US Cannabis Policy Updates

The House Appropriations Committee approved an appropriations bill that includes language blocking the FCC from sanctioning broadcasters who air cannabis advertisements in legalized states.

The advocacy group behind a Washington state drug decriminalization ballot initiative announced it would cease its campaign this year due to funding-related issues despite recording all-time high levels of support.

The Green Leaf Party, Israel’s pro-cannabis faction, plans to run candidates in the upcoming elections for the first time since 2015.

Nevada has approved the rules to regulate social consumption lounges within the state and plans to award the first licenses by this fall.

The House Committee on Appropriations approved a measure to keep the DOJ from using its resources to interfere with state-approved cannabis industries.

The Texas Supreme Court recently ruled in favor of the statewide ban on smokable hemp, citing the state’s long history of prohibiting and regulating the production and possession of hemp.

Despite having decriminalized the possession of up to 10 grams of cannabis, Maryland’s state Court of Appeals ruled that cannabis odor is sufficient grounds for a brief, “investigatory” traffic stop.

Republican lawmakers in North Carolina’s House of Representatives during a closed-door meeting decided not to advance the state’s Senate-approved medical cannabis reforms bill.

The SAFE Banking Act was removed from the COMPETES Act, a China competition bill, at the behest of Republican lawmakers who argued the cannabis banking reforms didn’t belong in the legislation.

The Mississippi Supreme Court ruled to uphold a life sentence prison term for a man in possession of fewer than two ounces of cannabis.

The American Medical Association is calling on states that have legalized or decriminalized cannabis to expunge criminal records due to the overbearing impacts on potential physicians’ lives.  

A recent letter by the director of Montana’s Department of Revenue revealed that tribes in the state are restricted to the lowest tier of cannabis cultivation license.

USDA Emergency Relief Program funds are not available for cannabis cultivators due to the plant’s federal status as a Schedule I Controlled Substance. Hemp farmers are not subject to the same provisions.

Germany started holding expert hearings this week related to its cannabis legalization plan, which lawmakers expect to finalize by the end of the year.

North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore (R) said the state’s medical cannabis bill probably won’t reach the chamber floor for a vote, effectively killing it for the year.

A new survey revealed that 83% of Nebraskans supported the legalization of medical cannabis in 2021 and 2022. 

Despite President Biden’s campaign promise to reform federal cannabis laws, applicants interested in White House internships must disclose prior cannabis use, which could affect their eligibility even if the consumption took place in a legalized state.

Delaware lawmakers this week failed to override Gov. John Carney’s recent veto of the state’s cannabis legalization bill.

The Washington D.C. City Council passed a bill to protect employees in the District from being fired for positive cannabis drug tests.

The U.S. Conference of Mayors endorsed a resolution calling on federal lawmakers to pass the SAFE Banking Act and to legalize both medical and adult-use cannabis.

Bernie Sanders called the U.S. criminal justice system “racist” and “unjust,” and called out the Justice Department for focusing on cannabis instead of white-collar crimes and business offenses.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D), a former New York City Police Department officer, said he doesn’t want to see heavy enforcement against businesses found to be illegally gifting cannabis.

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly (D) has signed a bill allowing state residents to consume FDA-approved drugs derived from cannabis.

Louisiana lawmakers passed legislation to protect state workers from being terminated for medical cannabis use but the measure does not apply to certain safety-sensitive jobs, including public safety officials.