Cannabis Policy

South Africa Cabinet officials have advanced a bill legalizing the adult use of cannabis; the measure comes three years after a High Court ruling declared that cannabis prohibition was unconstitutional.

The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver has ruled that a drug conviction is not necessarily automatic grounds for deporting an immigrant who is in the U.S. on a green card.

Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith has proposed a federal legalization bill that would remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act and grant regulatory authority of the plant to the Food and Drug Administration.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell threw shade at Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi yesterday, suggesting that she claimed cannabis was an effective treatment for COVID-19.

Arizona Gov. Doug Rucey said the state’s ballot initiative to legalize cannabis is “a bad idea based on false promises” and that he will vote against the measure.

A former Baltimore lawmaker admitted to accepting bribes related to cannabis, alcohol, and opioid regulations. She was recently sentenced to two years in prison.

Despite overwhelming public support, the Democratic Party will not include federal cannabis legalization as a part of its platform in the 2020 election.

Due to a recent ruling, the smell of cannabis alone will no longer be grounds for arrest in Maryland. The ruling does not prevent officers from searching a vehicle based on the smell of cannabis, however.

A poll of New Jersey voters found that 68% of respondents plan to vote in favor of legalizing cannabis for adult use this November.

A new policy approved in France over the weekend will see police issue on-the-spot fines of €200 for drug use, particularly for cannabis.

Anti-cannabis activists in Arizona are suing to prevent the state’s voter initiative to legalize adult-use cannabis from appearing on the November ballot, arguing that the petition summary didn’t give voters the full picture.

With the opening of a new congressional year, Colombia’s opposition party has introduced legislation to decriminalize cocaine and regulate the drug’s production.

Argentina officials are moving forward with a planned overhaul of the country’s medical cannabis system; the new rules would provide free options for medical cannabis patients and allow anyone who registers with the government to grow for personal use.

Illinois is dedicating $31 million in cannabis taxes to a new grant program aimed at small businesses and non-profits in disadvantaged communities.

Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana have submitted over 182,000 signatures in support of a statewide legalization ballot initiative; the campaign only needs 121,000 of those signatures to be validated to secure the initiative’s spot on the ballot.

The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police has issued a call for lawmakers to federally decriminalize the low-level possession of all drugs.

Officials in Kansas City, Missouri have decided to remove cannabis possession from the city code, effectively decriminalizing low-level possession.

Oregon’s initiative to legalize the medicinal use of psilocybin has officially qualified for the November ballot.

An amendment to the must-pass National Defense Authorization Act would give a path for service members to re-enlist in the military even if they have consumed cannabis during their time away.

Lawmakers in the House of Representatives have advanced a highways infrastructure bill that includes language making products from state-legal cannabis markets available for federal research purposes.

Arizona cannabis advocates have submitted 420,000 petition signatures for putting a cannabis legalization initiative on the November ballot; the campaign only needs 237,645 valid signatures to qualify.

Colorado’s governor has signed legislation addressing social equity concerns in the cannabis industry — the new law allows for additional low-level cannabis possession pardons and sets aside business licenses for social equity applicants.

Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch announced the clearing of 2,735 low-level cannabis convictions last week.

The latest Gallup poll found that 70% of Americans consider smoking cannabis to be “morally acceptable.”