Medical cannabis has been legal in Arizona since 2010, and in 2020, the state voted overwhelmingly to legalize it for recreational use as well. The measure, passed in November, allowed adults aged 21 and older to possess up to one ounce of cannabis, grow up to six plants and gave people the option to have their criminal records expunged for certain cannabis-related crimes. He also called for a quick turnaround time for lawmakers to clarify market rules and issue licenses. As a result, the first sales of recreational cannabis were made at the end of January. Virginia (NEW comprehensive medical program approved in 2020 and listed above) Colorado, which passed a voting initiative in 2012, was the first state to establish a recreational marijuana market. They`ve done some things right — the first $40 million in tax revenue each year goes to building public schools, which have raised tens of millions for the fund so far — while doing a lot of bad things (i.e. no meaningful measure of social justice, resulting in a predominantly white industry). As a result, laws surrounding legal cannabis are being developed. In March, Governor Jared Polis signed legislation establishing a social justice agenda to provide loans, grants, and education to communities most affected by the war on drugs. The state is also facing attacks from anti-marijuana activists calling for potency caps, especially extracts that have long been popular in Colorado. Even if these issues are addressed, the industry, which generated more than $2 billion in revenue in 2020, could soon face criticism from climate activists: A recent study found that indoor cultivation in Colorado causes more greenhouse gas emissions than the state`s coal industry. Delaware is heavily Democratic and the party has a supermajority in the state legislature, but Governor John Carney is not a fan of legalization. After a recreational bill was passed by a House committee in March, a spokesperson stressed that Carney`s position «has not changed» and that he still has «concerns» about legalization.
Delaware legalized cannabis for medical purposes in 2011, although home cultivation is not allowed. Legalization will likely take place this year for Rhode Island. In March, Senate leaders introduced legislation, and a few days later, Governor Dan McKee announced his proposal as part of Budget 2022. Both call for the legalization of marijuana for adults 21 and older, licensing procedures, and both address restitution to communities torn apart by the war on drugs. The big difference is when it comes to home cultivation: the legislator`s bill would allow six plants per adult; The governor`s bill does not authorize any. Missouri residents voted to legalize medical cannabis in 2018, but recreational legalization is unlikely to happen anytime soon, given that the state is Republican-controlled. The party has at least one advocate of legalization. «We spend more time and enforcement resources prosecuting marijuana smokers than all other drugs combined. Ten percent of arrests in the state of Missouri are currently in possession of marijuana,» Rep.
Shamad Dogan said earlier this year when he proposed a constitutional amendment to legalize cannabis. New Jersey has voted to legalize recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older in 2020, opening up a market that could reach nearly $1 billion. It took North Dakota a few attempts to get medical marijuana — a voting initiative failed in 2012 before an initiative was finally passed in 2016. For the recreational pot, this is even more difficult. One initiative went to the polls in 2018, but was rejected by nearly 60% of voters. Earlier this year, some were optimistic that HB 1420, which passed the House, could bring full legalization, but the Senate ended that plan a few weeks later. A few days later, the panel also blocked an attempt at legalization on the 2022 ballot. Maybe the fourth time will be the charm? Lawmakers have since been looking for ways to implement a voter-approved medical program in the fall of 2020, but right now, cannabis is still completely illegal in the state. It`s been a long road for cannabis in New Jersey, which has been so close to legalization for at least a few years. In 2010, Governor John Corzine signed the Medical Marijuana Act into law, but when Republican Governor Chris Christie took office the following year, he obstructed the initiative, keeping the list of conditions short and the barrier to entry high.
That all changed in 2018, when new Governor Phil Murphy signed a huge bill extension that allows a number of conditions and makes it easier for patients to get the plant. (There are now thirteen pharmacies serving about 100,000 registered patients in the state.) Recreational cannabis was passed through a voting initiative in 2020, and the state has since struggled to formulate a cannabis commission and enact regulations. Pharmacies are expected to open in early 2022. South Dakota voted to legalize medical and recreational cannabis in 2020, the first time a state voted for both at the same time. Governor J.B. Pritzker, who made marijuana legalization a central part of his election campaign, signed the bill. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the state`s legalization bill in April after convening a special session of the legislature to work out the details. First possession of a misdemeanor sentence of up to $1,000 or imprisonment of up to 6 months, or both. The second offence is a Class I sentence of up to $10,000 and/or up to 3.5 years. [161] Medical CBD oil was legalized in 2014 and 2017. [158] In 2020, Madison, WI, legalized possession of up to 1 ounce (28 g) of recreational cannabis, including smoking cannabis on public property (excluding places where cigarettes are already prohibited, indoors or within 1000 feet of a school or driving).
[162] Despite its reputation as a liberal state, Massachusetts has a history of legislating social trends — you can`t buy alcohol until noon on Sundays, and tattooing was illegal until 2000. So it wasn`t surprising that when Massachusetts (along with Maine) became one of the first East Coast states to be legalized in 2016, officials took the time to flesh out the details. Retail sales did not begin until July 1, 2018. Even now, retail store adoption is slow, with only 77 licensed recreational pharmacies open as of October. It didn`t help that when the pandemic hit, medical pharmacies were considered essential, but recreational pharmacies closed from March to May. As a result, the number of patients enrolled in the program increased from 67,000 the previous year to more than 100,000 in 2020. Launch of Measure 26 (2020) News: Court rules on unconstitutional measure 8. February 2021 Arizona voted in 2020 to legalize cannabis for all adults over the age of 21. New Jersey was one of four states, along with Arizona, Montana and South Dakota, where voters supported recreational cannabis in the November 2020 election. Minnesota, which has had medically legal weed since 2014, is introducing a bill to legalize adults through wrestling.
It has been approved by eight committees (at the end of April) and is expected to be voted on in May. Like many current bills considered by state legislators, social justice is heavy. «We`re trying to reform the criminal justice system and ensure that people affected by the criminal sanctions of the war on drugs have the opportunity to have their records expunged,» House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler said in April, according to Marijuana Moment.
