Exciting news! With just a couple of weeks remaining in the 2021 legislative session, state senators are bringing a bill to legalize marijuana for adults to the floor for a vote this Tuesday! 

Exciting news! Last night, the Connecticut Senate approved a bill that would legalize cannabis for adults in a 19-17 vote. The measure now heads to the House of Representatives where a vote is anticipated later today. If passed, Gov. Lamont is expected to sign the bill into law.

Big news! On Friday, the House Appropriations Committee approved HB 150 — a bill to legalize and regulate cannabis for adults in Delaware. As you may recall, the House Health and Human Development Committee had already approved the bill back in March. Now, the legislation is cleared for a vote by the full House of Representatives. The vote is scheduled for this Thursday, June 10 at 2 p.m.

Ask your state senator to stop jailing cannabis consumers! Yesterday, the Louisiana Senate voted to allow medical cannabis in its raw, flower form in a 23-14 vote!The Senate made some tweaks to the bill (HB 391), so it will head back to the House before landing on Gov. John Bel Edwards’ desk. The Senate has not yet voted on the separate bill (HB 514),  which MPP opposes, that would tax flower cannabis.Meanwhile, a Senate Judiciary Committee advanced a bill (HB 652) to decriminalize possession of…

Yesterday, the New Mexico House and Senate passed a bill to legalize, regulate, and tax cannabis for adults 21 and older during a special session called for that purpose by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. When she signs the bill, New Mexico will become the 17th state to legalize adult-use cannabis and the fourth to do so through the legislative process rather than by voter initiative.

As expected, Gov. Ralph Northam has asked the Virginia General Assembly to amend the adult-use legalization bill so possession and home cultivation will become legal on July 1, 2021 instead of waiting until 2024. The governor also requested other changes, including an amendment that would expedite the process of expunging and sealing criminal records, beginning as soon as state agencies are able to do so. Legislators will meet to consider these changes beginning on April 7.

Good news! This weekend, Gov. Cuomo and legislative leaders reached consensus on the details of legalizing cannabis in the Empire State. You might recall earlier in the legislative session Gov. Cuomo released his plan to legalize cannabis in New York – the Cannabis Regulation and Taxation Act. Legislative leaders also reintroduced the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, which has been introduced several times since 2013. Gov. Cuomo later revised his bill to address concerns around equity and penalties…

The Virginia House and Senate deserve a round of applause for completing work on the adult-use legalization bills and advancing them to Gov. Ralph Northam’s desk. Although we are disappointed by the fact that cannabis will not become legal until January 2024, we are pleased that the final bill does not criminalize sharing of cannabis between adults or increase penalties for public consumption and underage possession. Unfortunately, both bills still include one very bad provision that would criminalize…

After several days of wrangling over details, legislators from the Virginia House and Senate have agreed to terms on a final version of the adult-use legalization bill. Today, both chambers voted to approve the compromise. 

In the past week, two committees in the Minnesota Legislature approved HF 600, which would legalize cannabis for adults 21 and older! This is the first time ever that a Minnesota legislative committee has approved legalization.