Cannabis Legalization News

David C. Holland is an NYC lawyer working to advance the cannabis movement through advocacy, litigation, and legal counseling for cannabis entrepreneurs.

Following advocates’ successful push for the state’s initiated statute process, Ohio lawmakers now have four months to consider a cannabis legalization bill or the campaign could push the issue to a vote on state ballots.

Costa Rica President Carlos Alvarado vetoed a bill to legalize medical cannabis and industrial hemp over provisions related to personal use and consumption.

A Delaware proposal to legalize adult-use cannabis passed the House Health & Human Development Committee and moves next to the Appropriations Committee.

Amazon has endorsed a Republican-led federal cannabis legalization bill, noting that federal prohibition has a negative effect on their workforce.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) included $25 million in his supplemental budget for creating a Cannabis Management Office and asked lawmakers to approve adult-use reforms.

Mississippi’s medical cannabis bill will now advance to Republican Gov. Tate Reeves for signing after the Legislature approved a proposal with reduced patient purchasing limits.

A North Dakota campaign to legalize adult-use cannabis fell short of the required number of signatures to put the question on midterm ballots.

A medical cannabis proposal in Nebraska labeled as “poison pill” legislation by activists seeks to legalize dispensaries but provides no legal means of cultivating cannabis for commercial purposes.

A new bill drafted by Thailand’s FDA would legalize the home cultivation of cannabis for personal medical use and adult-use purposes.

A medical cannabis bill in South Carolina is finally set for a hearing during a special legislative session this week.

Montana courts are seeing lower-than-anticipated interest in the expungement of cannabis records following the state’s legalization launch.

Tennessee lawmakers are set to consider multiple pieces of cannabis reform legislation this year, including a bill to tax delta-8 THC and CBD products, as well as broader medical and adult-use cannabis bills.

Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers (R) hasn’t definitively stated whether he would allow a medical cannabis bill to be considered by the state Senate.

The Food and Drug Administration of Thailand is set to propose removing cannabis from its controlled substances list and regulating adult-use, high-THC cannabis extracts.

Delaware’s new cannabis legalization bill would drop a proposed social equity fund, opting instead for a “Justice Reinvestment Fund,” which would provide direct aid to those communities most negatively affected by prohibition.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) recently restated his opposition to cannabis legalization and said he would not sign a reforms bill were one approved by state lawmakers.

The Mississippi Senate passed a bill to legalize medical cannabis. The bill, which the governor has threatened to veto, now moves to the House for final approval.

Ohio advocates submitted nearly 30,000 new signatures in an attempt to make state lawmakers consider cannabis legalization after falling short of the required signature total earlier this month.

Several Virginia GOP state lawmakers have pre-filed measures to strip social equity funding and other criminal justice initiatives from last year’s cannabis legalization bill.

A group of Maryland state senators is looking to craft a second cannabis legalization bill separate from a recently announced equity-focused proposal.

Washington State Democratic Senators Jesse Salomon and Liz Lovelett have introduced a bill to legalize the assisted adult use of psilocybin.

Alabama gubernatorial candidate Chad “Chig” Martin will be including cannabis legalization as a main component of his election campaign.

Maryland state Sen. Jill Carter (D-Baltimore) plans to file an adult-use cannabis legalization bill next week which emphasizes social equity, home cultivation, and criminal justice reforms.