Feb 13 2024

Hawaii Senate Committee Approves Bill to Legalize Marijuana

Today a Hawaii Senate committee gave approval to legislation that would legalize recreational marijuana.

Senate Bill 3335 would legalize marijuana for everyone 21 and older, while establishing the Hawaii Cannabis Authority and Cannabis Control Board within the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs in order to oversee a legal marijuana market. Today, the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services voted unanimously to pass the bill following a joint public hearing with the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Judiciary Committee is expected to vote on the measure later today, which would move the measure towards a vote of the full Senate.

During today’s public hearing that preceded the vote, dozens spoke on the bill. John Gonaki, a representative for Hawaii’s Office of the Public Defender, spoke in favor.
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Feb 13 2024

Virginia’s Full Senate Gives Approval to Bill Legalizing Recreational Marijuana Sales

Virginia’s full Senate has passed a bill to legalize marijuana sales, a day after the House of Delegates approved a competing measure.

The Senate has voted 21 to 18 today to pass Senate Bill 448 through its third and final reading. The measure, filed by Senator Aaron Rouse (D), now goes to the House of Delegates.

Given the House just approved a bill that would also legalize marijuana sales but with a differing approach, each chamber will need to decide if they’re going to pass the measure approved through the opposite chamber, of if they’ll establish a committee in order to coalesce the two measures. If they take the latter approach, both the House and Senate would need to vote to reconcile the two measures before it can be sent to Governor Glenn Youngkin.
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Feb 13 2024

Hawaii Committee Approves Bill to Decriminalize One Ounce of Marijuana

Legislation to decriminalize the possession of up to an ounce of marijuana has been approved through a key committee in the Hawaii House of Representatives.

The House Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs Committee voted yesterday to pass House Bill 1596, allowing it to move towards a vote of the full House. The measure was filed last month by State Representative David Tarnas along with a coalition of 11 other lawmakers.

In 2019 lawmakers in Hawaii passed a limited marijuana decriminalization law that removed criminal penalties for possessing up to three grams of marijuana, making it at most an $125 ticket. House Bill 1596 would increase the three gram limit to be 28 grams (one ounce), and it would reduce the ticket to a maximum $25.
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Feb 12 2024

Virginia Bill That Could Lead to Early Prison Release for Marijuana Felons Passes Senate 20 to 19

Virginia’s Senate has narrowly passed a bill that could lead to those in prison for marijuana-related felonies to be released early.

The Senate voted 20 to 19 today to pass Senate Bill 696, filed by Senators Angelia Williams Graves, Jennifer Boysko and Saddam Salim.

“This bill creates a process by which persons convicted of certain felony marijuana-related offenses involving the possession, manufacture, selling, giving, distribution, transportation, or delivery of marijuana committed prior to July 1, 2021, who remain incarcerated or on community supervision on July 1, 2024, must receive an automatic hearing to consider modification of such person’s sentence”, states the measure’s official summary. “The bill sets January 1, 2025, as the deadline by which such hearings must be scheduled.”
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Feb 12 2024

The 6 States On Track to Legalize Medical Marijuana in 2024

Nearly 80% of states in the US have legalized medical marijuana. Of the 12 that haven’t, some are closer to doing so than others.

Current there are 38 states that have legalized medical marijuana, with nine more that have passed laws allowing the medical use of low-THC / high-CBD products. Of the 12 states with no medical marijuana program, most have ongoing efforts to legalize medical marijuana. However, some of these efforts are far more viable in the near-term than others.

Below are the states on track to legalize medical marijuana in 2024.
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Feb 12 2024

Bill to Legalize Marijuana Sales Passed by Virginia House 52 to 48

Virginia’s full House of Delegates has passed a bill to legalize marijuana sales.

The House voted 52 to 58 today to pass House Bill 698 through a third and final reading, officially sending the measure to the Senate which has been advancing a competing bill.

Under current law of the 24 states that have legalized recreational marijuana, Virginia is the only state that does not allow licensed marijuana sales. House Bill 698 would change this by allowing some existing medical marijuana dispensaries to sell recreational marijuana, while also issuing 60 licenses for marijuana microbusinesses that would open in early 2025.
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Feb 12 2024

Delaware: Legal Recreational Marijuana Sales to Start in March, 2025, Says Marijuana Commissioner

According to Delaware’s marijuana commissioner, recreational marijuana sales are likely to begin in March, 2025, a few months after initial projections.

Marijuana Commissioner Robert Coupe in a recent hearing of the Joint Finance Committee said that the goal of state regulators is to have rules for the adult-use marijuana program finalized by Jul 11. Following this, they plan to open the application process for certain marijuana business licenses in September, and will start approving them in October.

In November, Coupe said that they will begin accepting cultivation license applications, with manufacturer licenses being accepted the following month.
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Feb 12 2024

Massachusetts: $143.8 Million in Legal Marijuana Sold in January

In the first month of 2024, Massachusetts marijuana stores sold over $143 million worth of product.

According to data compiled and released by the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission, there was $143.8 million worth of marijuana and marijuana products sold in January. This is a decrease from the record-breaking $158 million sold in December, but is a modest increase over the $140.4 million sold in January, 2023.

$16.5 million of the marijuana was sold was purchased by medical marijuana patients, with the remaining $127.3 million purchased for recreational use.
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Feb 12 2024

FDA Grants Priority Review of Application for MDMA-Assisted Therapy

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted priority review for an application seeking to use MDMA (commonly known as ecstasy) for the treatment of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

MDMA tablets, often called “ecstasy”.

Lykos Therapeutics, a company dedicated to “transforming mental healthcare”, announced recently that the FDA has accepted its new drug application (“NDA”) for midomafetamine capsules (“MDMA”) used in combination with psychological intervention, which includes psychotherapy (talk therapy) and other supportive services provided by a qualified healthcare provider for individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (“PTSD”). The FDA has granted the application priority review and has assigned a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (“PDUFA”) target action date of August 11, 2024.

If approved, this would be the first MDMA-assisted therapy and psychedelic-assisted therapy.
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Feb 11 2024

WA Bill to Legalize Personal Marijuana Cultivation Again Killed in Committee, Growing Even One Plant Will Remain a Felony

For at least another year Washington State will remain the only legal marijuana state that doesn’t allow personal marijuana cultivation.

Late last month the House Regulated Substances and Gaming Committee voted 7 to 4 to pass House Bill 2194, a measure to legalize the personal cultivation of up to four marijuana plants for everyone 21 and older. Now, the measure has been effectively killed in the House Appropriations Committee which has refused to act on the bill prior to a required deadline for this legislative session.

This marks the 10th year that lawmakers have tried, but failed, to approve legislation legalizing marijuana home grows. The state first legalized marijuana in 2012, tying Colorado as the first to do so. Since then, 22 other states have done the same, with all of them allowing those 21 and older to grow marijuana at all.
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