Maryland House committees have taken up a pair of bills to create task forces to study psychedelics legalization and broad drug decriminalization. The House Health and Government Operations Committee held a hearing on Wednesday to consider the psychedelics legislation, while the Judiciary Committee met on Tuesday to discuss the... Read more
“It’s a parallel track—one is to close down stores and make sure enforcement is happening, the other is to make sure that new ones are opening.” By Rosalind Adams, THE CITY New York State has levied more than $25 million in fines against unlicensed smoke shops for selling cannabis... Read more
New Jersey’s top marijuana regulator says the state has officially surpassed $2 billion in medical and recreational marijuana sales since 2018, and he also encouraged lawmakers to explore the possibility of giving medical cannabis patients a home grow option. Jeff Brown, executive director of the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory... Read more
California regulators have rolled out a new marijuana database that’s meant to help consumers, stakeholders and lawmakers better understand industry trends—including monthly sales data and information about cannabis licensees. The state Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) officially unveiled the online resource on Wednesday, highlighting four interactive dashboards with data... Read more
Details about a proposed compromise bill to legalize retail cannabis in Virginia are beginning to emerge ahead of a planned negotiation session set for Thursday. While not yet final, the compromise offer—meant to bridge gaps between two competing measures passed last week by the House and Senate—would eliminate provisions... Read more
During debate on a drug bill before the Kansas House of Representatives on Wednesday, a Democratic lawmaker introduced an amendment that would have removed marijuana entirely from the state’s controlled substances law, effectively legalizing it. The proposal ultimately failed on a 41–80 vote, a result that comes as more... Read more
“The war on drugs has failed. Ironically, the very policies intended to reduce drug use have only made things worse.” By Thomas C. Higdon, Maryland Coalition on Drug Use, Treatment, and Recovery via Maryland Matters As a survivor of substance use disorder, I’ve seen firsthand the devastating consequences of... Read more
The Maryland Senate has passed a bill that’s meant to protect gun rights for medical marijuana patients under state law, sending it to the House of Delegates. In a 43-2 vote on Tuesday, the Senate approved the legislation from Sen. Mike McKay (R), without discussion. This comes about one... Read more
A Virginia House panel has delayed its consideration of a Senate-passed marijuana legalization bill in order to give backers of two competing legal sales proposals that were approved in votes on the floor of their respective chamber more time to hammer out a compromise. As a House General Laws... Read more
