-
Michigan: Governor Signs Measure Expanding Eligibility for Participation in Medical Marijuana Industry
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D) signed a bill into law Thursday that would expand the pool of individuals who are eligible to receive medical marijuana business licenses. House Bill 4295 removes the ban on those with previous felony and misdemeanor marijuana convictions from participating in the legal medical marijuana industry. The measure would still prohibit…
-
New York: Employers Are Prohibited from Testing Most Employees for Cannabis
The New York Department of Labor announced that employers are now prohibited from testing their workers for the presence of marijuana. Employers will still be allowed to take action against an employee who is impaired on-the-job, but only if an employee “manifests specific articulable symptoms of impairment.” Under the guidance, a positive drug test for…
-
Mississippi: Governor Still Hasn’t Called a Special Session to Address Medical Marijuana
Mississippi legislators are still waiting for Governor Tate Reeves (R) to call a special session to enact legislation regulating medical marijuana access in the state. It’s been weeks since the initial request, and the governor continues to stall. After lawmakers sent him a draft proposal, which would allow qualifying patients with certain debilitating conditions to…
-
Virginia: Officials Seal Over 64,000 Misdemeanor Marijuana Distribution Convictions
Virginia officials sealed 64,651 conviction records related to misdemeanor marijuana distribution charges since the state legalized marijuana in July. The state legislature’s Cannabis Oversight Commission made the announcement during a Thursday meeting. 333,886 simple marijuana possession conviction records were previously sealed after the state enacted a measure in 2020 to decriminalize low-level marijuana possession offenses.…
-
New York: Regulators Approve Patients’ Access to Medical Cannabis Flower
Members of the New York Cannabis Control Board (CCB) announced that medical cannabis dispensaries in the state can immediately begin providing registered patients with access to medical cannabis flower. The announcement was made during the body’s first meeting on Tuesday as they work to implement the state’s new adult use marijuana legalization law. Regulators announced…
-
Ohio: Voters in These Cities Will Decide on Marijuana Decriminalization Measures Next Month
Spearheaded by NORML Appalachia of Ohio and the Sensible Movement Coalition, advocates have gathered the necessary number of signatures to qualify local ballot measures to decriminalize marijuana in 14 cities across the state of Ohio. Nearly two dozen cities in Ohio have already approved measures to decriminalize low-level marijuana possession offenses, either via local city…
-
Nevada: New Marijuana Laws Took Effect This Month
Earlier this year, Governor Sisolak (D) signed multiple marijuana reform measures into law, some of which took effect on October 1, 2021. Assembly Bill 158 took effect on October 1, which revises first-time penalties imposed upon minors who possess small quantities of cannabis. It reduces existing penalties — which include up to six-months in jail and…
-
California: Governor Signs Measure into Law Allowing Medical Cannabis Use in Hospitals
Governor Gavin Newsom (D) signed legislation into law providing for the use of medical cannabis products within hospitals and other eligible health care facilities. Senate Bill 311 (a/k/a Ryan’s Law) provides for “a terminally ill patient’s use of medicinal cannabis within [a] health care facility.” The proposal prohibits patients from either inhaling or vaping herbal cannabis…
-
Mississippi: Lawmakers Request Special Session to Address Medical Marijuana Access
Legislative leaders in Mississippi have requested that Republican Governor Tate Reeves convene a special legislative session in the coming days to address medical marijuana access. The request comes after lawmakers last week revealed that they have reached an agreement on a draft legislation to regulate medical marijuana access in the state. If the Governor agrees…
-
Los Angeles: District Attorney to Vacate Some 60,000 Marijuana Convictions
The Office of the District Attorney for Los Angeles County announced its intent to vacate the records of 58,000 local citizens with marijuana-related convictions. In a statement released today, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said: “Dismissing these convictions means the possibility of a better future to thousands of disenfranchised people who are receiving…