On Monday, Gov. John Bel Edwards signed HB 652 into law! This new law will save thousands of Louisianans from being incarcerated for small amounts of cannabis. Effective August 1, the penalty for possessing up to 14 grams of cannabis will be reduced to a fine of up to $100.

At long last, Minnesota’s medical cannabis patients will be allowed to use cannabis in flower form instead of being limited to extracts and other more costly preparations!

Minnesota is one of only two medical cannabis states that doesn’t allow cannabis in its natural, flower form. This drives up prices for patients and deprives many of the medicine that works best for them. Many end up turning to the unregulated, sometimes dangerous, illicit market.

On Monday, lawmakers returned to Baton Rouge for their 2021 legislative session. More than a dozen cannabis policy bills have been proposed — including bills to legalize cannabis and to allow flower cannabis in the state’s medical cannabis program.

Good news! This week, Gov. Ralph Northam signed legislation (HB 2218/SB 1333) that will allow registered patients to obtain whole-plant, “botanical” cannabis from medical cannabis dispensaries. The new law, which takes effect on July 1, will make it possible for patients to use cannabis in whatever form they find to be most helpful.

This year, several senators, led by Senate Majority Leader Tom Takubo (R-Kanawha), are trying to improve the program by introducing SB 231. This important bill would eliminate the prohibition on edibles and smoking and allow patients and caregivers to obtain temporary certifications to grow their own plants. Medical practitioners would be authorized to issue “compassion certificates,” which would allow possession of up to 12 mature plants and 12 seedlings per patient.

Virginia’s legislative session began last week, and several important cannabis policy reform bills have already been introduced.

Ask Gov. Edwards to sign the bill when it lands on his desk. Exciting news! On Wednesday, the Louisiana Senate followed the House’s lead and overwhelmingly approved legislation (HB 819) to allow medical cannabis for any debilitating medical condition. HB 819 would significantly expand Louisiana’s medical cannabis program: Patients currently only qualify if they have one of the specifically listed medical conditions. Ask Gov. John Bel Edwards to sign HB 819 into law when it lands on his desk.Before…