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Richmond, VA: Democratic Governor Ralph Northam has approved legislation ( Senate Bill 2 | House Bill 972 ) decriminalizing marijuana possession offenses. Northam also recommended technical amendments which must be approved by the legislature before the new law takes effect July 1, 2020.
Michelle Lujan Grisham signed legislation into lawdecriminalizing the possession of personal use amounts of cannabis. “This is a win for consumers and activists continuing to fight and reform the state’s marijuana laws,” says NORML State Policies Coordinator Carly Wolf. In April, Democratic Gov.
As currently written, the measure decriminalizes the possession and distribution of up to two ounces of marijuana by adults — making these activities punishable by a $50 fine. Those found to be in violation of the law will no longer be arrested or saddled with a criminal record.
Richmond, VA: Democratic Governor Ralph Northam has signed legislation ( Senate Bill 2 | House Bill 972 ) decriminalizing marijuana possession. Under current law , minor marijuana possession offenses are classified as criminal misdemeanors, punishable by up to 30 days in jail, a criminal record, and the possible loss of driving privileges.
David Ige publicly stated this week that he does not intend to veto pending legislation to decriminalize low-level marijuana possession offenses. The Governor has until July 9th to take action on the measure, or it will become law absent his signature. The new law will go into effect on January 11, 2020. Democratic Gov.
Broad changes to marijuana laws swept through the 2020 Virginia General Assembly. Today, the legislature approved HB 972 to decriminalize marijuana possession. ” Governor Northam has spoken in favor of decriminalizing marijuana violations and expunging past convictions as has Attorney General Mark Herring.
House and Senate lawmakers have finalized and passed legislation, House Bill 1383 , decriminalizing low-level marijuana possession offenses and vacating past convictions. The measure also establishes a task force to review cannabis policy and to make recommendations to the legislature by 2021.
I’m proud to work with NORML to create a more just national marijuana policy. My bill, The MORE Act, is the most comprehensive marijuana reform bill ever introduced, and it’s backed by a broad coalition of civil rights, criminal justice, drug policy, and immigration groups. Yours in Reform, Jerry Nadler.
Tuesday, November 5, control of Virginia’s legislature shifted to democrats, opening the door for decriminalization , expungement, and establishing a clear path to legalizing responsible adult-use in the Commonwealth. Finally, Virginia has a path to implement evidence-based policies that reflect the attitudes of its constituents.”
The enactment of adult-use marijuana legalizationlaws is not associated with any significant increase in cannabis-related activity in neighboring states and counties, according to a federally funded report published by the nonprofit Justice Research and Statistics Association and first reported by MarijuanaMoment.net.
The new law reduces first-time penalties for the possession of up to one-half ounce of cannabis from a criminal misdemeanor — formerly punishable by up to 15 days in jail — to a ‘penalty assessment,’ punishable by a $50 fine. Lawmakers passed legislation in April to change the law.
When NORML was founded in 1970, roughly 12% of Americans supported legalizing marijuana. Currently sixty-five percent of adults nationwide support ending marijuana prohibition and establishing a regulated market where responsible consumers can legally purchase marijuana. Regardless of the policy you’re advocating for (e.g.,
Municipal officials in various cities nationwide are moving away from policies requiring marijuana testing for public employees. The new law took effect immediately upon passage. “Now is the time for municipalities throughout the state to review and update their policies so they may better align with state law and public opinion.”
In the US, the laws determining the status of cannabis use vary from state to state and continue to change over time. Texas has one such cannabis program in flux, with a new bill being introduced that may change the legality of recreational marijuana within the state. Marijuana is, however, permissible for some medical uses in Texas.
There has been some confusion and misinformation circulating about what New York’s latest expansion of marijuana decriminalization means and what impact it will have on criminal prosecutions going forward. There are 2 provisions of New York’s Penal Law that relate marijuana-related offenses. Legal Provisions.
” “This is likely the result of two major policy changes: More than twenty decriminalization or penalty downgrade ordinances passed by city councils across the Commonwealth, and approximately a quarter of a million registered medical marijuana patients,” said Goldstein. That’s a positive,” Hoover said.
Lawmakers in many states have started to pre-file marijuana law reform legislation and some sessions have already begun holding hearings. The post State Policy Weekly Update (1/10/23) appeared first on NORML.
Lawmakers in many states have started pre-filing marijuana law reform legislation and some sessions have already begun holding hearings. The post State Policy Weekly Update 1/24/2023 appeared first on NORML.
Lawmakers in many states have started to pre-file marijuana law reform legislation and some sessions have already begun holding hearings. The post State Policy Weekly Update 1/17/2023 appeared first on NORML.
Newly sworn-in Democratic Governor Tony Evers announced Monday that he is taking Wisconsin cannabis policy reform into his own hands by attaching proposals to his spending budget this year. Evers aims to legalize medical cannabis, decriminalize recreational possession and use, and expunge qualifying arrest records.
Members of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security heard expert testimony today challenging the federal government’s failed policy of cannabis prohibition. Malik Burnett (formerly of the Drug Policy Alliance), and Neal Levine, Chief Executive Officer of the Cannabis Trade Federation.
Medical : Illegal Recreational : Illegal *CBD products are legal in Japan, as long as they contain no THC whatsoever and are not made from cannabis flower. Japan has some of the harshest drug policies on Earth, including for cannabis — and is one of the worst places on Earth to get arrested on marijuana possession charges.
