State legislators in 2021 enacted over 50 laws liberalizing marijuana policies in more than 25 states, according to a report issued today by the National Organization of the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). “State lawmakers took unprecedented steps this year to repeal marijuana prohibition laws and to provide relief to those millions of Americans who […]
Over six in ten Massachusetts adults believe that legalizing the sale and use of marijuana has been a positive development, according to statewide polling data compiled by the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Sixty-one percent of survey respondents affirmed that “the legalization of marijuana in Massachusetts has been positive for the state.” Only 13 percent […]
In a 4 to 1 opinion issued today, justices of the South Dakota Supreme Court struck down a voter-approved initiative (Constitutional Amendment A) legalizing the adult-use possession and sale of cannabis. “Legalization opponents cannot succeed in the court of public opinion or at the ballot box,” NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said. “Thus, they are now […]
As we reflect back on our many hard-earned victories of 2021, it is apparent that we have much to be thankful for. This year, the possession and use of cannabis by adults became legal in five additional states: Connecticut, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, and Virginia. That means that an additional 42 million Americans […]
The legalization of marijuana for adults is associated with improvements in police clearance rates for multiple types of violent crimes, according to data published online ahead of print in The International Journal of Drug Policy. A pair of researchers affiliated with the University of Utah and the University of China assessed trends in crime clearance […]
Representatives of California NORML are criticizing regulators’ decision to increase cannabis tax rates in 2022, calling the move “wrong-headed and untimely.” In a press release issued by the state affiliate today, NORML Board Member and California NORML Director Dale Gieringer said that the legal cannabis market in California is already “burdened by excessive taxes and […]
State officials are set to debut a special drug court that will be dedicated solely to reviewing and expunging past marijuana convictions. Under the state’s new adult-use legalization law, those with past marijuana convictions may petition for either the expungement of their records or for a re-sentencing of their convictions. Officials believe that having a […]
So maybe federal legalization isn’t as bipartisan as we previously thought… As soon as Republican Representative Nancy Mace announced her legalization bill, GOP lawmakers from her hometown of South Carolina released a statement against the effort. “Unequivocally, the South Carolina Republican Party is against any effort to legalize, decriminalize the use of controlled substances, and […]
Today, Republican Representative Nancy Mace (R-SC) introduced the States Reform Act, a comprehensive bill that repeals the federal prohibition of marijuana, expunges federal non-violent marijuana crimes, promotes local ownership in the emerging regulated industry, and places certain restrictions on the advertising of regulated cannabis products, among other federal reforms. “Representative Mace, along with multiple other […]
The war of “Legalization Details” is about the begin–a new phase spawned after everyone is pretty much in agreement that the plant should be legal. In the House, Republicans have announced their own legalization bill called the States Reform Act (not the flashiest title, imo). The bill is sponsored by Rep. Nancy Mace from South […]
