Anthony Martinelli

A bill in the US House of Representatives aimed at descheduling marijuana and facilitating expungements has recently secured its 88th sponsor. The legislation, known as the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, proposes to eliminate marijuana from the list of federally controlled substances, effectively decriminalizing it across the nation. Congressmember Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) added …

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Federal law enforcement agents seized a historically low 61,000 pounds of marijuana at the southern border in 2023, representing a massive drop since 2013, the year state-level marijuana legalization laws first took effect in Colorado and Washington (with sales beginning in 2014). This amount marks a significant 29% drop from 2022 and an even more …

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A former White House advisor and co-founder of the anti-marijuana group Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), Kevin Sabet, claims that the DEA’s decision to move marijuana to Schedule III was not authorized by the agency’s administrator. This, he argues, “breaks with five decades of precedent and established law.” “BIG: I can now say with full …

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A group behind an initiative to legalize recreational marijuana says they’re confident they have collected enough signatures to place their proposal on the November ballot for a public vote. South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws says they will submit their signatures to South Dakota Secretary of State Monae Johnson tomorrow, the state’s deadline. The group …

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A key committee in the New Hampshire Senate has given approval to legislation that would allow medical marijuana for any condition a physician deems necessary. Today, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee passed House Bill 1278 with a unanimous 5-0 vote. This measure has already been approved by the state’s full House of Representatives. …

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Here’s an overview of the states that could still legalize recreational marijuana this year. Last month, we published a list of the 10 states next in line to potentially legalize marijuana. While this list remains relevant, as we approach the halfway point of the year, only a few of these states have a reasonable chance of …

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The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) is urging President Biden to decriminalize marijuana while taking steps to release those in prison for nonviolent marijuana offenses. In a letter to the White House Counsel, the nation’s criminal defense bar urged immediate commutation of sentences, compassionate release, and second chances for persons convicted of marijuana offenses. …

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April cannabis sales in Massachusetts fell short of the $154 million sold in March, but still had an impressive showing with $150 million sold. In April, Massachusetts recorded a total of $150 million in legal cannabis sales, a slight decrease from the $154 million reported in March. Despite this modest drop, the figure remains robust, …

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The full Minnesota Senate has passed legislation, already approved by the House of Representatives, that would expedite the start of legal recreational marijuana sales. On Friday, the Senate approved the measure introduced by State Representative Zack Stephenson (D) with a vote of 34 to 32. Last month, the House of Representatives passed the proposal with …

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A pair of New Jersey lawmakers filed legislation yesterday that would establish a commission to monitor medical marijuana prices, with the authority to establish temporary price caps if they deem it necessary. Assembly Bill 4263 was filed by State Assemblymembers Michael Venezia (D) and Garnet Hall (D), and it’s been assigned to the Assembly Oversight, …

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