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Maryland Governor Signs Legal Marijuana Commerce Bill Into Law [FEATURE]

Last November, Maryland voters made it abundantly clear that they wanted marijuana legalization by approving a referendum to that effect. On Wednesday, with the signing of enabling legislation by Gov. Wes Moore (D), the legislature and the executive branch have enacted the expressed will of the voters, laying the groundwork for a state system of taxed and regulated marijuana sales.

They had to hustle to get something in place before the legalization of marijuana possession goes into effect in July, and with the passage of Senate Bill 516/House Bill 556, they have done so. It did not happen without a bunch of wrangling at state house, as the House and Senate modified the bills and then had to compromise to reach agreement, but now it has happened.

"The criminalization of marijuana harmed low-income communities and communities of color in a profound way," Moore said at a signing ceremony Wednesday. "We want to make sure that the legalization of marijuana lifts those communities now in a profound way." The new law will "ensure that the rollout of recreational cannabis in our state drives opportunity in an equitable way," he added.

Here are key provisions of the new law:

  • A new, independent Maryland Cannabis Administration will be responsible for regulating the program.
  • Sales will begin on July1, with existing medical marijuana dispensaries being licensed to sell to the adult recreational market. Licensing of additional marijuana businesses will come no later than July 1, 2024.
  • Licenses will be capped at 300 retail shops, 100 processors, and 75 growers. Additionally, there will be 10 retail, 100 processor, and 100 grower licenses for "microbusinesses."
  • Retail marijuana sales will be taxed at 9 percent, with 35 percent of those revenues going to a community reinvestment fund. Counties, the Cannabis Public Health Fund and the Cannabis Business Assistance Fund will each get five percent of revenues. Localities cannot impose additional taxes.
  • Applicants claiming social equity status will have to have 65 percent ownership by people who lived at least half of the last decade in disproportionately impacted areas or who attended public school in one of those areas for at least five years. Social equity applicants will be eligible for a Capital Access Program to provide low interest loans and promote industry opportunities. Additionally, beginning in 2025, existing medical marijuana dispensaries that form "meaningful partnerships" with social equity applicants will be eligible for grants for which $5 million will be appropriated each year.
  • Delta-8 hemp products will no longer be sold in the open market, but will have to be sold through licensed marijuana businesses.
  • Medical marijuana patients will see the number of plants they can grow double from two to four, but only patients will be able to grow their own.
  • New marijuana retailers will face geographic restrictions. They will have to be at least 1,000 feet apart from each other and cannot be within 500 feet of a school, childcare facility, playground, recreational center, library or public park.
  • To avoid monopolization, a single business will not be able to operate more than four retail shops.
  • Marijuana smoking will not be allowed indoors at consumption lounges, but only outdoors.
  • Smoking will not be permitted indoors at on-site consumption facilities, but people could do so on outdoor patios at licensed facilities.

And Maryland now hops with both feet on the legal marijuana bandwagon.

Minnesota is on the Verge on Marijuana Legalization: Here's What It Will Look Like [FEATURE]

The end is in sight.

After surviving a perilous passage through more than two dozen House and Senate committees, companion marijuana legalization bills, House File100 and Senate File 73 are nearing the finish line. The House bill has passed all 15 committees that examined it and awaits a House floor vote on Monday. The Senate bill has but one committee vote to go before it, too, heads for a floor vote.

(Tony Webster via Wikimedia Commons)
With the Democratic-Farm-Labor (DFL) Party supporting the bills and controlling both the legislature and the governor's mansion, the bills are expected to pass their respective chambers. But they may require a conference committee vote to reconcile any differences before heading to DFL Gov. Tim Walz, who also supports legalizing marijuana.

What a difference an election makes. Two years ago, similar legislation passed the House only to be blocked by the Republican-controlled Senate. But this year, the DFL is in control, and the Republicans will not be able to stop them.

