Cannabis Legalization News

Despite the federal government estimating some 10,000 citizens would be eligible for conviction relief when Canada legalized cannabis, just 845 pardons for cannabis crimes have been issued since 2019.

The New Hampshire Senate has passed an adult-use cannabis legalization proposal containing a state-run dispensary system favored by Republican Gov. Chris Sununu.

A New Jersey appeals court ruling found that the state’s cannabis legalization law is not preempted by federal law but warned that “residents and marijuana businesses … act at the risk that their activities might be prosecuted by federal authorities.”

Joe Biden has announced that the US Justice Department is moving cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III. In his announcement, he stated that he is committed to “righting the wrongs” of prohibition, though Schedule III status doesn’t do anything specific to help those currently incarcerated.

Cannabis advocates in Kansas announced they have formed the Cannabis Justice Coalition, which will support candidates for local office who support cannabis legalization and the expunging of cannabis criminal records.

The Florida GOP Executive Board unanimously passed a resolution over the weekend opposing the cannabis legalization amendment set to appear before voters during this November’s election.

Senate Democrats have again filed the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, which seeks to legalize cannabis at the federal level and automatically expunge federal non-violent cannabis offenses.

Cannabis advocates in North Dakota have been cleared by the secretary of state’s office to start collecting voter signatures to put a legalization question on November ballots.

Minnesota House lawmakers last week passed social equity cannabis licensing provisions and other adjustments to the state’s upcoming adult-use cannabis program.

Cannabis advocates in North Dakota submitted a petition to put an adult-use cannabis question before voters this November; the campaign needs to collect 16,000 valid signatures by July 8 to qualify.

In a recent poll of more than 1,000 Florida adults, just 49% of respondents said they would vote “yes” on the state’s upcoming cannabis legalization amendment. The results suggest a tough road ahead for the legalization campaign as constitutional amendments in the state require 60% supermajority support.

Lawmakers in the New Hampshire House of Representatives have voted for the third year in a row to legalize adult-use cannabis. The governor said he will not support the bill, however, unless changes are made in the Senate.

Pennsylvania could generate more than $1 billion in new taxes over five years if the state were to legalize adult-use cannabis sales, according to an official report.

Hawaii lawmakers in the House Finance Committee rejected the state’s Senate-approved adult-use cannabis legalization proposal, killing the bill for the year.

Florida voters will see cannabis legalization on the ballot this November after the state’s Supreme Court rejected the attorney general’s arguments against the amendment’s ballot summary language.

Virginia’s Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin has vetoed the state’s proposal to legalize adult-use cannabis sales, extending the illicit market’s monopoly on cannabis sales for at least another year.

The latest Pew Research poll found that 88% of Americans support legalizing cannabis for either medical or adult use — 57% supported legalizing both forms of cannabis access and 32% supported only medical use.

New Hampshire lawmakers are working on an adult-use cannabis legalization proposal that would satisfy the demands of Gov. Chris Sununu, who rejected the state’s previous two legalization bids and called for lawmakers to propose a state-run dispensary model.

Adults in Germany will be allowed to possess and cultivate cannabis starting April 1 after lawmakers gave their final approval to the country’s cannabis legalization proposal last week.

Arkansas cannabis advocates have filed a constitutional amendment that would legalize adult-use cannabis with the state attorney general’s office. If the ballot language is approved, the petition will require 90,704 valid voter signatures by July 5 to qualify for November’s ballot.

Tribal members of the Wisconsin-based Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association recently agreed to prioritize lobbying and campaigning efforts for the legalization of medical cannabis.

Hawaii House lawmakers in two key committees this week voted to advance — with amendments — the cannabis legalization bill that was passed earlier this month by the state Senate.