Virginia officials are urging lawmakers to seal all criminal records related to simple marijuana possession and streamline the record-sealing process for cannabis paraphernalia offenses as the 2025 legislative session begins.

(Photo credit: Shutterstock.com).

The Virginia State Crime Commission (VSCC) recently approved several recommendations on record-sealing policies, including those focused on marijuana.

Colin Drabert, VSCC’s Deputy Director, says the proposals ensure “that all possession of marijuana offenses are sealed, regardless of whether they’re a conviction or not a conviction, without the entry of a court order.”
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State Representative Nicole Macri, joined by 14 Democrats and 5 Republicans, has filed House Bill 1433 in the Washington House of Representatives to legalize psilocybin for therapeutic use.

The measure mirrors the language of Senate Bill 5201, introduced last week by Senator Jesse Salomon, establishing it as a companion bill.

If passed, the legislation would create a regulated system permitting licensed facilitators to administer psilocybin in supervised therapeutic settings. Inspired by Oregon’s psilocybin therapy law, the proposal seeks to address mental health conditions such as depression, PTSD, and anxiety through evidence-based treatments.
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There was $10.86 million in legal marijuana sold in Vermont in November, according to data released by the Vermont Department of Taxes. These sales brought the state $1.52 million in excise tax revenue.

For 2024, marijuana sales now stand at $127, with all-time sales surpassing $260 million.

Vermont legalized marijuana in 2018, becoming the first state to approve recreational marijuana through its legislature rather than a ballot initiative. The law allows adults 21 and older to possess up to one ounce of marijuana and grow up to two mature and four immature marijuana plants for personal use.
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Philip Morris International (PMI), the world’s largest tobacco company, has deepened its involvement in the cannabis sector.

Through its subsidiary, Vectura Fertin Pharma (VFP), PMI announced a partnership with Avicanna Inc., a Canadian biopharmaceutical company specializing in cannabinoid-based products. The collaboration, highlighted in a recent press release, focuses on advancing medical cannabis research and improving patient accessibility in Canada.

“Avicanna and Vectura Fertin Pharma are collaborating to establish a joint Scientific and Medical Affairs Committee focused on improving the understanding of medical cannabis access and applications in Canada”, states the release. “This committee will work closely with Canadian healthcare professionals to facilitate research studies and deliver evidence-based educational resources.”
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Thousands remain in federal prison due to nonviolent marijuana-related crimes. President Biden, who says no one should be in jail for marijuana, has just a day to commute their sentences.

In 2022, Biden pardoned thousands of marijuana offenses, clearing the records of those charged federally with marijuana offenses. However, none of these pardons actually reduced the sentences of or allowed for the release of anyone currently in prison for marijuana. Biden’s lack of marijuana commutations is in contrast to the numerous times he has said “no one should be in jail for marijuana”.

Cannabis justice advocates have been urging President Biden to use his clemency power to release every federal cannabis prisoner before the end of his term.
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Massachusetts lawmakers have filed a record number of bills related to psychedelics for the 2025 session, more than of any US state in history.

According to Massachusetts for Mental Health Options (MMHO), the group behind Question 4 which was successfully placed on the November 2024 ballot but didn’t receive enough votes to be enacted, Massachusetts lawmakers have filed a record 10 bills related to psychedelics for the 2025 session, the most of any US state in history, “demonstrating continued and expanded support for psychedelics reform despite the failure of the psychedelics ballot measure proposal”.

The new legislative proposals include:
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House Bill 2555, introduced by Delegate Rozia Henson, would allow sentence modifications for individuals convicted of marijuana-related offenses in Virginia prior to the state’s legalization of marijuana.

The proposed legislation would establish a legal process for reviewing and potentially modifying sentences for individuals who remain incarcerated or under community supervision for felony convictions involving marijuana offenses committed before July 1, 2021. Courts would be required to schedule hearings to consider reducing, vacating, or modifying these sentences, with deadlines of January 1, 2026, and April 1, 2026, depending on the specifics of the case.

The bill mandates that courts consider the fact that marijuana is now legal when reviewing sentences and that modifications should be granted unless the Commonwealth can demonstrate that such actions would not serve the public interest. Possible modifications include reductions to time served, sentence vacatur, or removal from community supervision.
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Maryland lawmakers are set to discuss a proposal that would safeguard gun rights for medical marijuana patients.

House Bill 336, introduced by Delegate Robin Grammer (R) on January 13, is scheduled for a public hearing in the House Judiciary Committee on February 5 at 1 p.m. The bill would ensure that individuals authorized to use medical marijuana under state law are not disqualified from purchasing, owning, or carrying firearms. It would amend Maryland’s public safety laws to explicitly prohibit denying firearm rights solely due to medical cannabis use.

The proposed text states that “A person may not be denied the right to purchase, own, possess, or carry a firearm under this title solely on the basis that the person is authorized to use medical cannabis under Title 36, Subtitle 3 of the Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis Article.”
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A group of eight Hawaii State Representatives, led by Jeanne Kapela (D), filed House Bill 325 this week to address employment discrimination against medical marijuana patients.

The bill seeks to establish explicit workplace protections for registered medical marijuana patients while maintaining safety standards for specific occupations.

Since legalizing medical marijuana in 2000 and launching a dispensary program in 2015, Hawaii has seen the program grow to include 30,708 registered patients as of August 2024, according to the Department of Health. However, proponents of the new bill argue that existing laws fall short of protecting these patients from workplace discrimination.
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