Nearly a decade after voters in Colorado and Washington led the way, marijuana is now legalized for adult use in 18 states, the District of Columbia, and the territory of Guam. In nearly every state where it is not yet legal, there are efforts underway to change the status quo. With support for marijuana legalization at a record high 68 percent in the most recent Gallup poll, one would be forgiven for thinking that more states are ready.

But in a number of remaining pot prohibition states, it is up solely to the legislature to get legalization done, whether directly via legislation or by initiating a voter referendum. While legalization bills have been filed in most, if not all, prohibition states, many will fail to pass the legislature, win a chamber floor vote, or even get a committee vote. So, who is going to get it done in 2022? With a big tip of the hat to Ballotpedia, Marijuana Moment, and NORML, who are all keeping an eye on the action, here are some of he states where the odds are best:

Delaware

Last week, a marijuana legalization bill cleared the last hurdle before a House floor vote when the House Appropriations Committee advanced House Bill 305. The bill would allow legal personal possession of 1 ounce of marijuana for adults ages 21 or older and set up a framework for its taxation and sale. It allocates 30 retail sale licenses, 30 manufacturing licenses, 60 cultivation licenses and five testing licenses to be issued within 16 months of the bill's approval.

The committee "walked the bill," which allowed it to advance without a public hearing. The bill had already been approved by the House Health and Human Services Committee. The last time a legalization bill got a House floor vote, back in 2018, it lost by four votes.

This time, the Democrats control both the House and the Senate, as well as the governorship. In the House, Democrats have 26 seats to the GOP's 15, while in the Senate, Democrats have 14 seats to the GOP's seven. And they are going to need virtually all of them to get the bill through owing to a 60 percent super-majority vote requirement because the bill deals with licensing and fees. That same super-majority for legalization may be needed to get the bill past Governor John Carney, who publicly opposed marijuana legalization last year and reiterated that last month,

Maryland

Delegate Luke Clippinger (D), chairman of legislative group studying the issue of marijuana legalization, has filed House Bill 1, which, if passed, would place before voters the following question: "Do you favor the legalization of adult -- use cannabis in the State of Maryland?" If voters approved it, the General Assembly would then be charged with writing the rules covering "use, distribution, possession, regulation, and taxation of cannabis."

The bill is moving, pushed along by powerful legislators. It was House Speaker Adrienne Jones (D) who formed the marijuana working group, and Clippinger is not only chairman of the group but also chairman of the Judiciary Committee, which advanced the bill to the House floor this week. There, it passed a second floor reading and is now headed for a final House floor vote as early as Friday.

Also headed for a final House floor vote is an accompanying bill sponsored by Clippinger, House Bill 837, that includes measures to implement legalization if voters approve it. It sets 1.5 ounces as the legal possession limit for adults and decriminalizes between 1.5 and 2.5 ounces, as well as automatic expungement for past conduct made legal by the law.

If passed by the House, the measures would still have to be approved by the Senate. Senate President Bill Ferguson (D), though, seems more inclined to support getting a straight legalization bill passed before November than going down the referendum route. One bill that would do that, Senate Bill 692, from Sen. Jill Carter (D), would legalize up to four ounces and allow home cultivation of up to six cannabis plants. Possession in excess of those limits would carry no more than a $150 fine, and past criminal records would be cleared for certain cannabis-related charges.

But there is also a Senate bill that parallels the House measure by seeking voter approval of a marijuana legalization constitutional amendment. That bill, Senate Bill 833, would allow home grows of up to four plants. Either way would work.

Minnesota

After a torturous process that saw it move through a dozen House committees, a marijuana legalization bill, House Fill 600, passed the House in May 2021, only to be stalled in the Senate. It is still alive in this, the second year of the bicameral session, and the House may even revisit it for refinements, but the question is whether the GOP-controlled Senate will be more eager to engage this year.

So far, there is little sign of that, as even Democratic legislative leaders concede. As for the companion to the House bill, Senate File 757, the legislative website reports that "No Senate Committee Hearing or Action has Been Recorded." Still, it ain't over until it's over.

New Hampshire

In January, the Republican-dominated House passed a bill, House Bill 629-FN, that would legalize the possession and unremunerated gifting of up to three-quarters of an ounce of marijuana but would not allow commercial production and sales. That vote came after defeating a broader legalization bill that would have allowed such commerce.

And then this month, the House approved another marijuana legalization bill, House Bill 1598, that would legalize the possession of up to four ounces and allow for sales through state-run pot shops but not allow for home cultivation. But because that bill has fiscal components, it must go back to the House Finance Committee and then be approved once more by the House before heading to the Senate.

The Senate, though, is where New Hampshire legalization bills go to die. That has been the fate of all four previous legalization bills passed by the House, but with the state surrounded by legal marijuana states and the issue garnering overwhelming popular support in the Granite State, this year could be different. But the legislature would have to pass any bill with a veto-proof majority, given the longstanding opposition of Gov. Chris Sununu (R).

