US Cannabis Policy Updates

A recent South Dakota poll found that voters are open to legalizing cannabis despite having rejected adult-use reforms last year.

A bipartisan House proposal reintroduced this week by Republican Rep. Dave Joyce (OH) and Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY) would help prepare the federal government for the end of cannabis prohibition at the national level.

A bipartisan U.S. House proposal filed this week would exempt state-legal cannabis companies from the restrictions of IRS Code 280E, which has vexed modern cannabis operators for years.

A Missouri House proposal would limit the sale of delta-8 THC products in the state to officially licensed cannabis dispensaries.

The Canadian Supreme Court last week ruled that Quebec’s ban on cannabis home grows is constitutional despite federal law, which lets individuals grow up to four plants at home for personal use.

Illinois lawmakers are considering two cannabis bills: one to ban police from searching vehicles based solely on the odor of cannabis and one to allow some people on probation to use cannabis and alcohol.

According to a recent survey, 53% of Fins believe that cannabis use and possession should not be a crime in Finland but just 24% said that cannabis should be fully legalized.

New Hampshire Senate President Jeb Bradley (R) said the chamber is unlikely to approve the adult-use legalization bill passed last week by the House, saying he thinks it’s unwise to pass the reforms “in the middle of a drug crisis.”

Germany announced the watering down of its cannabis legalization efforts after talks with EU officials but the plan is to still legalize possession, allow limited home grows, and establish members-only “cannabis clubs.”

The Texas House voted 121-23 in favor of a measure to increase allowable THC levels in the state’s medical cannabis program and add chronic pain to the program’s qualifying conditions list.

Maryland lawmakers passed a bill this week to prohibit police officers from conducting vehicle searches based solely on the presence of cannabis odor.

Maryland lawmakers have advanced a measure to see state officials begin issuing adult-use cannabis licenses this summer.

Washington lawmakers have passed a measure prohibiting employers from denying a job to an individual due to their off-the-clock cannabis use.

The New Hampshire House voted this week to legalize adult-use cannabis. It was the body’s third such measure and the bill moves next to the Senate, which has never previously passed the reforms.

Minnesota state Rep. Andy Smith (D) proposed launching a task force to investigate the potential of psychedelics as mental illness treatments, prioritizing the substances LSD, MDMA, and psilocybin.

In a follow-up to the state’s recent cannabis legalization policy, Connecticut’s chief state attorney’s office has dropped 1,562 possession charges as state lawmakers draft legislation to halt cannabis-specific prosecutions moving forward.

A bipartisan proposal by U.S. Sens. John Tester (D-MT) and Mike Braun (R-IN) is seeking to reduce regulations for hemp farmers producing grain and fiber.

Lawmakers in the Missouri House passed a measure last week to mandate studies investigating psilocybin, the psychedelic substance in hallucinogenic mushrooms, as a mental health treatment.

Washington lawmakers have pared the state’s psychedelic therapies proposal down to just a pilot program that would allow some military veterans and first responders to access the treatment.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) last week signed the state’s medical cannabis legalization bill into law; the bill allows patients to access cannabis edibles and concentrates but stops short of permitting smokable products.

Kentucky lawmakers passed a bill to legalize medical cannabis in the state on Thursday, sending the proposal to Gov. Andy Beshear (D) who said he plans to “proudly” sign the legislation later today.

A Montana proposal seeks to eliminate the state’s adult-use cannabis dispensaries and raise the medical cannabis tax from 4% to 20%.

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) is proposing a CBD carveout for a bill that would enact strict regulations on hemp-derived THC products.

The Delaware Senate passed House-approved adult-use cannabis legalization bills yesterday, sending the legislation to Gov. John Carney (D) who vetoed a similar legalization measure last summer.