The bills have been sliced and diced during the committee process. So, now that Minnesota is on the verge of becoming the next state to legalize marijuana (although Delaware could beat it with legalization bills already on the governor's desk), what is legalization going to look like there? Here are the key provisions in the latest versions of the bills:

  • The bill originally allowed adults to possess up to 5 pounds of marijuana at home, but the House bill now sets that limit at 1 ½ pounds and the Senate versions sets it at 2 pounds, so this will be hashed out in conference committee.
  • Home cultivation of up to 8 plants is allowed.
  • People 21 and over can purchase up to 2 ounces of buds, 8 grams of concentrate, and 800 milligrams of edibles at one time. They can also possess these amounts in public.
  • Gifting up of up 2 ounces without remuneration is allowed.
  • On-site consumption at special events will be allowed.
  • Marijuana deliveries will be allowed.
  • A state agency, the Office of Cannabis Management, will oversee licensing of recreational and medical marijuana enterprises. The House bill allocates $73 million for administrative and educational costs through 2026, when revenues from legalization are expected to sustain such costs.
  • Cities and counties can reasonably regulate but not prohibit marijuana businesses.
  • Cities or counties can operate their own retail marijuana shops.
  • Expungements for past misdemeanor marijuana offenses will be automatic, while past pot felonies will be examined on a case by case basis.
  • The House bill sets an 8 percent gross receipts tax on marijuana products for the next four years, while the Senate bill has been amended to set that rate at 10 percent, so this will be hashed out in conference committee.
  • Social equity applicants will get preferential scoring on applications, with social equity applicants defined as veterans with marijuana convictions and residents of low-income neighborhoods.
  • Commercial marijuana growers will pay a $10,000 application fee, a $20,000 initial license fee and $30,000 to renew their licenses. Retailers would pay $2,500 in application fees and $5,000 for renewals, while "microbusinesses" will pay no initial license fee, a $500 application fee, and $2,000 for annual renewal.
  • There is a special category of low-potency hemp retailer and processor licenses to preserve the state's existing CBD edibles and drinks market.
  • Vertical integration allowing medium-sized businesses to operate grows, processing facilities, and retail shops will be allowed under a "mezzobusiness" license. Hemp companies and marijuana "microbusinesses" will also be allowed to vertically integrate.

If and when Minnesota legalizes marijuana, it will blow a gaping hole in regional pot prohibition. All of the states it borders -- North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, and Wisconsin -- are prohibition states. In the Upper Midwest, Minnesota will lead by example.

Federal Marijuana Hiring Standards Could Get More Lenient, KS MedMJ Hearings This Week, More... (2/28/23)

A Pennsylvania GOP state senator is pushing for gun rights for medical marijuana patients, an Italian court clarifies that hemp is not a narcotic, and more.

Kansas does not have any medical marijuana dispensaries. Patients are growing impatient. (Creative Commons)
Marijuana Policy                                            

White House Approval Sought for Changes to Marijuana Questions in Federal Hiring Process. The Office of Personnel Management is seeking White House approval for a shift in federal hiring practices that would treat marijuana use by job applicants much more leniently than is the case now. Under current policy, applicants are asked about use within the past one, five, or seven years, depending on the position's security level. That would change to inquiring only about use within the past 90 days under the proposal. Marijuana would not be included in questions about broader illegal drug use but would be asked about separately. The proposed changes are expected to expand the pool of candidates eligible for federal jobs.

Medical Marijuana                  

Kansas Senate Committee Will Hold Informational Hearing on Medical Marijuana This Week. The Senate Committee on Federal and State Affairs will hold informational hearings Wednesday and Thursday on the legalization of medical marijuana. No bill has been filed yet this session, but pressure is mounting with neighboring Missouri having legalized recreational marijuana last November and neighboring Oklahoma set to vote on recreational legalization next month. "You know, Kansas, sometimes we're kind of behind on things and, you know, we hear about it all the time where people are going across the state line to purchase those items," said medical marijuana supporter Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau, the ranking Democrat on the committee.

