Decriminalization

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

Green Party presidential candidates Howie Hawkins and Angela Walker are calling for the decriminalization of all drugs as part of their proposed police reforms.

Law enforcement must stop arresting people over low-level cannabis crimes under a new law in San Marcos, Texas.

The El Paso, Texas City Council has approved a “cite and release” policy for the possession of up to two ounces of cannabis.

Separate campaigns to legalize psilocybin therapy and to decriminalize all illegal drugs have teamed up in Oregon to gather signatures.

Joe Biden, the former vice president and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, has announced his “Plan for Black America,” which includes federal cannabis decriminalization and the expungement of cannabis convictions.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has signed a bill into law that includes the decriminalization of cannabis possession and the sealing of light cannabis convictions in the state.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed a drug reform bill that will re-classify nearly all drug possession charges from a felony to a misdemeanor.

Oregon activists have launched a campaign to decriminalize all drug possession in an effort to reduce unfairly harsh prison sentences and increase addiction treatment possibilities.

Virginia lawmakers have approved broad cannabis decriminalization legislation; lawmakers there, however, have no intention of addressing adult-use legalization in this session.

Former vice president and current Democratic presidential candidate said in a recording that cannabis is “at the point where it has to be, basically, legalized.”

The Austin, Texas City Council has approved a resolution that blocks police from using city funds on lab tests for low-level cannabis possession cases, effectively decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of cannabis.

A cannabis decriminalization bill has been introduced in Tennessee; the proposal would also allow counties to individually legalize adult-use cannabis.

The three new bills address cannabis decriminalization and creating a path forward for CBD & smokable hemp products.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has started a push for statewide cannabis decriminalization, even as lawmakers are positioning to put the legalization question to voters next year.

Wisconsin lawmakers are pushing to decriminalize up to an ounce of cannabis and expunge criminal cannabis possession records for up to 28 grams. Their proposal would also ban police from vehicle searches based only on the smell of cannabis.

Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring said in a tweet last week that it is time for Virginia to “move toward legal, regulated adult use” cannabis. 61 percent of Virginians support legalization.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has signed a bill into law that establishes an expungement process for low-level criminal charges and expands the state’s existing decriminalization rules.

Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler and Sen. Kamala Harris are introducing a federal cannabis reform bill called the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act to both decriminalize cannabis and set up the expungement of prior cannabis convictions.

A cannabis decriminalization law in Hawaii has taken effect without Gov. David Ige’s signature; the governor, however, vetoed a bill allowing patients to transport medical cannabis products between islands and another bill that would have made permanent the state’s hemp program.

New York lawmakers, after failing to adopt adult-use legalization this session, have approved legislation expanding cannabis decriminalization in the state and establishing a framework for the automatic expungement of low-level cannabis convictions.

The last-minute efforts to legalize or decriminalize adult-use cannabis in New York before the legislature adjourns for the year have failed; lawmakers will have to pursue the issue again next year.

Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring called for the decriminalization of cannabis in an op-ed published on Saturday, arguing that prohibition is “needlessly creating criminals.”

Cincinnati will become the fourth municipality in Ohio to decriminalize cannabis possession, following Dayton, Toledo, and Norwood.