Cannabis Legalization News

Heeding the requests of Gov. Phil Murphy — who said he would not sign the state’s legalization law without it — lawmakers in New Jersey have introduced a bill containing penalties for underage cannabis possession.

Republican Missouri State Rep. Shamed Dogan has proposed a constitutional amendment to legalize and regulate cannabis; the proposal would leave the legalization question up to voters during the 2022 election.

Between multiple state legalization wins and the election of a hesitantly pro-reform presidential candidate, the 2020 election solidified a stronger future for the US cannabis industry.

Adult-use cannabis sales could commence in Arizona by March with existing medical cannabis dispensaries getting the first licenses, followed by 26 social equity licenses.

Montana’s commissioner of political practices is ordering the North Fund, a group who donated millions to the state’s cannabis legalization efforts, to reveal the source of their funding.

The Mississippi Attorney General’s office has submitted court arguments slamming a lawsuit seeking to overturn the state’s massively successful bid to legalize medical cannabis.

Rhode Island’s medical cannabis applications are in and the license lottery is set for sometime in 2021. Only six applicants will be selected.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) is delaying his signature on the state’s pending legalization and decriminalization bills due to a technical issue that shields minors from cannabis-related penalties.

U.S. cannabis sales increased 67 percent in 2020 to $17.9 billion, which is $7.2 billion more than last year’s total.

Experts predict that cannabis legalization in Virginia could generate up to $1.2 billion in annual economic activity for the state.

New Jersey lawmakers have approved legislation for the legalization and regulation of adult-use cannabis, sending the bill to the governor’s desk where it is expected to be signed into law.

Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried is calling for cannabis legalization in the state and fielding donations based on advancing the legalization issue.

Lawmakers in South Carolina have pre-filed multiple bills aimed at reforming the state’s cannabis laws including two medical cannabis legalization proposals, a decriminalization proposal, and others.

Arizona regulators released the first draft rules for the state’s adult-use cannabis marketplace. The license application period is set to open on January 19.

Mexican lawmakers are requesting an extension to their December 15 deadline to pass a cannabis legalization law. The bill as it stands would allow for possession up to 28 grams, home cultivation, a legal market, and the expungement of some prior cannabis crimes.

A recent Wyoming poll found for the first time ever that a majority of voters there support legalizing adult-use cannabis.

The drug war is a long-documented instrument of institutional racism — but it’s also symptomatic of a much larger system that has worked to maintain the status quo for generations. This editorial explores the lessons learned and correlations to our future as we experience the crumbling of cannabis prohibition.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy says state lawmakers have reached a deal to legalize and regulate cannabis after voters overwhelmingly approved a voter initiative calling for the reforms last month.

Nebraska State Sen. Anna Wishart says she is crafting adult-use legalization language that will be added to a medical cannabis legalization initiative planned for 2022.

The U.S. House has voted in favor of the MORE Act, a landmark legalization bill that would end the federal prohibition of cannabis.

Cannabis activists and lawmakers in Florida are gearing up for big legalization pushes in 2021 and 2022.

The House Rules Committee voted yesterday to advance the MORE Act — which would end the federal prohibition of cannabis — positioning the landmark bill for a full floor vote later this week. If passed, the legislation is all but guaranteed to fail in the GOP-controlled Senate.

New Jersey’s attorney general has directed state prosecutors to stop trying low-level cannabis crimes following the state’s landslide vote in favor of legalization.

Following the governor’s announcement in support of legalizing cannabis, activists and local politicians in Virginia are already pushing for social equity considerations in the state’s legalization plan.