US Cannabis Policy Updates

Rhode Island lawmakers passed the state’s adult-use cannabis legalization bill on Tuesday. The bill includes provisions for homegrows and the automatic expungement of prior cannabis possession charges.

Delaware Gov. John Carney (D) has vetoed his state’s cannabis legalization bill stating he doesn’t believe in “promoting or expanding the use of recreational marijuana.”

A recent Department of Justice report shows a continuous downward trend for federal cannabis arrests since 2010.

A Florida hemp business owned by an ex-Marine was denied its service-disabled veteran-owned small business designation by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs over concerns that its recognition might amount to a federal agency endorsing a federally illegal drug.

Lawmakers in the Louisiana House Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations last week unanimously approved a bill to protect state employees who use medical cannabis.

Delaware’s bill to tax and regulate adult-use cannabis failed by two votes in the House while the decriminalization bill sits on Gov. John Carney’s (D) desk.

The Biden Administration’s Department of Justice has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to not take up a question relating to company compensations for their workers’ doctor-prescribed medical cannabis.

Lawmakers in two Rhode Island legislative committees advanced the state’s cannabis legalization bill yesterday, setting the bill up for votes in both the House and Senate.

Delaware Gov. John Carney (D) expressed support this week for the cannabis decriminalization bill recently passed by state lawmakers but didn’t say if he intends to sign the legislation.

Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana filed a lawsuit against the state’s ballot initiative process which requires signatures from 5% of registered voters in 38 counties, a rule that gives disproportionate power to rural voters.

Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D) blames the supply chain crisis on the federal zero-tolerance policy for cannabis consumption by commercial drivers, which disqualifies huge sections of the workforce.

Under a settlement between Ohio lawmakers and advocates behind the state’s latest cannabis legalization effort, lawmakers will consider the proposal in 2023 and if they don’t pass the reforms, the question will go to voters later that year.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) has signed cannabis policy reform bills to make the Medical Marijuana Authority a standalone agency and increase penalties for those that resell their medical cannabis to non-cardholders.

Rhode Island’s latest cannabis legalization proposal, which has yet to be released to the public, is up for committee votes this week.

Delaware lawmakers approved a bill to legalize cannabis possession but stopped short of establishing regulated sales; the bill now goes to Gov. John Carney (D), who remains opposed to legalization and has not yet revealed whether he will sign.

Mayor Sadiq Khan of London, England has convened a commission to investigate decriminalizing cannabis throughout the U.K. despite opposition from some national officials.

The Washington State Supreme Court has reinforced the state’s stoned driving laws in a recent ruling and reaffirmed the validity of blood THC concentration limits at the time of testing.

Police arrested activists outside of the headquarters of the DEA as they protested the agency’s refusal to let terminally ill patients access experimental drugs like psilocybin and MDMA.

Two Arkansas advocacy groups are looking to put adult-use cannabis legalization questions on voter ballots this November.

The Oklahoma Senate passed a bill increasing fines for medical cannabis cardholders who intentionally or improperly divert cannabis to unauthorized persons.

The Vermont House has passed a bill aimed at capping the potency of cannabis concentrates at 60% THC.

The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority is set to become a freestanding state agency as per a bill approved by state lawmakers.

Voters in Austin, Texas have overwhelmingly approved a measure to decriminalize cannabis possession and ban no-knock search warrants in the city.

In a debate last week between the top three mayoral candidates in Washington D.C., the topic of cannabis was absent despite being a major focal point for the District.