Virginia has been one of the most reluctant states to consider marijuana law reform, though it recently began allowing some forms of cannabis oil for approved patients. To be fair, Democrats didn’t mention weed legalization on their party’s official platform until 2016.). They managed to hold on to that.
Mapping Psychedelic Drug Policy Reform. As the psychedelic renaissance contributes to a swelling pool of safety and efficacy data pertaining to the potential therapeutic benefits of psychedelic medicine, many localities—particularly in North America—are revising their legal frameworks. This is what they are saying. United States.
Louis on Monday signed a bill to decriminalize marijuana possession and cultivation for adults, a local reform that comes as efforts to legalize cannabis statewide in Missouri are also gaining momentum. Louis Mayor Signs Bill To Decriminalize Marijuana Possession And Cultivation. The mayor of St. Read more at MM.
When it comes to any hot-button issue like cannabis legalization, there are always two sides, often without much middle ground. For those looking through a pro-legalization lens, efforts to continue federal prohibition and bar states from legalizing should be a thing of the past.
“With another delay for full legalization, we hope elected officials will explore every option to stop these needless arrests.” ” In addition to supporting full legalization, Garden State NORML supports decriminalizing marijuana – utilizing civil fines – for all ages. “Enough is enough. .
At a time when 68 percent of Americans support marijuana legalization, including outright majorities of Democrats (77 percent), Independents (62 percent), and Republicans (57 percent), it is time for ending federal prohibition to become a truly bipartisan issue in the eyes of voters.” Schumer (D-NY).
Kleiman , an academic expert on cannabis policy who often shared and debated his well informed views on marijuana policy reform with those of us who were committed to advocating for a policy of adult use legalization. He further developed his views on cannabis and criminal justice as a professor of public policy at UCLA.
Several bills have been introduced in the state legislature, ranging from legalization to expungement, and the fight for freedom has never been more widely supported than now. 4497 would legalize marijuana for personal adult-use in the state of New Jersey and provides expungement relief for people with certain past marijuana offenses.
The US House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health will hold a legislative hearing entitled “Cannabis Policies for the New Decade.” ” This marks the first time that members of the Energy and Commerce Committee will hear and debate issues specific to marijuana policy reform. CO resident? FL resident? NJ resident?
In February 2018, I heard about a group that wanted to decriminalize psychoactive mushrooms in Denver, but didn’t know much about it. He’d listened to a podcast I did on the topic of “psychedelic law,” a term I coined in 2010. Out of the 418,546 registered voters in Denver, 40% weighed in on magic-mushroom decriminalization.
Currently, ten states and the District of Columbia have legalized the adult use of marijuana and thirty-three states and DC have medical marijuana programs. This tension between state and federal laws is and remains untenable. This is not just good policy, but good politics. This legislation is about accepting economic reality.
The legalization effort in New Mexico was killed as the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 6-4 to table the bill this week. One of two initiative petitions to put marijuana legalization on the ballot in Oklahoma was cleared for signature gathering. Send a message to your lawmakers in support of expanded decriminalization.
Black Americans are being arrested for cannabis possession laws at a rate of nearly four times that of white Americans despite the fact that the groups consume cannabis at similar rates. While legalization and decriminalization will not undo what was done in the past, these legal processes can create a better future for affected groups.
jurisdiction to decriminalize psilocybin-containing mushrooms. jurisdiction has actually approved of the decriminalization of psilocybin, and this could have major effects throughout the nation. Let’s break down exactly what this law does and doesn’t do. Decriminalization is a very different concept.
Psychedelic Liberty Summit Saturday, April 25th Panel moderated by Ariel Clark, with David Bronner, Kevin Matthews and Ryan Munevar Various legal frameworks for decriminalization, legalization and regulation of psychedelics are being advanced in cities and states across the country.
And Dayton, Ohio completely decriminalized cannabis possession, as the city commission decided to eliminate the existing $150 possession fine. Shannon Roers Jones (R) introduced legislation, House Bill 1155, to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana. Click here to email your lawmakers in support of decriminalization.
While I was serving as a state legislator, my home state of Oregon became the first in the nation to decriminalize simple possession. Congress is out of step with the American people on cannabis when national support for federal marijuana legalization is at an all-time high. Today, I am happy to report that our movement is cresting.
For NORML’s 50 th anniversary, every Friday we will be posting a blog from NORML’s Founder Keith Stroup as he reflects back on a lifetime as America’s foremost marijuana smoker and legalization advocate. This is the second in a series of blogs on the history of NORML and the legalization movement.
Many cannabis advocates have pointed to cannabis decriminalization and legalization as a means of freeing up resources for handling more serious, violent crimes. Now, findings from a recent research study —published in the February 2022 volume of the International Journal of Drug Policy—support the theory. billion annually.
Senator Ron Wyden introduced legislation in the Senate — The Marijuana Revenue and Regulation Act — to permit states to establish their own marijuana regulatory policies free from federal interference. Legislation is pending, Senate Bill 182, to re-legalize the inhalation of herbal cannabis formulations for medical purposes.
Despite Louisiana’s slow warm-up to cannabis, the state is making significant progress when it comes to cannabis legal reform. The law used very specific language that allowed certain aspects of a medical cannabis program, such as prescriptions from doctors, but failed to address other factors such as cultivation and distribution.
Legal Advisor to Roc NORML, and Mary Kruger, Start SMART NY Coalition Member and Executive Director of Roc NORML. Sixty-five percent of New York residents support the legalization of cannabis. Cannabis legalization was not included in the 2019 – 2020 New York State Budget. By: Jason Klimek, Esq.,
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