Decriminalization

According to statistics from car insurance companies, cannabis law reforms have made no statistically significant impact on the rate of vehicular accidents in Canada and the U.S.

Berkeley, California city officials advanced a psychedelics decriminalization proposal this week despite concerns by some reform advocates that the proposal does not go far enough to deprioritize law enforcement actions.

Activists rallied this week outside of Government House in Bangkok, Thailand, to pressure authorities against rolling back the country’s cannabis decriminalization law.

A cohort of U.S. representatives sent a letter to President Joe Biden asking him to consider pardons of simple cannabis possession convictions for immigrants.

Five Texas cities — Denton, Elgin, Harker Heights, Killeen, and San Marcos — voted in favor of decriminalizing low-level cannabis possession during Tuesday’s midterm elections.

The result of the ballot initiative to decriminalize and regulate psychedelics in Colorado is still too close to call the day after Tuesday’s elections.

A spokesperson from the United Kingdom Prime Minister’s office clarified the administration does not intend to reclassify cannabis from a Class B to Class A drug in the country.

Recent polls found the majority of Americans support President Biden’s move to pardon federal cannabis possession charges and want governors around the country to follow suit per the president’s request.

Few individuals in Oregon are utilizing the free addiction help services available under the state’s new drug decriminalization law.

The city of Stonecrest, Georgia voted to decriminalize the possession of an ounce or less of cannabis, eschewing jail time for fines of $100.

Commissioners in Athens-Clarke County, Georgia approved an ordinance to reduce the penalty for possession of less than an ounce of cannabis to a $35 fine, the lowest in the state.

Voters in Killeen, Texas will decide this November whether to decriminalize cannabis possession within city limits.

Voters in Denton, Texas will consider a ballot initiative during the midterm elections that, if passed, would decriminalize low-level cannabis possession by blocking local police from enforcing misdemeanor cannabis crimes.

The advocacy group behind a Washington state drug decriminalization ballot initiative announced it would cease its campaign this year due to funding-related issues despite recording all-time high levels of support.

Canada will temporarily decriminalize opioids, cocaine, MDMA, and methamphetamine in British Columbia as the province looks to fight its record overdose rates.

Delaware Gov. John Carney (D) expressed support this week for the cannabis decriminalization bill recently passed by state lawmakers but didn’t say if he intends to sign the legislation.

Mayor Sadiq Khan of London, England has convened a commission to investigate decriminalizing cannabis throughout the U.K. despite opposition from some national officials.

Voters in Austin, Texas have overwhelmingly approved a measure to decriminalize cannabis possession and ban no-knock search warrants in the city.

The Israeli government is considering a cannabis reforms package that would decriminalize personal possession and allow for the expungement of past offenses.

Advocates in Denton, Texas have launched a signature-gathering campaign with the goal of ending citations and arrests for misdemeanor cannabis possession.

The Alabama Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill to decriminalize cannabis possession in the state and expunge prior cannabis charges.

Thailand’s Public Health Minister signed a document on Tuesday effectively decriminalizing cannabis in the country.

Vermont’s House Judiciary Committee is reviewing three different drug reform bills that range from personal use decriminalization to substance abuse disorder treatment.

Austin voters will get to decide during the upcoming May election whether to stop the enforcement of low-level cannabis possession charges and ban no-knock warrants by police.