The Cannabis Regulation Act was passed two weeks ago, allowing adults 21 and over to grow up to six plants in their homes. Under the new law, low-level cannabis offenses will be automatically expunged from a person’s record. Supporters of the measure point to the importance of providing back to communities and creating equity in the cannabis industry.
In Maryland, lawmakers began the year with confidence that an adult-use bill would pass this session. The measure was ultimately unsuccessful, but lawmakers are confident that legalization will take place in the next session. House Speaker Adrienne Jones, who leads the Democratic majority in the House, has set up a legislative “work group” to develop the rules of a regulated marijuana industry. A recent poll by Goucher College suggests two-thirds of Marylanders support legalization.
The bills include best practices for preventing the illegal sale of marijuana to minors. The legislation would prohibit stores from being located near schools and require child-prevention locks to prevent children from getting into the product. There is also a mandate to conduct public education campaigns and create an interagency workgroup to collect data on the impact of legalization on the state’s health. In addition to these bills, these states have other legislation relating to cannabis legalization.
Some marijuana advocates are not giving up. They have successfully passed a ballot initiative in Colorado and are hoping for a ballot initiative in 2022. While it’s unlikely that legalization will come to these states in two years, there is no reason to give up on their effort to pass a cannabis reform in their state. It’s possible that the laws will change over the next few years.
There are a few states that have legalized marijuana in some form. In Illinois, the state legislature passed SB 767, HB 1202 and HB 238). Then, there’s a bill referred to as SB 704 in Pennsylvania. The effective date of this legislation has not yet been determined, but it’s unlikely to be rushed. The pending bills in these states are the same ones as in Colorado and Illinois.
Despite the obstacles, some states are taking steps to make the legalization process more accessible to citizens. In Colorado, marijuana legalization is already legal in Washington, DC. The initiative is being pursued by several groups and will need the support of the House to pass. But, if the legislation passes, the process will take even longer in these other states. However, the state of Oregon is the only state that has not passed marijuana legalization. Its legislative leaders have vowed to have the law passed in time for 2022.
Wyoming and Colorado have both passed measures that legalize marijuana. Both require a minimum of 16,961 signatures to pass a statutory marijuana bill. A second statutory marijuana law would eliminate https://www.ministryofcannabis.com the threat of jail time for adults, while a first-time offense would result in a $50 fine. A third bill, a measure to legalize medical marijuana, will remove the threat of jail time.
In Oklahoma, the House will vote on marijuana legalization in 2022. There are several other ballot measures in Missouri. The House passed a medical marijuana program in 2018, and the medical cannabis program has expanded to become one of the most permissive in the country, with very few restrictions on who can qualify. As a result, the state is preparing for a major legalization push in 2022.
A 2022 ballot initiative in North Dakota would allow adults to use marijuana legally. This proposal would allow people to buy marijuana from retail outlets and grow their own plants at home. In other words, adults in these states could have access to marijuana for medical purposes. In addition to the two initiatives, Maryland’s legislature is working to reconcile the differences between the two bills. In order to qualify the initiative, it must collect nearly 27,000 signatures by January 2022.