Statement below from the Marijuana Policy Project, the nation's largest marijuana policy organization

WASHINGTON — Sens. Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) introduced bipartisan legislation Thursday that would end the federal government’s war on marijuana and protect states’ rights to enact their own marijuana policies.

In April, Gardner said President Donald Trump “assured [him] that he will support a federalism-based legislative solution to fix this states’ rights issue once and for all.”

The Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States (STATES) Act would reportedly amend the Controlled Substances Act to exempt marijuana-related activities conducted in accordance with state, territory, or tribal laws. It would also protect banks that work with marijuana businesses and legalize the cultivation of industrial hemp.

Statement from Don Murphy, conservative outreach director for the Marijuana Policy Project:

“The STATES Act is the most significant piece of marijuana-related legislation ever introduced in Congress. With its bipartisan backing in the Senate, it symbolically signals the eventual end of marijuana prohibition at the federal level. This legislation reflects the position President Trump took on marijuana policy during his campaign, and it comes shortly on the heels of the positive comments he made to Sen. Gardner. The president has a unique opportunity to get behind historic legislation that enjoys solid support on both sides of the political spectrum.

“While we look forward to the day when there is full acceptance of cannabis at the federal level, we heartily embrace the states’ rights approach proposed by this bill. As an organization, we have been at the forefront of changing state marijuana laws for more than 20 years. It is time for those laws to be respected by and protected from the federal government.

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House Appropriations Committee Votes to Continue Blocking Justice Department From Interfering in State Medical Marijuana Laws

WASHINGTON — The House Appropriations Committee voted Thursday to continue blocking the Justice Department from interfering in state medical marijuana laws.

On a voice vote, the committee approved an amendment offered by Rep. David Joyce (R-OH) to the base FY2019 Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Appropriations bill, prohibiting the Justice Department from using funds to interfere in the implementation of state laws that allow the cultivation, distribution, and use of marijuana for medical purposes. The bill will now be considered by the full House.

Such a provision has been in effect since 2014, but this is the first time it has been added to the base CJS Appropriations bill in committee. In previous years, the measure, which was known as the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment (and subsequently the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer amendment), was added to the bill as a floor amendment, but last year Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) blocked it from receiving a floor vote.

Statement from Don Murphy, director of conservative outreach for the Marijuana Policy Project:

“This is just the latest sign that support for marijuana policy reform is growing in Congress, and we’re seeing that support on both sides of the aisle. Republicans are joining with Democrats to protect compassionate state medical marijuana programs from federal interference. The strong bipartisan support we’re seeing in Congress mirrors public opinion, as polls show an overwhelming majority of both major parties support legal access to medical marijuana. At this point, opponents probably want to avoid being on the record voting against sick patients and states’ rights, which could explain why the committee held a voice vote.

“By adding this important provision in committee, members have ensured it will not get blocked like it did last year. We commend Rep. Joyce and his colleagues for taking this step to protect state medical marijuana laws. Hopefully this is a sign that members of both parties are ready to take meaningful action on this subject and move our country toward a more sensible approach to marijuana policy — one that respects states’ rights and reduces wasteful spending while allowing seriously ill people to access medical marijuana if it will improve their quality of life.”

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Bipartisan legislation will establish a regulatory structure for legal marijuana sales and cultivation, sets timeline for implementing voter-approved initiative

AUGUSTA, Maine — On Wednesday, Maine lawmakers voted to override Gov. Paul LePage’s veto of a bill that would establish regulations for the legal marijuana market, with the House voting l09-39 and the Senate voting 28-6 to approve the measure. LD 1719 creates the rules for licensing and regulating marijuana producers, processors, and retail establishments and sets the tax rates for adult-use marijuana. The bill does not implement the portion of the voter-approved initiative that calls for social consumption lounges.

“After a long and unnecessary delay, the decision by Maine voters to regulate marijuana for adults will finally be respected,” said Matthew Schweich, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project and campaign director for the 2016 Maine legalization ballot initiative campaign. “While this bill is imperfect, its overall effect is implementation of the legalization policy that Maine voters approved at the ballot box a year and a half ago.”

Maine approved Question 1 in 2016 and was one of four states to pass ballot measures to make marijuana legal for adults and regulate it similarly to alcohol. California and Nevada have already implemented their programs, and retail sales should begin next month in Massachusetts.

“With his veto overridden, the governor should cease his obstructionist tactics so that Maine does not fall further behind Massachusetts in establishing a system for legal and regulated marijuana sales,” Schweich added.

Marijuana is legal for adults in nine states and the District of Columbia. More than 20 states are considering bills to legalize marijuana this year.

