Voters in three Ohio municipalities on Election Day approved local ballot measures depenalizing minor marijuana possession offenses.
Category: legalization
Michigan: Regulators Now Accepting Retail Marijuana Business Applications
State regulators have begun accepting applications from those wishing to open licensed retail cannabis facilities. Regulators estimate that the first state-licensed retailers will be operational by March 2020.
Study: Pain Patients Report Significant Health Improvements Following Enactment of Medical Cannabis Access Laws
“Individuals who report having pain limiting that limits their daily activity see large health improvements. This is the strongest evidence that a group with a high probability of pain medication use sees large benefits from medical marijuana laws.”
Poll: Two-Thirds of Americans Support Legalizing Marijuana for Personal Use
An estimated two out of three Americans believe that cannabis should be legal for recreational purposes. Support for legalization was strongest among self-identified Democrats (79 percent) and Independents (71 percent). By contrast, fewer than one in two Republicans (46 percent) expressed support for legalizing cannabis.
New Mexico: Governor’s Task Force Issues Adult-Use Marijuana Recommendations
A 23-member task force has issued explicit policy recommendations to Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham regarding the legalization and regulation of cannabis. The Press Secretary for the Governor says, “The next steps will be to incorporate the recommendations of this working group into balanced legislation and working to win the support of legislators and stakeholders ahead of the session.”
NORML Canada Launches Post-Legalization Platform on One Year Anniversary of Marijuana Legalization
In light of the first year of legalization, NORML Canada has monitored the Canadian cannabis landscape closely, to determine the next steps for crafting achievable and functional reform of cannabis regulations.
Maine: Regulators Confident That Adult-Use Cannabis Sales Will Begin Next Spring
Regulators at the Maine Office of Marijuana Policy affirmed this week that they expect adult-use marijuana sales to begin in the spring of 2020.
Report: Marijuana Legalization Not Associated with Adverse ‘Spillover’ Effects in Neighboring States
The enactment of adult-use marijuana legalization laws 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.
Study: No Uptick in Violent Crime Following Adult Use Cannabis Legalization
Investigators from Department of Justice and Criminology at Washington State University reported, “Our results from Colorado and Washington suggest that legalization has not had major detrimental effects on public safety.”
Pennsylvania: Expedited Pardon Process Now Available for Those with Low-Level Cannabis Convictions
The Pennsylvania Board of Pardons has created an expedited process to review and grant pardon applications for those with marijuana-related records. “These people have done no harm to anyone else,” Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman said. “They shouldn’t continue to suffer with employment and housing issues because they were convicted of doing something that most Pennsylvanians don’t even think should be illegal.”