted to legalize possession and home cultivation of cannabis ­— advancing HB 629 in a lopsided 241-113 vote. Unfortunately, it rejected a more comprehensive legalization bill that included sales — HB 237 — in a 163-170 vote last night.

Last week, Gov. Chris Sununu signed HB 89, a bill adding autism spectrum disorder as a qualifying condition for the therapeutic cannabis program and adding moderate to severe insomnia as a qualifying symptom. This is welcome news, but most New Hampshire residents believe the state should go much further and legalize cannabis for adults’ use. A new poll published by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center indicates that three out of four Granite Staters support legalizing cannabis. This includes…

After many frustrating years of inaction, North Carolina legislators finally appear to be seriously considering cannabis policy reforms. Last week, Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger (R-Raleigh) acknowledged that “public opinion is changing” on the issue and indicated that the legislature may be willing to consider medical cannabis legislation.

Now that the Virginia General Assembly has voted to legalize cannabis for adults, legislators in other southern states are taking notice and seeking to emulate Virginia’s success. Yesterday, North Carolina Sen. Jay Chaudhuri introduced SB 646, titled the Marijuana Justice and Reinvestment Act. The bill would legalize, regulate, and tax cannabis for adults 21 and older. It would also create a medical cannabis program and provide for automatic expungement of past cannabis offenses.

In December, the North Carolina Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice recommended that cannabis possession should be a civil — not a criminal — offense. Last week, legislators put forward a bill that would do just that.

Tell your state lawmakers you support allowing the sale of adult-use cannabis. We hope you and your loved ones are well during these challenging times. A recent poll commissioned by the Pennsylvania Cannabis Coalition shows Pennsylvania voters support allowing adult-use cannabis sales, particularly to meet anticipated budget challenges due to COVID-19. Voters polled in each region of the state preferred to see the state control, regulate, and tax the sale of adult-use cannabis instead of raising…

Ask your state lawmakers to support SB 115 to legalize cannabis for adult use! With just eight days left in 2020’s short legislative session, the New Mexico Legislature is considering SB 115, which would legalize, tax, and regulate cannabis for adults. Last year, the House approved a legalization bill, but it was defeated in the Senate Finance Committee. Make sure SB 115 doesn’t meet a similar fate: Please take a moment to email your state senator and representative and ask them to support SB 115!The…

A new survey confirms that an overwhelming majority of Rhode Island voters support legalizing marijuana for adults. The poll, commissioned by WPRI 12 and Roger Williams University and conducted by Fleming & Associates, found that 56% of respondents favor ending marijuana prohibition, while only 37% were against the idea. Another 7% were undecided. Leaders in the General Assembly have consistently refused to allow legislators to vote on marijuana legalization in recent years. This new poll provides…

A new poll shows that 62% of New York voters support making marijuana legal for adults 21 and older. Only 28% are opposed. The poll, conducted by Emerson College and commissioned by the Marijuana Policy Project Foundation and the Drug Policy Alliance, is available here. The poll also found that voters were far more supportive of legalizing and taxing marijuana than other options for addressing the state’s budget deficit. Sixty percent of respondents supported legalizing and taxing marijuana to help…

Just hours after a national poll was released showing widespread support for marijuana policy reform and staunch opposition to federal interference in state marijuana laws, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer caused a stir  by making some comments about marijuana enforcement during a press briefing. Specifically, he reiterated President Trump's support for legal access to medical marijuana, noting that the current budget prohibits the Department of Justice from interfering in the implementation…