Rhode Island

Rhode Island is close. The Senate passed a legalization bill last June, Senate Bill 568, and Gov. Dan McKee (D) included legalization in his budget proposalin the form of House Bill 7123. Lawmakers are reportedly working on a compromise between the Senate bill, which envisioned up to 150 retail outlets, and the governor's initial plan, which called for only 25 retail licenses. Both the Senate bill and the governor's plan include social equity provisions.

A key player, House Speaker Joe Shekarchi (D) says there is only one issue holding up a final agreement: who will regulate the legal marijuana market? Will it be an independent commission or the State Bureau of Business Regulation? But Shekarchi also said the issue now is not whether to legalize but how to, and that legalization is "inevitable."

An Alabama marijuana decriminalization bill advances, so does a Hawaii bill that would legalize marijuana for people over 65, and more.

There are moves afoot to ease access to medical marijuana for senior citizens. (Sandra Yruel/DPA)

Alabama Marijuana Decriminalization Bill Wins Senate Committee Vote. The Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday approved Senate Bill 160 on a 5-4 vote. The bill, filed by Sen. Bobby Singleton (D), would decriminalize the possession of up to two ounces and make possession of more than two ounces a misdemeanor punishable only by a maximum fine of $250. A second offense would net a $500 fine, while a third offense would be considered a Class D felony, but still punishable only by a $750 fine. The bill also provides a mechanism for expungement of past offenses. A similar measure passed the committee last year, only to die without a floor vote.

New York Legislature Approves Marijuana Licensing and Equity Bill. The Senate and the Assembly have both approved Assembly Bill 1248, the Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act. The measure provides provisional marijuana cultivation and processing licenses for existing hemp businesses if they take steps to promote equity in the nascent industry. The measure passed the Senate on a 50-13 vote Tuesday and passed the Assembly on a 99-43 vote Wednesday. The bill now goes to the desk of Gov. Kathy Hochul (D).

Medical Marijuana

Hawaii Senate Committee Approves Bill to Legalize Marijuana for People 65 and Over. In a bid to ease access to medical marijuana for senior citizens, the Senate Health Committee approved a bill that would allow people 65 and over to automatically qualify for medical marijuana regardless of whether they have a qualifying condition, in effect legalizing possession for seniors. The bill passed the committee on a 3-0 vote. It would alter the state's medical marijuana law by adding to the language requiring that patients be diagnosed "as having a debilitating medical condition" that medical marijuana will be available to anyone "who has reached the age of sixty-five."

DC Mayor Signs Bill to Let People Over 65 Get Medical Marijuana Without a Doctor's Recommendation. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) has signed into law the Medical Marijuana Patient Access Extension Emergency Amendment Act of 2022, which will allow people 65 and over to self-certify their eligibility for medical marijuana without getting a doctor's recommendation. The bill also creates a medical marijuana tax holiday coinciding with 4/20 and extends the registration renewal deadline for patients.

International

Italian Constitutional Court Vetoes Plants Referendum. The Constitutional Court on Wednesday threw out a proposed referendum to decriminalize marijuana, psilocybin and some other plants, with cultivation legalized, saying that it included other substances considered to be hard drugs. "This is enough to make us violate multiple international obligations," said Giuliano Amato, the Constitutional Court president. The decision prompted the ire of referendum advocates, who had gathered more than half a million signatures in just about one week to place the measure before voters. The decision was "a terrible blow to democracy," said lawmaker Riccardo Magi, a leading advocate.

Wisconsin's governor vetoes a bill that would have dramatically hiked criminal penalties for butane marijuana extraction, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel is now making bombs to deploy against the military, and more.

Marijuana legalization could be coming to the Senate in April. (Creative Commons)

Schumer Says He Aims to File His Marijuana Legalization Bill in April. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced last Friday that he plans to formally introduce his marijuana legalization bill in April. "In the coming weeks, we're ramping up our outreach -- and we expect to introduce final legislation. Our goal is to do it in April," Schumer said. "Then we begin the nationwide push, spearheaded by New York, to get the federal law done. As majority leader, I can set priorities. This is a priority for me." Schumer's bill, the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA), was first released in draft from last July, and advocates had grown increasingly impatient with the lack of movement since then, especially after he blocked passage of the SAFE Banking Act, which the House had approved and attached to a defense spending bill. But now, Schumer has signaled movement ahead.

Wisconsin Governor Vetoes Bill to Ramp Up Penalties for Marijuana Extraction. Gov. Tony Evers last Friday vetoed a bill that would have significantly increased criminal penalties for people using butane or similar fuels to process marijuana for extracts. The measure, Assembly Bill 440, would have made using butane to extract marijuana a Class E felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison. It is currently a Class I felony with a maximum 3 ½ year sentence. In his veto message, Evers said, "I am vetoing this bill in its entirety because I object to increasing criminal offenses or penalties related to marijuana use," adding that "marijuana criminalization has had a disproportionate impact on communities of color, especially in Wisconsin." Evers supports marijuana legalization, but has made no headway with the Republican-led legislature.

