Representatives David Joyce and Don Young have introduced legislation to remove marijuana from the federal Controlled Substances Act, thereby repealing the federal prohibition of cannabis and making states the primary regulators of the plant. The bill, entitled the ‘‘Common Sense Cannabis Reform for Veterans, Small Businesses, and Medical Professionals Act,’’ deschedules marijuana from the CSA […]
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney has signed municipal legislation into law prohibiting certain citywide employers from requiring prospective hires to pass a pre-employment drug screen. The measure, Bill No. 200625, “prohibits employers from requiring prospective employees to undergo testing for the presence of marijuana as a condition of employment, under certain terms and conditions.” Employees in certain […]
Today, a bipartisan group of 44 representatives sent a letter to the House Appropriations Committee calling for the upcoming FY 2022 spending package to build upon existing policy for state-legal medical marijuana programs and expand protections to include adult-use marijuana marketplaces now in effect in 17 states. The letter opens: “As you prepare the fiscal […]
Justices on the South Dakota Supreme Court will hear oral arguments today in a legal challenge to the state’s voter-initiated marijuana legalization measure: Constitutional Amendment A. Fifty-four percent of voters decided in favor of the ballot measure on Election Day 2020. Nonetheless, litigation filed on behalf of Republican Gov. Kristi Noem shortly following the election […]
Members of the Philadelphia City Council have voted overwhelmingly in favor of municipal legislation prohibiting certain employers from requiring prospective hires to pass a pre-employment drug screen. Council members decided 15 to 1 in favor of the measure, Bill No. 200625, which “prohibits employers from requiring prospective employees to undergo testing for the presence of […]
Democratic Governor Ralph Northam signed legislation into law today legalizing adult-use marijuana possession and establishing an enactment date for commercial marijuana production and retail sales. Virginia NORML Executive Director Jenn Michelle Pedini spoke alongside the Governor at the ceremonial bill signing. “Today, together, we celebrate an extraordinary victory for cannabis justice in the Commonwealth.” Pedini, […]
NORML criticized statements made today by White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, who reiterated the President’s position that cannabis should be rescheduled under federal law (to Schedule II) rather than descheduled (removed) from the Controlled Substances in a manner similar to tobacco and alcohol. “It is impractical at best and disingenuous at worst for the […]
The SAFE Banking Act would improve the safety of legal marijuana marketplaces and foster more entrepreneurship in the emerging legal industry Members of the House of Representatives voted today in favor of a stand-alone piece of legislation, The SAFE Banking Act, to remedy the ongoing inconsistencies between state and federal marijuana laws. In a vote […]
In the first four months of 2021, four states — New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, and Virginia — have legalized the adult-use marijuana market. Over 40 percent of all Americans now reside in a state where possessing marijuana is legal and seven in ten voters now say that it should be legal nationwide. Nonetheless, […]
Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI), along with Congressional Cannabis Caucus co-chairs Reps. Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Dave Joyce (R-OH), have once again introduced The Veterans Medical Marijuana Safe Harbor Act (S. 1183 / HR 2588), bipartisan legislation to expand and facilitate medical cannabis access to military veterans suffering from chronic pain, PTSD, and other serious medical conditions. Presently, V.A. doctors are […]
