Cannabis Legalization News

Lawmakers in Maryland are set to consider legislation that would put a referendum to legalize adult-use cannabis before voters during the 2022 election.

Democratic Iowa state senators have called for a constitutional amendment to legalize adult-use cannabis. Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds opposes the plan.

Toi Hutchinson, who was Illinois’ top cannabis official as senior advisor to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, joined the Marijuana Policy Project last week as the organization’s new president and CEO.

Cannabis legalization advocates in Ohio have collected enough signatures to make lawmakers consider the proposed reforms, which include cannabis possession and personal cultivation.

Malta President George Vella signed the country’s national cannabis legalization bill into law in the face of opposition from Malta’s conservative party and more than 50 religious organizations.

Some 24% of New York municipalities have now opted out of allowing adult-use cannabis operations.

The government-funded Monitoring the Future survey — which is an annual check-in with eighth, 10th, and 12th-graders around the U.S. — found adolescent cannabis use plummeted this year despite the proliferation of new state-legal cannabis markets.

Lawmakers in Malta have approved the country’s cannabis legalization proposal, making it the first EU member nation to legalize adult-use cannabis.

A cannabis legalization bill in Malta is expected to be formally approved by lawmakers today.

A recent study found cannabis legalization had no negative effect on Colorado’s labor market and that allowing state-licensed cannabis dispensaries leads to an increased local employment rate.

57% of Americans believe cannabis should be made fully legal at the federal level, according to a new poll by YouGov.

Nebraska Gov. Pete Rickets recently appeared in an anti-medical cannabis ad claiming that the plant is not medicinal and that the medical cannabis movement is a backdoor for adult-use reforms.

A new South Dakota poll found the majority of respondents disagreed with Republican Gov. Kristi Noem’s backing a lawsuit against the state’s voter-approved cannabis legalization law.

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb (R), who has admitted to smoking cannabis, continues to oppose legalization at the state level while it is federally illegal but would like the state’s colleges and universities to study the plant.

New York state has shown a strong interest in the cannabis industry, with only 9% of towns and villages opting out of the market.

Researchers noted significant increases in the clearance rate for violent crimes following the legalization of cannabis in Oregon, relative to non-legalized states.

Officials in Malawi drew backlash for asking former professional boxer turned cannabis entrepreneur Mike Tyson to serve as the nation’s cannabis ambassador.

South Dakota’s highest court ruled against the state’s successful cannabis legalization initiative, which was passed by a majority of voters last November.

Ohio cannabis activists anticipate they will gather enough signatures by November’s end to force the legislature to either pass an adult-use cannabis bill or let the issue appear on the 2022 ballot.

Massachusetts has sold $2.3 billion worth of cannabis in the three years since the first adult-use stores opened in 2018.

Germany’s incoming coalition government is set to legalize adult-use cannabis nationwide and license dispensaries to conduct regulated sales.

Cannabis legalization in Germany could be worth around 3.4 billion euros in tax revenues and about 1.3 billion euros in cost savings.

U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) filed a bill with other GOP lawmakers to federally legalize adult-use cannabis this week but some Republicans are less-than-excited by the proposal.

Beto O’Rourke said that Texans “actually agree” on cannabis legalization when he announced his bid for the governor’s office on Monday.