Pennsylvania GOP State Senator Pushes State to Reconsider Gun Restrictions on Medical Marijuana Patients. In the wake of a federal judge's recent ruling that the federal government's ban on gun ownership for marijuana users is unconstitutional, state Sen. Dan Laughlin (R) is calling on state law enforcement to protect the rights of medical marijuana patients by bringing state policy in line with that ruling Currently, the state bars people from obtaining a gun license if they acknowledge being "an unlawful user" of marijuana, and even medical marijuana use in states where it is legal remains technically illegal under federal law. "I believe Pennsylvania can take a measured approach to lifting the prohibition on otherwise qualified medical cannabis users from obtaining their license to carry," Laughlin wrote. Since the federal court ruling, it is time for "reconsideration of the question on these forms."

International

Italian Court Rules Hemp Flower and Leaves Are Not Narcotics. An Italian court, the Lazio Regional Administrative Court, has thrown out a section of national law that defined hemp leaves and flowers as narcotics, bringing Italy in line with the European Court of Justice. That court ruled in 2020 that hemp, which does not contain more than traces of psychoactive THC, should not be regulated as an illicit drug. The Italian court ruling came after four industry associations filed an appeal against a January 2022 Ministerial Decree that put the cultivation, processing, and marketing of hemp products under the control of narcotics regulators. "Today we have definitive confirmation that without valid scientific evidence it is not possible to limit this agricultural supply chain. The THC-free hemp plant is not part of the international conventions on narcotics and for this reason its market and industrial and medicinal applications cannot be limited," the plaintiffs said in a statement after the ruling. 

CA Safe Injection Site Bill Nears Final Passage, PA MedMJ DUI Bill Advances, More... (6/30/22)

North Carolina permanently legaizes hemp at the last minute, a Missoula, Montana, entheogen decriminalization resolution is withdrawn for lack of support, and more.

The safe injection site in Vancouver. Similar facilities could be coming soon to California cities. (vcha.ca)
Medical Marijuana

Pennsylvania Bill to Protect Patients from DUI Charges Advances. The Senate Transportation Committee has approved Senate Bill 167, which would protect state medical marijuana patients from wrongful convictions for driving under the influence. The bill advanced Tuesday on a unanimous vote. The bill would treat medical marijuana like any other prescription drug, requiring proof of impairment that interferes with a person's ability to safely operate a motor vehicle before he could be charged with DUI. The state currently has a zero-tolerance DUI law that could expose patients to such charges for taking their medicine. There are some 700,000 medical marijuana patients in the state.

Hemp

North Carolina Approves Permanent Hemp Legalization. Just two days before a previous law temporarily legalizing hemp production was set to expire, leaving an estimated 1,500 state hemp farmers in the lurch, the legislature gave final approval to a bill to make hemp legalization permanent, Senate Bill 455 on Wednesday. Gov. Roy Cooper (D) signed the bill into law Thursday. The old law was set to expire Friday.

Psychedelics

Missoula, Montana, Psychedelic Decriminalization Resolution Shelved. A pair of city council members, Daniel Carlino and Kristen Jordan, earlier this month introduced a resolution to decriminalize entheogenic plants in the city, but they have now shelved it after failing to gain enough support on the council to move it. Other council members cited scarce research on the plants' benefits, unresolved questions about law enforcement, and the potential threat to youth as reasons to oppose the resolution. The sponsors now say they will now regroup and seek to build council support before trying again.