Drug Testing

Study Questions Reliability of Maternal Drug Testing. A study presented at 2022 Pregnancy Meeting of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine last Friday is raising more questions about the drug testing of pregnant women after it found that maternal urine samples and samples of the meconium from their newborn babies frequently produce different results. That disagreement (or "discordance") could trigger inappropriate interventions by child protective services, including separation of infants from their mothers, the researchers said.

"There's a very big debate right now in the obstetrics and perinatology communities about the utility of biochemical testing and the identification of high-risk women," said lead author Cassandra Heiselman, DO, MPH, clinical assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, told Medscape Medical News. "We know that each biochemical test has limitations, which can include basically the inability to detect all substances, especially synthetic opioids like fentanyl, [and] the possibility for false results."

Ironically, marijuana use was the most common factor associated with a positive meconium test. "Some studies have shown cannabis use in the second trimester can show up in meconium testing even if the mother has stopped that behavior," Heiselman said. "Then there is also cross-reactivity with other substances that can lead to higher false positive results, especially in the urine toxicology."

International

Mexican Drug Cartel Turns to IEDs to Use Against Army as Drug War Rages On. In a first in Mexico's drug wars, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel has deployed homemade bombs, or improvised explosive devices (IEDs) against the Mexican military. The attacks came on Saturday in Tepalcatepec in the western state of Michoacan, which has been riven with criminal conflicts for months. The bombs were described as pipe bombs with a cone-shaped cap to direct the explosion. Local self-defense forces fighting the cartel said the bombs did extensive damage to a military armored vehicle. This is just the latest escalation for the cartel, which last month resorted to dropping bombs from drones on its rivals.

An Arizona judge upholds social equity provisions in the state's marijuana law, the SAFE Banking Act will get another House floor vote, and more.

SAFE Banking Act Heading for Another House Floor Vote. The House Rules Committee has cleared the way for the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act to get another chance at passage. The bill, which aims to provide protections for financial institutions doing business with state-legal marijuana businesses, had passed out of the House as part of a defense appropriations bill but was killed by Senate negotiators who favored a vote on marijuana legalization first. Last week, bill sponsor Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) offered it as an amendment to a large-scale tech and manufacturing research and innovation bill, and on Tuesday, the Rules Committee determined the proposal to be in order, meaning it will be taken up by the House as part of that larger bill.

Arizona Judge Upholds Rules for Social Equity Marijuana Licenses. Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Randall Warner on Tuesday threw out a lawsuit challenging the state's rules implementing a program aimed promoting social equity in the marijuana industry. The program is reserving 26 marijuana business licenses for "people from communities disproportionately impacted by the enforcement of previous marijuana laws." The lawsuit filed by the Greater Phoenix Urban League and a business argued that the rules lack a means to prevent license transfers and to ensure that profits remain in communities, but Judge Randall held that the rules satisfied the broad mandates under the state's voter-approved marijuana legalization law.

Medical Marijuana

Minnesota Patients Can Buy Buds Beginning in March. Patients registered in the state's Medical Cannabis Program will be eligible to buy dried cannabis flower for smoking from the state's medical cannabis dispensaries starting March 1. In preparation for the change, registered patients interested in smokable cannabis can make an appointment for a consultation with a medical cannabis dispensary pharmacist beginning Feb. 1 so they will be pre-approved to buy pre-packaged dried flower and pre-rolls once available. Consultations, which can be in-person or virtual, are required when a patient changes the type of medical cannabis they receive. Smokable cannabis may be available a few days before March 1, if the state's relevant administrative rules are finalized early. Patients should check with their medical cannabis dispensary for further details. The sale of smokable cannabis is limited to patients and caregivers who are 21 years or older and who are registered with the Medical Cannabis Program.

Opioids

Drug Distributors, Johnson & Johnson Settles with Native American Tribes Over Opioid Distribution. Three drug distributors -- McKesson, Cardinal Health, and AmerisourceBergen -- and drug manufacturer Johnson & Johnson have reached a $665 million settlement with Native American tribes regarding the flood of prescription opioids into Native communities. More than 400 tribes sued the companies for producing and shipping opioids to the tribes regardless of concerns about overdoses and other health issues. The companies maintain they followed federal law and did nothing wrong but agreed to the settlement anyway. The lawsuit is part of a broader push-back after an expansion of opioid prescribing in the late 1990s and early 200s that has seen numerous lawsuits against drug companies, as well as reductions in opioid prescribing, which has left some chronic pain patients in the lurch.