Marijuana Policy Project

This June, we are proud to celebrate Pride Month and honor the profound, invaluable contributions of the LGBTQIA+ community to the cannabis legalization movement. As we look at how far we’ve come, we recognize that today's legal cannabis landscape owes an immense debt of gratitude to the bravery, persistence, and resilience of LGBTQIA+ pioneers.

Happy Pride Month from MPP! The intersection between cannabis policy reform and LGBTQIA+ liberation runs deep, stretching back to a time when fighting for cannabis was quite literally a matter of life and death.

"Fruitful talks are a start, but Virginians who’ve waited years for a legal, regulated market need action to follow." -Kevin Caldwell, MPP's Southeast Legislative Manager

Virginia Governor Reports Progress On Ma*****na Retail Sales Bill Gov. Abigail Spanberger says talks with lawmakers have made significant progress toward a new bill to legalize and regulate recreational ma*****na sales in Virginia.

"When cities and towns opt out of legal sales, it can be a long trek to the nearest dispensary. Raising possession limits allows adults to stock up responsibly, saving them time and money on gas." -Karen O'Keefe, MPP's director of state policies

Legal Ma*****na States Are Moving To Increase Possession Limits, Allowing Consumers To Carry More Cannabis Without Fear Of Criminalization - Ma*****na Moment Lawmakers in at least three states have passed legislation this year to significantly increase the amount of ma*****na that adults can legally possess. These expansions of existing state cannabis legalization laws are advancing as part of broader legislation that addresses various aspects of marijua...

This bill will alleviate the travel burden for many Iowans who do not live near the five dispensaries currently licensed.

Iowa: Governor signs bill doubling medical dispensaries! Governor Kim Reynolds (R) has signed HF 990 into law, which will double the amount of medical cannabis dispensaries in Iowa!

"Our elected leaders made the cannabis industry a sacrificial lamb in order to have the illusion of a road funding fix. In reality, the only thing they have accomplished is the decimation of a strong industry that served as an economic driver for this state. The result is business closures, jobs lost and tax revenue taken away from local governments," said Robin Schneider, executive director of the Michigan Cannabis Industry Association

Michigan’s ma*****na road tax falls well short of early projections, records show Michigan’s new wholesale tax on ma*****na has generated only a third of the revenue projected for the first quarter, due to a decrease in adult-use ma*****na sales and the stacking of taxes, …

"No other medication gets treated like cannabis does. Pharmacies are widely accessible throughout Iowa, while dispensaries are capped at five locations for thousands of patients. Rural Iowans have to expend enormous amounts of time and resources on costly travel to receive their medicine." -Bridget Spiddle, MPP's public policy and communications coordinator

Iowa Governor Signs Bill Doubling The Number Of Medical Ma*****na Dispensaries That Can Operate - Ma*****na Moment Iowa’s governor has signed a bill that will double the number of medical cannabis dispensaries that are allowed to operate in the state. Under prior law, Iowa’s limited medical ma*****na program allowed only five dispensaries. That will double to 10 under HF 990, which Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) appr...

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear continues to demonstrate strong leadership on medical cannabis, championing patient access and sensible reform.

Kentucky governor continues to show leadership on medical cannabis For the second time, Governor Andy Beshear (D) has done what the Kentucky legislature refused to do.

It has been a long road to Alabama’s medical cannabis program launching, with several years of lawsuits. But, almost five years after its medical cannabis bill became law, the first sales have begun!

Alabama: Medical cannabis sales begin! We Change Laws!

The Illinois House and Senate have passed SB 3222, which would make several changes to Illinois’ cannabis and h**p laws, including doubling cannabis possession limits. The bill now heads to Gov. J.B. Pritzker for his consideration.

Ill.: Cannabis and h**p omnibus bill heads to governor The Illinois House and Senate have passed SB 3222, which would make several changes to Illinois’ cannabis and h**p laws, including doubling cannabis possession limits. The bill now heads to Gov. J.B. Pritzker for his consideration.

In vast areas of cities and suburbs in Louisiana, ordinary residents will be at risk of felony charges simply for consuming cannabis in their own homes.

La. governor signs recriminalization bill into law Laws like this have a well-documented history of being enforced unevenly — falling hardest on low-income communities and communities of color.