Earlier today, S. 150 — the S.C. Compassionate Care Act — was defeated in a procedural motion. Before debate on S. 150 could begin, Rep. John McCravy (R) raised a motion claiming the Compassionate Care Act is a revenue-raising bill and as such was not allowed to originate in the Senate. Speaker Pro Tem Tommy Pope (R) — a staunch opponent — ruled in favor of the motion to kill S. 150 after a lunch break.

Yesterday, Rep. Scott Slater and Sen. Josh Miller, along with many cosponsors in the House and Senate, formally introduced a pair of identical bills (S 2430 and H 7593) to legalize, regulate, and tax cannabis for adults 21 and older in Rhode Island. 

Today, Delaware’s House Health and Human Development Committee voted 10-4 in favor of HB 305, a bill to legalize, tax, and regulate cannabis for adults 21 and older. It now moves to the House Appropriations Committee for consideration before heading to the House floor.

Yesterday, the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol announced that they have submitted 206,943 signatures to the Ohio Secretary of State — over 70,000 more than needed to meet the requirement for the first phase of the ballot initiative qualification process.

Great news! Louisiana’s medical cannabis patients will be allowed to use cannabis in flower form instead of being limited to extracts and other more costly preparations. Yesterday, Gov. John Bel Edwards signed HB 391 into law, making it Act 424.

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…

Bill passes final committee — urge your representatives to vote in favor. Today, Vermont’s House Appropriations Committee approved S. 54 in a 6-5 vote. The bill to legalize, regulate, and tax cannabis sales appears likely to receive a vote in the full House later this week. Please contact your representatives now and ask for their support! The House has amended the bill, including by changing the tax rate to a flat 20% (in the Senate’s version, it’s 16% plus a 2% local option tax), but none of…

Passage of Vermont’s legalization bill, H. 511, was a huge step forward for the state — and the nation. Now that Gov. Scott has signed this bill allowing personal possession and cultivation, effective on July 1, it’s time for the legislature to begin moving forward with plans to regulate and tax marijuana production and sale for adults 21 and older. Some legislators who voted NO on H. 511 have already said that they support regulating and taxing marijuana. Others are reconsidering their positions…

After weeks of persistent advocacy from Massachusetts residents, the Senate and House have reached a compromise that largely respects the will of the people. The House’s flawed “repeal and replace” bill would have made disastrous changes to the law voters approved, and we are relieved that the Legislature has agreed to a more sensible plan for implementing legalization. The compromise bill’s most significant changes relate to local control and taxes. The legislation adjusts the local control policy,…

The Colorado Department of Revenue’s announcement that $1.3 billion in regulated marijuana sales took place in calendar year 2016, generating nearly $200 million in state tax revenue. These figures do not include millions of dollars in revenue generated by local taxes on marijuana. The Cannabist reports: To put the state’s third year of regulated recreational marijuana sales in perspective, Year One totaled $699.2 million (combined with medical sales) and Year Two jumped up to $996.2 million. The…