Tag Archives: marijuana

Omaha’s NBC News affiliate reports: Gov. Pete Ricketts and others opposed to legalizing medical marijuana in Nebraska held a news conference in the Capitol rotunda just ahead of a Unicameral hearing on the matter. The issue is in front of Nebraska lawmakers for a fifth consecutive year months after losing ballot approval in the 11th hour last fall following a …

The New York Times reports: Lawmakers in Mexico approved a bill Wednesday night to legalize recreational marijuana, a milestone for the country, which is in the throes of a drug war and could become the world’s largest cannabis market, leaving the United States between two pot-selling neighbors. The 316-to-129 vote in Mexico’s lower house, the Chamber of Deputies, came more …

The Virginia Mercury reports: Lawmakers in the Virginia House and Senate voted Saturday to legalize recreational marijuana beginning in 2024, but opted to delay key decisions about how the new marketplace will operate until next year. The bill, which Gov. Ralph Northam made a priority of his final year in office, is poised to make Virginia the first state in …

The New Jersey Advance reports: More than three years after he took office with hopes of legalizing marijuana in 100 days, Gov. Phil Murphy signed three bills that together legalize marijuana in New Jersey and put an end to thousands of arrests. But it took more than a marijuana-friendly governor to make reform a reality. There were years of failed …

The New York Daily News reports: New Yorkers could soon get legal weed delivered to their door. The Empire State is one step closer to approving adult use marijuana after Gov. Cuomo released an amended version of his pot proposal Tuesday that outlines how some of the tax revenue would be spent and allows for the delivery of cannabis products. …

Newsweek reports: A South Dakota judge overturned a voter-approved constitutional amendment to legalize marijuana on Monday. Amendment A would have legalized marijuana for recreational use and was approved by over 54 percent of South Dakota voters last November. Republican Governor Kristi Noem, a close ally of former President Donald Trump, opposed the legalization effort and moved to reject the amendment …

The Rapid City Journal reports: Gov. Kristi Noem said in an executive order Friday that she directed the Highway Patrol superintendent to bring a lawsuit against the voter-approved amendment legalizing marijuana after her spokesman previously told the Journal she hadn’t. “On Nov. 20, 2020, I directed Colonel Rick Miller to commence the Amendment A litigation on my behalf in his …

Marijuana Moment reports: The U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill to federally legalize marijuana in a historic vote on Friday. It’s the day that cannabis reform advocates have been building toward for years—a full floor vote to end prohibition in a chamber of Congress. Under the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, cannabis would be federally descheduled and …

NBC News reports: As the cannabis industry continues to take root state by state, Congress will consider whether to remove marijuana from the federal Controlled Substances Act once and for all. The House will vote Friday on the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, or MORE Act, which would decriminalize cannabis and clear the way to erase nonviolent federal marijuana …

The New York Times reports: A United Nations commission voted on Wednesday to remove cannabis for medicinal purposes from a category of the world’s most dangerous drugs, a highly anticipated and long-delayed decision that could clear the way for an expansion of marijuana research and medical use. The vote by the Commission for Narcotic Drugs, which is based in Vienna …

Marijuana Moment reports: Montana voters have approved a pair of marijuana legalization initiatives. The main statutory reform measure will establish a legal system of marijuana production and sales for adults in the state, while a separate constitutional amendment will stipulate that only those 21 and older can participate in the market. Opponents of the legalization attempted to quash the proposal …

Arizona Central reports: Arizona’s ballot measure to legalize marijuana passed Tuesday with voters deciding to join 11 other states that have done so despite a conflict with federal law, according to The Associated Press. Proposition 207 would legalize possession of as much as an ounce of marijuana for adults 21 and older and set up a licensing system for retail …

Insider New Jersey reports: New Jersey voters have approved a constitutional ballot initiative to legalize marijuana for adults 21 and over and establish a framework for marijuana regulation in the Garden State. New Jersey becomes the 12th state to enact a legalization law. “This is a great day for New Jersey. After years of political inaction, voters have definitively approved …

Roll Call reports: Marijuana legalization advocates, afraid that efforts to win ballot initiatives would go up in smoke given the challenges of a pandemic, are fired up about chances in five states this fall. The difficulty of safely getting signatures in person helped doom marijuana legalization efforts in some states, like Idaho and Missouri. But voters will decide next month …

Roll Call reports: House Democrats’ plan to vote on legislation decriminalizing marijuana before the November election went up in smoke Thursday, as leadership decided to postpone consideration of the measure amid concerns about the political optics. Some of the more moderate Democrats in the caucus, including ones considered vulnerable for re-election in November, had expressed reservation about voting on the …

Tucson’s ABC News affiliate reports: The Arizona Secretary of State’s office certified signatures for the marijuana legalization ballot measure. Secretary Katie Hobbs announced it will now be placed on the general election ballot in November as Prop 207. The initiative would legalize the possession and use of recreational marijuana for adults ages 21 years or older and allow those to …

The Huffington Post reports: Democratic National Committee delegates voted 105-60 against including marijuana legalization in the party platform on Monday. The draft version of the platform supports decriminalizing marijuana use and legalizing medical marijuana, adding that it should be left up to the states “to make their own decisions about recreational use.” The platform was unlikely to ever endorse full …

NewJersey.com reports: The state Assembly voted 63-10 with five members abstaining to pass the measure (A1897), one of two decriminalization bills currently proposed in the state Legislature. It seeks to replace arrests for possessing up to two ounces of weed with a civil fine of $50, and also lessens jail time and fines for possession of larger amounts of pot …

The Daily Beast reports: Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) announced a new plan on Sunday to battle “Big Tobacco” and reduce federal funding for police in states that do not legalize marijuana if racial disparities in the number of marijuana arrests remain static. Warren, who has co-sponsored numerous cannabis bills such as the STATES Act and the Marijuana Justice Act, proposes …

Richmond’s ABC News affiliate reports: Virginia is moving toward decriminalizing simple possession of marijuana. The state House on Monday passed HB 972, a decriminalization bill, with bipartisan support. Delegates voted 64-34 for the measure, with a number of Republicans joining Democrats in favor. The state Senate is expected to pass its own version shortly. Gov. Ralph Northam has signaled his …