It’s been a busy year in Baton Rouge so far! There were over 20 cannabis-related bills introduced this session. We have seen bipartisan support for both improving the medical program and for criminal justice reforms.

Cannabis legalization is being considered in the Senate this week! Earlier this year, the House passed HB 629 — legislation to legalize possession and limited home cultivation of cannabis for adults 21 and older.

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.

After six long years of advocacy, the South Carolina Compassionate Care Act is poised to get a vote in the state Senate when the legislature returns to work! But to turn this long overdue bill into law we need to make sure the House of Representatives votes, too.

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…

Click here to ask your member of the House to vote “yes” on the MORE Act.Leadership in the House of Representatives recently announced plans to vote on the MORE Act in December. As we’ve reported, this will mark the first time the House has voted to end cannabis prohibition, and the measure takes other major steps toward cannabis policy reform. This is big, and now is the time to reach out to your member of Congress. Follow this link to send a quick message asking your Representative to vote yes…

Now it’s up to the Senate, and you can help.Several big measures have been put forth by the House of Representatives in the past 24 hours. Here is a quick rundown of the key provisions and how you can help:Protections for legalization programsThe House voted to protect state legalization programs from federal law enforcement. The Blumenauer-McClintock-Norton amendment was added to a budget bill called the CJS, which received a huge vote in support (254-163). Thanks to all those who reached out to…

There is no excuse for maintaining cannabis prohibition — Urge your state senator to support HB 1648! In February, the New Hampshire House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted in favor of HB 1648, the bipartisan bill that would legalize possession and limited cultivation of cannabis for adults 21 and older in New Hampshire. The bill passed with a veto-proof 236-112 majority and advanced to the Senate, which has rejected previous cannabis legalization bills. Beginning in March, the legislature…

Call your Senator and urge them to include cannabis banking reform in the next relief package. Yesterday, House leadership released a coronavirus relief bill that includes provisions to protect banks that service cannabis businesses from being penalized by federal regulators. MPP has advocated for cannabis reform to be incorporated into COVID-19 legislation, including by sending a letter to House leadership and signing onto a letter with allies urging Congressional lawmakers to add the Secure and…

We have big news to share: Just now, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the SAFE Banking Act (H.R. 1595) in a 321-103 floor vote! Today’s vote was historic, as the SAFE Banking Act is the first standalone cannabis bill to ever receive a full vote in Congress. This legislation would prevent federal financial regulators from punishing financial institutions that provide services to state-legal cannabis businesses. Currently, most banks are unwilling to work with the cannabis industry because…