Harm Reduction

California Safe Injection Site Bill Passes Assembly. The Assembly has approved Sen. Scott Weiner's (D-San Francisco) bill to allow safe injection site pilot programs in San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, and Los Angeles County. The bill foresees a five-year pilot program for each of those locales, all of which have formally requested to be included. The bill now goes back to the Senate for a final concurrence vote after changes were made in the Assembly and then to the desk of Gov. Gavin Newsom (D). "Every overdose death is preventable," said Sen. Wiener. "We have the tools to end these deaths, get people healthy, and reduce harm for people who use drugs. Right now, we are letting people die on our streets for no reason other than an arbitrary legal prohibition that we need to remove. SB 57 is long overdue and will make a huge impact for some of the most vulnerable people in our community."

Austin Init Would Decriminalize Marijuana and Ban No-Knock Raids, VT Medical Society Wants THC Limits, More... (12/1/30)

Evo Morales marches back into Bolivia's capitol alongside the current president, the Vermont Medical Society wants to limit THC in marijuana available in the state, and more.

Marijuana Policy

Vermont Medical Society Urges Ban on Sale on Marijuana with More Than 15% THC. The Vermont Medical Society is urging state officials to ban the sale of marijuana containing more than 15 percent tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the main psychoactive compound in marijuana. The group's board adopted a resolution asking the legislature and the state Cannabis Control Board to adopt the ban. The physicians said high-potency marijuana was associated with more emergency room visits for respiratory distress and "serious medical outcomes," although it is not clear what those "serious medical outcomes" are. The association is also urging that all marijuana products be labelled with warnings that it "may cause psychosis, impaired driving, addiction, and harm to fetuses and nursing babies."

Drug Policy

Austin Municipal Initiative to Decriminalize Pot Possession, Bar No-Knock Raids Has Enough Signatures to Make Ballot. An Austin progressive nonprofit, Ground Game Texas, has announced that it has gathered enough signatures for the Austin Freedom Act of 2021 to qualify for the ballot. The initiative would decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana and bar the use of no-knock search warrants. The group needs 20,000 valid voter signatures to qualify and says it has gathered 30,000 raw signatures.

International

Bolivian President and Predecessor Evo Morales Lead March of Thousands into La Paz. President Alberto Arce and his ousted predecessor, Evo Morales, led a march of thousands of coca farmers, miners, and local residents into the capital Monday after marching across the country for a week. The rally was called by the ruling Movement Toward Socialism to demonstrate support for the government against "right wing" elements. Morales had been ousted in 2019 after contested elections and replaced by rightist lawmaker Jeanine Anez. Anez herself now faces sedition, terrorism, and conspiracy charges for her actions during her brief reign, and Morales has now regained leadership of the largest coca growers' union in the country.

Sri Lanka Moves to Legalize Hemp Exports. The government is preparing to introduce a bill to legalize the export of hemp, said State Minister of Indigenous Medicine Promotion, Rural and Ayurvedic Hospitals Development, and Community Health Sisira Jayakody. "There has been clinical evidence of the benefits of this plant. We must remember that cancer and other major diseases have also been treated with Hemp. Because of this, within the next three months we plan on presenting a bill to Parliament for the legalization of the export of hemp for medicinal use ," said Jayakody.

NY Governor Signs Package of Bills Aimed at Curbing OD Crisis, CA Governor Signs Hemp Regulation Bill, More... (10/8/21)

Another poll has two-thirds support for freeing the weed, Oklahoma activists file initative petitions to legalize marijuana, and more.

Hemp products like these will be regulated under a new California law just signed by Gov.Gavin Newsom (D). (Creative Commons)
Marijuana Policy

Yet Another Poll Finds Supermajority Support for Marijuana Legalization. A new Harris Research poll has 66 percent of respondents supporting marijuana legalization, with millennials (79 percent) and Generation X (76 percent) being the most supportive. For Baby Boomers, slightly less than half supported legalization. The findings are in line with other recent polls showing a supermajority for legalization.

Oklahoma Activists File Marijuana Legalization, Medical Marijuana Regulation Initiative Petitions. Activists organized as Oklahomans for Responsible Cannabis Action have filed a pair of petitions related to marijuana policy. Question 817 would legalize marijuana for people 21 and over, while Question 818 would replace the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority with a stand-alone agency. The group now has 90 days to come up with 178,000 valid voter signatures in order to qualify for the November 2022 ballot.

