Legislation that would triple Massachusetts’ marijuana possession limit, among other regulatory changes, is set for a public hearing in the Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy on April 9 starting at 10:30 AM in Room B-1.

Senate Bill 75, filed last month by Senator William Brownsberger (D), would increase the personal possession limit for marijuana from one ounce to three ounces, while also modifying advertising rules, ownership regulations, and product testing standards in the state’s legal cannabis industry.

If passed, SB 75 would allow cannabis retailers to advertise discounts and loyalty programs, something currently restricted under Massachusetts law. The bill also proposes revisions to ownership rules, limiting the number of dispensaries a single entity can control while offering incentives for social equity applicants, minority-owned businesses, and veteran-owned businesses.
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The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) transferred $23,363,968 in funds generated by Missouri’s adult use marijuana program to agencies supporting veterans and addiction recovery programs.

This transfer, as outlined in Article XIV, Section 2, of the Missouri Constitution, was authorized by the Supplemental Budget (House Bill 14.495) for Fiscal Year 25 passed by the legislature.

Recipient agencies of adult use program funds authorized in the Supplemental Budget bill include the following:
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A coalition of ten Republican lawmakers in Maine has introduced legislation that would expand the state’s adult-use cannabis market by allowing the establishment of cannabis hospitality lounges.

The legislation, House Bill 1365, was officially filed on Friday and has been referred to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs for review. It’s titled An Act to Allow Consumption of Adult Use Cannabis in Locally Approved Hospitality Lounges.

If enacted into law, the proposal would allow municipalities to license or approve cannabis-friendly lounges where individuals 21 and older could legally consume cannabis and cannabis products. Unlike other cannabis establishments, these lounges would not require state licensing or oversight from the Office of Cannabis Policy, placing regulation firmly in the hands of local governments.
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Congressmember Dina Titus, Co-Chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, says marijuana rescheduling is ‘”stalled”, but she believes “we can get that moving again” if they can remind President Trump of his support for marijuana reform during his 2024 presidential campaign.

During a speech at the Global Cannabis Regulatory Summit on March 27, Rep. Titus said that the Cannabis Caucus is working on three primary priorities, including passing legislation to allow marijuana banking nationwide, ensuring veterans have access to medical cannabis, and further enabling and expanding cannabis-based research.

In regards to the research piece, Rep. Titus said “right now you can’t get much product to do research on except for some little scraggly plants from some place in Mississippi.. and yet you can go into a dispensary and find all these elaborate flavors and brans and buds.” She asks “why are we not making some of that available for research and allowing universities to not be afraid that they’re going to get their federal money cut off?”
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Washington’s Senate Labor and Commerce Committee and the House Consumer Protection and Business Committee have scheduled votes on three marijuana-related bills on April 1.

The bills—House Bill 1551, House Bill 1141, and Senate Bill 5206—address several aspects of the state’s recreational cannabis program, including advertising, direct-to-consumer sales, and social equity business restrictions. All three measures have already been approved by their chamber of origin.

Senate Bill 5206, passed by the Senate past month by a vote of 39 to 9, would make adjustments to the state’s strict cannabis advertising rules. Currently, licensed cannabis retailers can only display two exterior signs. SB 5206 would increase this limit to four, allowing businesses greater visibility. If a sign is less than 1,200 square inches, it would not count as one of the four allowed signs.
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Legislation to expand Texas’ medical cannabis program has been scheduled for a public hearing on April 3.

House Bill 46, the companion to Senate Bill 1505, has been scheduled for a public hearing in the House Disease Prevention & Women’s & Children’s Health Subcommittee on April 3 at 8 a.m. in room E1.014. With nearly identical language to its Senate counterpart, which was recently given approval by the Senate State Affairs Committee, the bill would significantly expand access to low-THC cannabis for patients across Texas.

If passed, the legislation would allow licensed dispensaries to open satellite storage locations, raise the statewide cap on dispensing organization licenses from three to six, and require approved entities to begin dispensing low-THC cannabis within 24 months.

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