Decriminalization

Cannabis advocates in Idaho are preparing for a 2026 cannabis legalization campaign after another petition to put a medical cannabis legalization question before voters failed to gather enough signatures

Former President Donald Trump suggested during a press conference at his Florida home that he has grown more supportive of the idea of cannabis reforms as the policies gain traction across the country.

Voters in Lockhart, Texas will decide this November whether police will de-prioritize cannabis enforcement; Lockhart voters will be joining Bastrop and Dallas in considering the reforms.

Voters in Bastrop, Texas are set to consider a cannabis decriminalization proposal this November after city officials certified the petition submitted earlier this year.

Officials in Dallas, Texas have given final approval to a cannabis decriminalization petition that will let voters decide this November whether to make low-level cannabis possession the city’s “lowest enforcement priority.”

Advocates in the Texas cities of Bastrop, Dallas, and Lockhart have submitted enough signatures to put a cannabis decriminalization question before voters in each of the cities this November.

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) has signed into law bills to regulate consumer hemp products and decriminalize the possession of cannabis paraphernalia.

Brazil’s Supreme Court voted on Tuesday to decriminalize cannabis possession for personal use purposes. The court, however, still needs to set possession limits for what would be considered “personal use” and establish when the reforms will take effect.

A Texas judge has dismissed a lawsuit by Attorney General Ken Paxton that sought to nullify voter-approved local cannabis decriminalization ordinances in Austin, Denton, Elgin, Killeen, and San Marcos.

Dallas could be the next city in Texas to adopt local cannabis decriminalization reforms if the City Council approves the Dallas Freedom Act for local ballots later this month.

South Africa became the first country in Africa to legalize cannabis for personal use last week under a bill signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa just days before the president’s party lost its majority in Congress.

The Hawaii Senate has rejected a cannabis decriminalization proposal over concerns that the reforms would lead to a stronger illicit market in the state.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against five Texas cities and their officials for adopting cannabis decriminalization policies, arguing these policies violate state laws and the state constitution.

Activists in Texas are suing the city of Harker Heights for failing to reform its local cannabis laws after voters approved decriminalization changes in 2022.

A proposal introduced last week in Wisconsin aims to decriminalize possession of up to 14 grams of cannabis by adults and reduce the penalties for possession from a misdemeanor to simple fines.

City Council members in Lubbock, Texas have rejected a cannabis decriminalization proposal, leaving the issue for voters to decide during next year’s election.

The Marijuana Justice Coalition and Cannabis Freedom Alliance sent a letter to President Joe Biden (D) arguing that the administration’s plan to federally reschedule cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III “would simply maintain federal criminalization” of state-legal cannabis programs.

Cannabis advocates in Lubbock, Texas on Tuesday submitted their petition to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of cannabis in the city after collecting 10,540 signatures, which is more than twice what it takes to force local officials to vote on the proposal.

The Portland, Maine City Council has passed a resolution deprioritizing criminal prosecution for the personal use of psychedelic mushrooms.

Congressional Democrats have reintroduced the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, which seeks to decriminalize cannabis at the federal level and implement criminal justice reforms.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) is set to issue an executive order today deprioritizing the enforcement of laws related to naturally-occurring psychedelics like magic mushrooms or ayahuasca.

Recent polling found that a 61% majority of registered U.S. voters would support legalizing therapeutic access to psychedelics.