Hemp

California Governor Signs Hemp Regulatory Bill. Governor Gavin Newsom (D) on Thursday signed into law Assembly Bill 45, which creates a comprehensive regulatory framework for the manufacture and distribution of hemp-derived products in the nation's most populous state. The bill allows for the sale of smokeable hemp products, as well as hemp-infused foods and drinks. The bill should also provide clarity to consumers, reassuring them that products are independently tested and properly labeled. Because the law was passed as an emergency measure, it goes into effect immediately.

Opioids

New York Governor Signs Package of Bills Aimed at Blunting Overdose Crisis. Governor Kathy Hochul (D) on Thursday signed into law a package of bills designed to ease the overdose epidemic in the state. One bill eases access to the opioid overdose drug naloxone, another allows for the use of medication-assisted treatment in state prisons, a third decriminalizes the sale and possession of needles and syringes, a fourth creates an online directory of naloxone distributors, and the fifth creates a judicial diversion program for some felony offenders. "Addiction can impact any family, suddenly and harshly - those who find themselves trapped in a vicious cycle are there through no fault of their own," Governor Hochul said. "This is a personal battle for me and I am proud to be able to combat the opioid crisis by signing these bills into law. There is no shame in seeking help for substance use and I want to let all New Yorkers know that we are here for you. Treatment should always be accessible for those who need it."

CT Legal Pot Sales Could Be Delayed, CA Hemp Bill Goes to Governor's Desk, More... (9/10/21)

There are signs South Dakota is moving away from harsh drug sentencing, GOP conservatives stick up for mandatory minimum fentanyl analog sentences, and more.

Marijuana Policy

hemp field (Creative Commons)
Connecticut Official Hints Launch of Legal Marijuana Sales Could Be Delayed. Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner Michelle Seagull said Wednesday that regulators working to implement legal marijuana sales still have details to work out before accepting applications and hinted that the roll-out of legal sales could be delayed. The state enacted marijuana legalization on July 1, and legal sales were originally set to begin in the summer of 2022. But Seagull said that likely will not happen: "We've been suggesting that there will likely be sales by the end of 2022, and we're still aspiring for that," Seagull said. "Obviously, we have to see how things play out in the next few months."

Hemp

California Hemp Regulation Bill Heads to Governor's Desk. Both the state Assembly and the state Senate this week approved a hemp regulation bill, Assembly Bill 45, which now awaits the signature of Gov. Gavin Newsom (D). The bill would allow hemp extracts, including CBD, to be added to food, beverage, and cosmetic products; establish new rules for hemp farmers and businesses; require out-of-state hemp imports meet new state standards; and limit the sale of intoxicating THC isomers such as delta-8 THC to legal marijuana sales channels, among other provisions.

Drug Policy

South Dakota Attorney General Weighs In on Ballot Measures to Reduce Penalties for Drug Ingestion, Possession. Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg (R) is weighing in on potential ballot measures that would reduce the penalty for unlawful drug ingestion from a felony to a petty offense and the penalty for drug possession from a felony to a misdemeanor. He sent separate statements to the secretary of state's office last week laying out language for altering the state's current harsh drug laws. The first proposed measure would reclassify the illegal possession of all controlled drugs or substances as class one misdemeanors, regardless of how their scheduled drug status in state law. That means instead of facing up to five years in prison, people caught with drugs would face a maximum of one year. The second ballot measure, focusing on the state's unique ingestion law, would drop the potential penalty from prison time to a $25 fine. No campaign has yet emerged to begin the process of qualifying such initiatives for the 2022 ballot.

