Cannabis Policy

Minnesota Democrats are cranking up their efforts to enact sensible cannabis reforms with Democratic House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler calling adult-use legalization a “mainstream, bipartisan, broadly supported issue.”

New Mexico lawmakers have pre-filed two cannabis legalization bills for the coming session. Each measure would essentially do the same thing but differ on operational and enforcement details.

Kansas Gov. Kelly Chambers (D) has proposed adopting medical cannabis legalization in the state and using funds from the program to pay for expansions to Medicaid.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sens. Cory Booker and Ron Wyden have announced the forming of a Senate coalition dedicated to legalizing cannabis at the federal level.

Oregon’s first-in-the-nation drugs decriminalization policy takes effect today. The measure was approved by voters last November.

Lawmakers in Idaho are set to consider a bipartisan bill to legalize medical cannabis even after a proposal to constitutionally ban all psychoactive drugs (including cannabis) was advanced from the Senate State Affairs Committee.

Lawmakers in the New Jersey Assembly Community Development and Affairs Committee have approved a piece of so-called “clean-up” legislation aimed at getting Gov. Phil Murphy to approve the state’s voter-backed legalization plan.

President Joe Biden has signed an executive order directing the Department of Justice to end its use of private prisons.

New Mexico Gov. Lujan Grisham called for the legalization of adult-use cannabis in her State of the State address on Tuesday.

Washington state lawmakers will consider yet another proposal this year aimed at the legalization of cannabis home grows.

A rule allowing Utah medical cannabis patients to acquire products from out-of-state markets has expired, leaving some patients in limbo without easy access to their medicine.

Minnesota Sen. Majority Leader Paul Gazelka (R) said he has no plans to work toward cannabis legalization this year and that such reforms aren’t “right for the state.”

A New Jersey proposal would task schools with educating school children about cannabis-associated risks starting as early as third grade.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont is reportedly discussing the prospects of legalizing adult-use cannabis with multiple state agencies.

A bill filed by Florida state Sen. Jeff Brandes seeks to allow adult-use cannabis sales in the state’s already-licensed medical cannabis dispensaries.

The Compassionate Care Act in South Carolina, which aims to legalize medical cannabis in the state, has garnered new support from several powerful state Senators this year.

Idaho state Sen. Scott Grow (R) proposed legislation on Monday that would add the prohibition of cannabis and other psychoactive drugs to the state’s constitution, making legalization and other reforms more difficult.

Indiana state Sen. Karen Tallian has proposed two bills aimed at significant cannabis reforms, including the legalization of adult-use cannabis and the creation of a new “Cannabis Compliance Commission.”

The French government has launched a public consultation to ask citizens about their views on cannabis legalization and to determine which government policies the people would prefer.

After more than a year of campaigning, we can be pretty sure where President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris stand on the cannabis issue — but what about other members of the incoming Biden Administration?

Ilinois state senators have advanced a measure aimed at improving the state’s social equity cannabis licensing process.

Mexico health officials have published rules for the country’s medical cannabis industry and President Andres Manuel López Obrador approved regulations letting pharmaceutical companies conduct medical cannabis research.

New Jersey’s cannabis deal appears to have fallen flat after lawmakers pulled a piece of compromise legislation that was requested by Gov. Phil Murphy before signing into law the state’s legalization plan.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has once again stated the state will legalize cannabis in the coming legislative session.