West Virginia: Legislation Introduced to Legalize Marijuana

Legislation by Delegate Hornbuckle of Cabell, House Bill 3035, to legalize and regulate the adult use, production, and sale of marijuana is before members of the House Health and human Resources Committee.
House Bill 3035, allows adults to possess up to one ounce of cannabis and to cultivate up to six cannabis plants for their own personal use. It also regulates the commercial marijuana market and allows for the production of industrial hemp.
The West Virginia Center for Budget and Policy projects that the state could generate between $45 to $194 million dollars a year in tax revenue by regulating the commercial cannabis market. 
Eight states, encompassing some 20 percent of the US population, have enacted similar adult use regulations. 
Enter your information below to contact your elected officials and urge their support for this important measure. 

Massachusetts: Support Legislation to End Discrimination Against Medical Marijuana Consumers

Update: A hearing for H 113 is scheduled for 07/31/2017 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in B-1.
Update: H.2385 was incorporated into H. 3776, which is the House bill to rewrite the implementation of Question 4. You can follow that legislation by clicking HERE
Update: A joint hearing for H 2385 was held on 4/3.
Legislation is pending before the House, H 113, to prohibit employers from discriminating against patients who legally consume marijuana during non-work hours. Additional legislation, H 2385, would expand protections for medical marijuana patients so that they may not be discriminated against with regard to housing, higher education, and child custody issues. 

Changes in the legal status of marijuana has not been associated with any adverse changes in workplace safety. In fact, a pair of studies from 2016 find that legalization is associated with greater workforce participation and with fewer workplace absences. Most recently, the National Academies of Sciences just-released marijuana and health report found “insufficient evidence” to support an association between cannabis use and occupational accidents or injuries.

It is time to end this discriminatory policy.

Those who consume conventional medications legally and responsibly while off the job do not suffer sanctions from their employers unless their work performance is adversely affected. Employers should treat those patients who consume cannabis legally while away from the workplace in a similar manner.

Please use the pre-written letter below to urge your elected officials to end discrimination against marijuana patients. 

Montana: Oppose The Proposed Tax on Medical Marijuana

Update: HB 529 was tabled in the House Taxation Committee on 3/31. However, separate legislation imposing new taxes on gross sales of medical cannabis, SB 333 awaits action from the Governor and is expected to be signed into law.
Update: HB 529 was tabled in the House Taxation Committee.
Update: Members of the House Taxation Committee heard testimony on the bill on March 15. Most witnesses testified against the bill.
House Bill 529 imposes a special six percent statewide tax upon medical marijuana sales. This tax would be in addition to the imposition of existing state and local taxes.

While NORML generally does not oppose the imposition of fair and reasonable sales taxes on the commercial sales of cannabis for recreational purposes, we do not support such excessive taxation on medical sales. Most other states that regulate medical cannabis sales do not impose such taxes and Montana patients should not be forced to pay these excessive costs.

Enter your information below to contact your elected officials and urge them to oppose this measure.

Federal: Demand That The New US Attorney’s Respect State Marijuana Laws

On March 10, Attorney General Jeff Sessions called for the resignation of the 46 remaining US Attorneys who had been previously appointed under the Obama administration.

Members of the Senate will now be asked to consider new appointments. Please contact your Senator and urge him/her to consider those US Attorneys who will respect statewide marijuana laws. 

With 29 states having established medical marijuana programs and eight states having enacted adult-use regulatory laws, it is vital that those appointed to this prestigious position respect the will of the electorate.

US Attorneys possess broad authority when both interpreting the laws and prioritizing their enforcement. Under the past administration, US Attorneys largely took a ‘hands off’ approach in jurisdictions that had legalized the use of marijuana, as directed by the 2013 “Cole Memo.” Incoming US Attorneys ought to take a similar approach. 

Tell your Senator to defend the majority of voters who reside in legal cannabis states and to reject those nominees who will not support state marijuana laws. 

Oklahoma: Hemp Production Legislation Introduced

Update: SB 704 was read for a second time and referred to committee.
Legislation has been introduced, Senate Bill 704, to provide for hemp cultivation and manufacturing.

The measure excludes industrial hemp from the state’s definition of marijuana and provides for its commercial cultivation and export.

The measure also expands the list of qualifying conditions eligible for CBD treatment under state law. Under this change, patients with chronic pain, post-traumatic stress, and anxiety would be eligible for medicinal cannabis products as long as those formulations are in liquid form and do not exceed 12 percent THC.

Please use the prewritten letter below to urge lawmakers to support this legislation.

Kansas: Legislation Pending To Permit Patients Access to Low-THC Cannabis

Update: The Kansas legislature is adjourned and the bill will not recieve further consideration this year.
Update: Members of the House Health and Human Services Committee heard the bill on Wednesday, March 15 at 1:30pm, Room 546-S.
Legislation is pending, House Bill 2152, to permit qualified patients access to marijuana or extracts containing CBD and low levels of THC.