Opioids

Congressional Republicans Attack Biden on Fentanyl Analog Scheduling, Claiming Plan is Soft on Drug Dealers. Ranking Republican members of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees sent a letter to the White House Thursday criticizing the Biden administration's proposal to permanently schedule fentanyl analogs because, they said, it was too easy on drug dealers. "While we support permanent scheduling of fentanyl-related substances, other aspects of the administration's proposal would shield drug traffickers from pushing poisonous drugs into our communities rather than hold them accountable by imposing existing penalties," said Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA). "We are particularly concerned that the provisions removing mandatory minimum penalties for fentanyl-related substance offenses would hinder prosecutorial efforts against serious drug traffickers and could even incentivize sophisticated criminal organizations to import and traffic fentanyl-related substances." Jordan and Grassley also asked for a list of stakeholders that influenced the administration's proposal, as well as "a list of examples in which federal law enforcement authorities have found that mandatory minimum penalties associated with fentanyl-related substances have supported criminal investigations to pursue high-level drug traffickers."

Idaho Activists Ponder Two Marijuana Initiatives for 2022, Asian Meth Boomed During Pandemic, More... (6/11/21)

Brazil's lower chamber of parliament approves a hemp and medical marijuana bill, a federal appeals court hears arguments in a marijuana rescheduling case, and more.

The global pandemic boosted meth production in Asia, a new UNODC report finds. (DEA)
Marijuana Policy

Federal Appeals Court Hears Marijuana Rescheduling Arguments in Case Against DEA. A three-judge panel of the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments Thursday in a case pitting a group of scientists and military veterans against the DEA. The plaintiffs seek to force the DEA to formally reconsider marijuana's classification as a Schedule I drug.

Idaho Activists Eye Two 2022 Marijuana Initiatives. Gem State activists are aiming to get two marijuana-related initiatives on the 2022 ballot. One, called the Idaho Medical Marijuana Act, would set up a system of dispensaries for patients, who would not generally be allowed to grow their own. The other, the Personal Adult Marijuana Decriminalization Act, would allow for people to possess up to three ounces of marijuana on private property or while driving in one's vehicle back from a legal weed shop in another state. Both initiatives face major challenges in what is arguably the most anti-marijuana state in the county.

International

Asian Meth Industry Boomed During Pandemic, UNODC Reports. Asian drug trafficking organization flooded markets with meth and other synthetic drugs even as the global economy ground to a halt last year because of the pandemic, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said in a report Thursday. "While the pandemic has caused the global economy to slow down, criminal syndicates that dominate the region have quickly adapted and capitalized. They have continued to aggressively push supply in a conscious effort to build the market and demand," Jeremy Douglas, the UNODC regional representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, said in a statement provided to CNN.

Brazil Lower House Approves Bill Legalizing Hemp, Medical Marijuana Cultivation. The Chamber of Deputies' Special Commission on Tuesday approved a bill that would allow for the cultivation of marijuana for medicinal, veterinary, scientific, and industrial use despite the best efforts of allies of anti-reform President Jair Bolsonaro. Marijuana could be grown only by companies, patient associations, or NGOs -- not individuals. The bill now goes to the Senate.

CT Marijuana Legalization Vote Coming This Week, British MPs Call for Festival Pill Testing, More... (6/7/21)

Connecticut is poised to become the fourth state to legalize marijuana this year, Mississippi's governor calls on the legislature to create a medical marijuana program, and more.

Connecticut could be the next state to legalize marijuana. (Creative Commons)
Marijuana Policy

Connecticut Governor, Lawmakers Reach Agreement on Marijuana Legalization Bill. Legislative leaders announced Saturday that they had reached a deal with Governor Ned Lamont (D) on a marijuana legalization bill. Some lawmakers had concerns with Lamont's initial proposal, particularly around what they portrayed as a lack of social equity provisions, but those have now been addressed, and the bill is expected to be voted on this week. The new compromise legalization bill is Senate Bill 1118.

