Cannabis Legalization News

South Dakota’s Supreme Court heard arguments on Wednesday in the governor’s legal challenge to the cannabis legalization ballot initiative that was approved by last November.

Cara Wietstock, host of Fresh Cut by Ganjapreneur, meets with Veronica (Vee) Castillo, the founder of the Traveling Vegan Cannabis Writer Blog. They discuss her sense of the cannabis industry, as well as her experiences with plant-based living, from practicing veganism to microdosing hallucinogenic mushrooms.

Louisiana’s cannabis legalization proposal has cleared its final committee before heading to the House floor for consideration.

Minnesota’s adult-use cannabis legalization proposal advanced through another legislative committee this week — it is the bill’s ninth favorable committee vote.

As New Mexico prepares for its adult-use cannabis program, experts predict it could disrupt parts of the Colorado cannabis industry that benefited from New Mexico residents who came to purchase regulated cannabis products.

The Montana Senate approved a bill to implement the state’s voter-approved adult-use cannabis program; the proposal was already passed in the House but amendments by the Senate mean the bill must be reconsidered.

Nebraska’s Secretary of State gave final approval for Legal Marijuana Now to become an official political party in the state.

Florida’s conservative Supreme Court blocked the state’s cannabis legalization ballot initiative, claiming the initiative fails to properly inform voters that cannabis is federally illegal and would remain so even if the state legalizes it.

Multiple civil rights groups in Virginia skipped the governor’s cannabis legalization bill signing ceremony after the advocacy group Marijuana Justice was snubbed an invitation.

Comments made this week by White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki hint that the Biden Administration is continuing in its failure to recognize the need for significant cannabis reforms.

Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R) signed the state’s industrial hemp legalization bill last week. Idaho was the last holdout state for hemp prohibition after the 2018 enactment of federal hemp reforms.

Separate polls released last week found record-breaking support for cannabis reforms among American voters.

Wisconsin’s top Senate Republican, Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, said he will not support medical or adult-use cannabis reforms without first seeing federal movement on the issue.

Alabama’s bill to legalize medical cannabis has been approved for consideration on the full House floor; a previous version of the bill already passed the state Senate.

Wisconsin’s governor said that Illinois’ governor keeps thanking him for having so many Wisconsinites cross state lines to buy cannabis products and pay Illinois state taxes.

New Mexico’s governor signed two bills this afternoon to legalize adult-use cannabis and expunge some cannabis-related criminal records.

North Carolina state Sen. Bill Rabon, one of the state’s top GOP lawmakers, has introduced a proposal to legalize medical cannabis.

Mexico’s cannabis legalization bill could face new delays after top Senate lawmakers raised concerns about revisions made in the lower body.

Virginia lawmakers have approved changes to their legalization law to enact the reforms this July instead of in 2024.

The Cannabis Freedom Alliance launched this week to advocate for the federal legalization of cannabis; the organization was reportedly devised during a Zoom call last year between Snoop Dogg, Charles Koch, and criminal justice reform advocate Weldon Angelos.

The Connecticut Judiciary Committee approved the governor’s cannabis legalization proposal this week, moving it one step closer to a full floor vote.

75 percent of Americans believe that cannabis should be made legal, whether at the state or federal level.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) told reporters Wednesday that legislation to end the federal prohibition of cannabis is coming soon.

New Mexico lawmakers have advanced legislation to legalize adult-use cannabis and expunge prior cannabis criminal records. The governor said she intends to sign the bills into law.