The measure would permit patients with Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, multiple sclerosis, post-traumatic stress disorder or a condition causing seizures, including those characteristic of epilepsy, to possess marijuana or extracts containing no more than three percent THC. The measure also seeks to establish rules governing the state-licensed cultivation of low-THC marijuana strains and the preparation of products derived from such strains.

While HB 2152 does not legalize medical marijuana outright, it is an important first step in the process of revisiting and revising Kansas’ marijuana laws.

You can write your lawmakers in support of this penalty reduction by entering your information below.

New Mexico: Tell Lawmakers to Override Governor’s Hemp Veto

Update: Lawmakers have introduced a third hemp research bill, House Bill 530. This bill was passed by the House on March 14 by a vote of 65 to 1, and now awaits senate action.
Update: Governor Martinez has vetoed the second hemp bill on March 12th. 
Governor Susana Martinez has vetoed House Bill 144, which sought to establish a hemp research program in compliance with provisions in the federal Farm Bill explicitly authorizing states to engage in licensed activity involving hemp absent federal reclassification of the plant. The Governor provided no public explanation for the veto. 

The bill has previously passed the House and Senate by votes of 42 to 26 and 30 to 12 respectively.

New Mexico is one of the only states that fails to recognize hemp as an agricultural commodity rather than as a controlled substance.

A similar provision, Senate Bill 6, passed the House and Senate by votes of 58 to 8 and 37 to 2.

Please use the pre-written letter below to urge lawmakers to override the veto on SB 6.

Washington: Governor Signs Legislation To Exclude Hemp as a Controlled Substance

Update: The Governor signed the law on April 27 and it will go into effect July 23, 2017
Update: The Senate passed HB 2064 48-0 on April 12. The bill will now go to the Governor for their signature or veto.
Update: Executive action was taken in the Senate Committee on Law & Justice on March 22 at 8:00 AM. Majority reported that it do pass.
Update: HB 2064 held a public hearing in the Senate Committee on Law & Justice on March 9 at 10:00 AM.
Update: HB 2064 has unanimously passed the House and awaits action in the Senate.

Legislation is before lawmakers, House Bill 2064, to amend state law so that industrial hemp is not longer classified under the state’s uniform controlled substances act. 

If passed, hemp plants will no longer be regulated as a controlled substance.

Please use the prewritten letter below to urge lawmakers to support this legislation.

For more information about this bill and other pending legislation, please contact Washington NORML.

Missouri: Marijuana Legalization Bill Introduced

Update: The Missouri legislature is adjourned and the bill will not recieve further consideration this year.
Update: On May 12 HB 1095 was referred to the House Select Committee on Local, State, Federal Relations and Miscellaneous Business.

Legislation has been introduced in the House, HB 1095, to legalize the adult use of marijuana and to regulate the commercial cannabis market.

The measure permits adults to legally possess up to 35 grams (approximately 1 and 1/4 ounces) of marijuana and/or to cultivate up to six marijuana plants. Adults may legally possess the total yield from those plants.

Additional provisions establish a regulated market for the commercial production and retail sale of marijuana and industrial hemp.

Please urge your lawmakers to support this important legislative effort.

For more information about statewide marijuana law reform efforts, please follow Missouri NORML on Facebook here.

North Carolina: Medical Marijuana Legislation Filed

Update: The bill will not recieve further consideration this year.
Update: SB 579 and SB 648 both passed their first readings and were referred to committees.
Update: A Senate version of the bill has been introduced, SB 579, by Senators Joel Ford and Erica Smith-Ingram on April 3 and identical bill, SB 648, by Senators Terry Van Duyn and Valerie Foushee on April 4.
Update: HB 185 passed the first reading and has been referred to committee.
Comprehensive legislation to legalize patients use of and access to medical marijuana has been filed by Representatives Kelly M. Alexander, Jr., Becky Carney, Pricey Harrison, and Rodney Moore. Co-sponsors include Representatives John Autry, John Ager, Mary Belk, Deb Butler, Carla Cunningham, Susan C. Fisher, Edward Hanes, Jr., Yvonne Lewis Holley, Howard J. Hunter, III, Philip Lehman, and Brian Turner. 
HB 185, the North Carolina Medical Cannabis Act, permits qualified patients to possess up to 24 ounces of cannabis or grow their own personal supply. Separate provisions in the Act license and regulate the dispensing of cannabis from state-licensed facilities.

Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia have enacted statewide provisions allowing patients access to cannabis therapy. North Carolina patients deserve these same protections.

Contact North Carolina NORML to get involved in your area.

Enter your information below to urge your lawmakers to support the North Carolina Medical Cannabis Act.

1 299 300 301 302 303 305
Right Menu Icon