Topic: Legislation
House Judiciary Committee Approves Marijuana Decriminalization Bill, But Significant Hurdles Remain
The “Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2019” or “MORE Act” passed the House Judiciary Committee with a 24-10 vote on November 20, 2019. As we wrote about in more detail here and discussed on our podcast here, the MORE Act is a marijuana decriminalization bill that would, among other things, remove marijuana from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, allow states to set their own policy for marijuana legalization, implement a federal tax on marijuana products sold in states where such sales are legal, and seek to ensure that those impacted by the war on drugs have an opportunity to be a part of the cannabis industry.
Read MoreIllinois Amends Cannabis Law: Four Things You Need to Know
Acknowledging certain changes were needed to the state’s landmark cannabis legalization bill, Illinois lawmakers passed a trailer bill last week containing several substantive revisions. Here are the four key changes.
Read MoreUnintended Consequences; Marijuana Compact Amongst Northeastern States May Actually Slow Legalization
In September, many in the marijuana industry were buoyed by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s efforts to coordinate with his counterparts in New Jersey (Phil Murphy) and Connecticut (Ned Lamont) on recreational marijuana legalization.
Read MoreQuebec Raising Adult-Use Cannabis Age to 21
While most jurisdictions considering changes to cannabis laws in North America are trending toward relaxing restrictions, Quebec just reminded us that this trend is not universal and there are still strong opposition forces. This week, the provincial government passed a law that raises the legal consumption age from 18 to 21 effective January 1, 2020. All other provinces permit cannabis use at 19, except in Alberta where the legal age is 18.
Read MoreMomentum Builds for Recreational Marijuana in Pennsylvania
Last week, two Pennsylvania state senators (Daylin Leach (D-Montgomery/Delaware) and Sharif Street (D-Philadelphia)) introduced Senate Bill 350 that would legalize recreational marijuana in the Keystone State. This comes on the heels of Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman’s recent marijuana “listening tours” to gauge public interest for legalization, which he came away from saying support is high.
Read MoreChicago Says “No Way” to Marijuana Sales Delay
The Chicago City Council passed its Cannabis Zoning Ordinance last week—but not before a battle royale with the Aldermanic Black Caucus.
Read MoreÁndale! Mexico Poised to Become Third Country to Legalize Recreational Cannabis
Mexico is set to take a significant step toward legalized recreational cannabis on October 23, when the Senate votes on a bill to establish a federal cannabis regulatory body, regulate individual use, cannabis sales, and cannabis research, and establish cannabis cooperatives for cultivation. It is anticipated the bill will pass and proceed to the lower chamber, where supporters are bullish, even if the prospects are not certain.
Read MoreSecond Act: Illinois Lawmaker Proposes Bill To Regulate the CBD Industry
Fresh off becoming the first state to create a recreational marijuana market via legislation, at least one Illinois lawmaker remains focused on the cannabis industry. On October 2, 2019, Illinois Representative Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield) introduced the CBD Safety Act (HB 3906), which will mandate that CBD products meet labeling and minimum testing requirements pursuant to rules adopted by the Department of Agriculture.
Read MoreAttorneys General Urge Congress to Allow States to Decide Whether to Legalize Marijuana
Last week, a bipartisan group of 21 state attorneys general sent a letter to congressional leaders imploring Congress to pass marijuana reform legislation. Specifically, the letter exhorts Congress to pass the proposed Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States Act (the “STATES Act”), or similar legislation, that would “allow each State and territory to determine, for itself, the best approach to marijuana legalization within its borders, while at the same time creating protections to ensure that such regulation does not impose negative externalities on those states and territories that choose other approaches.”
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