Medical Marijuana

Mississippi Governor Says Legislature Should Create Medical Marijuana Program. In the wake of a state Supreme Court decision invalidating the state's voter-approved medical marijuana law, Governor Tate Reeves (D) says he wants lawmakers to craft a medical marijuana program. "I support the will of the voters. ... I think we will have a medical marijuana program in Mississippi," he said. It is imperative that we get it done, and get it done quickly."

International

British MPs Call for Pill Testing Amid Fears of Rise in UK Festival Deaths. The parliamentary Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) select committee has called on the home secretary to roll out widespread pill testing services ahead of this year's musical festival season, saying it had reviewed the evidence and found "compelling" arguments that the procedure saved lives. "There have been no drug-related deaths at any festival [with pill testing]," the committee noted. The committee also noted that the government said in 2018 it would not "stand in the way" of pill testing, but that hadn't always been the case, especially since it required the okay of local police departments. "We are highly concerned that a compressed festival season, the likely circulation of high-strength, adulterated drugs and increased risk-taking after lockdown will lead to a spike in drug-related deaths at festivals this summer," the committee noted. "We heard compelling arguments that drug checking saves lives, but in many cases service providers and police forces are being constrained by a lack of clarity in the legal framework and the need for a stronger evidence base."

Czech Lower House Approves Medical Marijuana, Hemp Changes. The lower house of parliament last Wednesday approved a bill amending the country's laws around medical marijuana and hemp. Under the bill, medical marijuana exports would be legal, tinctures and isolates could be sold, medical marijuana could be grown by multiple licensed private groups, and hemp products with less than 1 percent THC would not be considered addictive substances, clearing the way for the production of hemp products. 

Good Pot Polls in NH & UT, ME Drug Decrim Advances, More... (9/27/21)

Little Rock makes small-time pot possession the lowest law enforcement priority, a Texas medical marijuana expansion bill is now one House vote away from passing, and more.

Marijuana legalization has overwhelming support in new polls from New Hampshire and Utah. (Creative Commons)
Marijuana Policy

New Hampshire Poll Has Strong Support for Marijuana Legalization. A new poll from the University of New Hampshire has 75% support for marijuana legalization, with even a slightly higher number (78%) saying they supported letting people by it from licensed retailers if it is legalized. Support for Governor Chris Sununu (R), who opposes legalization, by contrast, is at 51%.

Utah Poll Has Strong Support for Marijuana Legalization. A new poll from Change Research and released by the US Cannabis Council had support for regulating and taxing marijuana like alcohol at 73% and support for federal marijuana legalization at 66%.

Little Rock Makes Marijuana Possession Lowest Law Enforcement Priority. City directors approved a municipal ordinance to make misdemeanor marijuana offenses the lowest law enforcement priority on a 7-3 vote Tuesday. Although the police chief said the department hasn't sent anyone to jail for small-time pot possession for several years, directors said without a formal policy there was a risk of selective enforcement.

Medical Marijuana

Texas Senate Approves Medical Marijuana Expansion Bill. The Senate late Tuesday approved House Bill 1535, which would expand the state's medical marijuana program to include all forms of PTSD and cancer, but not chronic pain. The bill now goes back to the House for approval of changes made in the Senate.

Drug Policy

Maine Joint Committee Advances Drug Decriminalization Bill. The Joint Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee on Tuesday approved a drug decriminalization bill, LD 967, but was split on how to handle decriminalization as the bill goes forward. The bill would make drug possession a civil violation punishable by a $100 fine, which could be waived if they submit to an "evidence-based assessment for proposed treatment for substance use disorder."

International

Morocco House Votes to Legalize Hemp, Medical Marijuana. The House on Wednesday approved a bill legalizing hemp and medical marijuana. The bill would allow for "the legal uses of cannabis, medical, cosmetic and industrial," with the aim of "converting illicit crops that destroy the environment into sustainable legal activities that generate value, money and employment." The bill must still be approved by the legislature's upper house.

Drug War Issues

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