US Cannabis Policy Updates

Conservative police commissioners in the United Kingdom want to reclassify cannabis from a Class B to a Class A drug, which would put the plant in the same category as heroin and cocaine.

New Mexico Supreme Court Chief Justice Shannon Bacon wants individuals to file their own expungement applications instead of requiring the state’s judicial branch to find eligible cases, a change to the current legalization law. 

The Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys is asking voters to reject the cannabis legalization amendment appearing on November ballots.

Rick Stewart, the Libertarian gubernatorial candidate in Iowa, called out Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) in a recent campaign ad over her position against cannabis legalization. 

The Arkansas Supreme Court ruled last week to allow the state’s adult-use cannabis legalization question to appear on November ballots.

Lawmakers from Germany recently toured California cannabis businesses and spoke with advocates, regulators, and industry experts about lessons learned when creating a legal industry.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court voted unanimously to delay the state’s upcoming cannabis legalization ballot initiative.

A recent poll found that 59% of Maryland voters are planning to vote yes on the state’s upcoming cannabis legalization question.

Arkansas Secretary of State John Thurston declared the state’s cannabis legalization ballot measure to be insufficient due to the State Board of Election Commissioners’ decision to not certify the initiative’s popular name and ballot title.

A federal proposal would give small-scale cannabis companies the ability to operate on a direct-to-consumer model to help the smaller operations compete with large, corporate entities once cannabis is finally legalized nationwide.

The United Kingdom has blocked a cannabis legalization package in Bermuda from becoming law, possibly throwing the Caribbean island territory into a constitutional crisis.

The Smart and Safe Florida cannabis advocacy group has hired a signature gathering firm for more than $1 million in its effort to put a cannabis legalization constitutional amendment on the state’s 2024 election ballots.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has signed a bill to protect patients’ access to medical treatment even if they test positive for cannabis and the rights of doctors to treat such patients without ramifications from federal law.

Scott Jensen, the Republican nominee for Minnesota’s governorship, said that he supports decriminalizing small amounts of cannabis and letting voters decide whether to adopt legalization reforms.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf and Lieutenant Gov. John Fetterman have announced the PA Marijuana Pardon Project is accepting applications for a one-time, large-scale pardoning project for people with minor, non-violent cannabis convictions.

Officials in California have passed a law to protect workers who test positive on drug screenings for cannabis consumed outside of work with some exceptions. The bill has been sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) for his signature.

New medical cannabis prescription limits took effect in Florida on Monday, in some cases limiting patients to one-third of their previous maximum amounts.

A new poll found that 54.4% of South Dakota voters disapprove of cannabis legalization ahead of the reforms appearing on state ballots this November.

Multiple Oregon municipalities are planning to put psilocybin therapy bans on November election ballots after state voters opted to legalize the treatment in 2020.

The campaigns to legalize medical cannabis in Nebraska weren’t able to collect enough signatures to qualify for November election ballots, but state Sen. Jen Day (D) said she would introduce legalization legislation in the next session.

The city of Stonecrest, Georgia voted to decriminalize the possession of an ounce or less of cannabis, eschewing jail time for fines of $100.

Oklahoma’s adult-use cannabis legalization question may be blocked from November ballots due to a delay in signature counting by a new vendor contracted by the state.

A recent memo from the Biden Administration suggests that White House applicants who have invested in the legal cannabis industry may be denied security clearances.

A police chief in Arkansas has formed a group to oppose the state’s upcoming cannabis legalization ballot initiative, focusing his argument on drug dogs becoming “useless” if the measure is successful.