Cannabis Policy

A bipartisan proposal being considered in Washington state would cap the potency of cannabis concentrates at 30% THC and raise the minimum age for purchasing extracts to 25 years old.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is further impeding the will of voters after calling for delaying implementation of the state’s voter-approved medical cannabis law by one year.

The Washington State Task Force on Social Equity in Cannabis has called for the state to prioritize race over location for equity applicants and to let funds reserved for equity applicants go to current licensees who would meet the program’s requirements.

Kathleen Sebelius, the former Health and Human Services secretary for the Obama Administration, has joined the National Cannabis Roundtable.

A South Dakota judge has ruled in favor of nullifying a cannabis legalization constitutional amendment approved by voters last November. The dispute moves next to the state’s Supreme Court.

A coalition of multi-state operators, tech firms, investor groups, and cannabis advocacy groups announced the formation of the U.S. Cannabis Council, an organization that will push for the federal descheduling and legalization of cannabis.

A Minnesota state Rep. has proposed reclassifying medical cannabis as a Schedule 2 substance so patients would be able to legally keep their firearms under federal law.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has signed legislation reducing the penalties for the possession of psilocybin mushrooms from a third-degree crime to a disorderly person offense.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) revealed his anticipation of cannabis legalization in the state after including revenue from legal cannabis taxes in his 2021-2022 budget proposal.

The Idaho Senate approved a measure to constitutionally ban any statewide legalization of non-pharmaceutical psychoactive drugs (including cannabis). The proposal still has to pass the House in a two-thirds vote and would then move to voters via a ballot initiative next year.

A bill to legalize medical cannabis in Alabama has advanced from the state’s Senate Judiciary Committee.

A group of Oregon activists, business owners, and lawmakers have put forward the Oregon Cannabis Social Equity Act, which aims to use cannabis tax dollars to help repair damage done by the racist drug war.

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.”