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State poised to become 10th in nation and first in Midwest to make marijuana legal for adults

* Statement below from Marijuana Policy Project Executive Director Matthew Schweich *                                                            
LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan State Board of Canvassers certified on Thursday that the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol (CRMLA) has enough signatures to place an initiative that would make marijuana legal and regulated for adults on the state’s November ballot. If approved by voters, Michigan would become the first state in the Midwest with an adult-use cannabis law.

“This November, Michigan voters will have the opportunity to replace the failed policy of marijuana prohibition with a system of taxation and regulation,” said Matthew Schweich, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project and treasurer of the CRMLA committee. “With the certification process complete, we can now turn our attention to educating voters about why approving this initiative is a sensible public policy decision that serves the interests of the people of Michigan.”

In addition to allowing adults age 21 and older to possess and cultivate limited amounts of marijuana, the initiative would: regulate marijuana businesses that cultivate, process, test, transport, and sell marijuana; legalize the cultivation of industrial hemp (used to make textiles, biodegradable plastics, food, construction materials, and fuel); protect consumers with proper testing and safety regulations for retail marijuana; impose a 10 percent excise tax on marijuana sold at the retail level on top of the state’s six percent sales tax; and give local governments the option of whether they want to allow marijuana businesses in their communities.

Voter-initiated laws in Michigan are required to collect 252,523 valid signatures to have an issue placed on the ballot. CRMLA submitted more than 365,000 signatures to the state Elections Bureau in November last year. Elections Bureau staff estimate that more than 277,000 signatures were valid.

Organizations supporting the coalition include the Marijuana Policy Project, the National Cannabis Industry Association, the ACLU of Michigan, the Drug Policy Alliance, the National Patients Rights Association, Michigan NORML, and MILegalize.

For more information about the ballot initiative, including full language of the proposed law, please visit www.RegulateMI.org.

The initiative is being certified at a time when national attention is focused on marijuana policy reform. Earlier this month, President Trump reiterated his position in favor of not interfering with state marijuana policies in a conversation with Sen. Cory Gardner and assured him that the Department of Justice would not target individuals and businesses that are in compliance with state marijuana laws.

“Congress is poised to effectively end federal marijuana prohibition this year or next, but states such as Michigan will still need to enact laws that dictate how marijuana will be regulated,” added Schweich. “Federal reform would not negate the need for this Michigan ballot initiative.”

Marijuana is currently legal for adults in nine states and the District of Columbia. Eight states have enacted laws legalizing and regulating marijuana for adult use, and marijuana possession and limited home cultivation are legal in Vermont and the District of Columbia. More than 20 states are considering bills to make marijuana legal for adults this year.

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Committee passed bill 14-3, which will go to the full House for consideration; Senate version approved by Medical Affairs Committee in March

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The House Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs (3M) Committee overwhelmingly approved a medical marijuana bill on Thursday in a vote of 14-3, sending it to the full House for consideration. The South Carolina Compassionate Care Act, known as H 3521 in the House, would allow seriously ill patients to use marijuana to treat their conditions with a recommendation from their doctors.

The legislature’s crossover deadline has already passed, but this vote, combined with approval by the Senate Medical Affairs Committee on March 29, builds momentum for full passage next year.

“The diligent work of patients, advocates, and supportive lawmakers is paying off, and South Carolinians are closer to finding relief with medical cannabis than ever before,” said Janel Ralph, executive director of Compassionate South Carolina, whose eight-year-old daughter has a rare seizure disorder. “This issue needs to stay at the forefront of the legislature’s attention, and we will continue working to educate them about the need for a compassionate medical cannabis program in our state. Patients will continue to suffer until this bill is passed and implemented. We commend lawmakers for allowing the Compassionate Care Act to progress this far, and urge them not to delay taking it up when the next session begins.”

CSC.Health has been hosting educational seminars with medical experts, law enforcement, regulators, and policymakers from around the country, most recently on Wednesday in Columbia.

The South Carolina Compassionate Care Act, introduced last year by Sen. Tom Davis and Rep. Peter McCoy, would allow patients with certain debilitating conditions to access medical cannabis if their doctors recommend it. The Department of Health and Environmental Control would regulate and license medical cannabis cultivation centers, processing facilities, dispensaries, and independent testing laboratories.

There are currently 29 states, as well as the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories of Guam and Puerto Rico, with effective medical marijuana laws on the books.

According to an October 2016 Winthrop Poll, 78% of South Carolina residents approve of making cannabis legal for medical purposes.

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CSC.Health (Compassionate SC) is a statewide coalition of patients, families, and advocates working to establish a comprehensive medical cannabis program in South Carolina. For more information, visit https://www.CompassionateSC.com.

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Changes would increase scope of patients who can find relief with medical marijuana, decrease cost to patients, and help alleviate product shortages

HARRISBURG, Pa.— At a hearing on Monday, the Department of Health approved changes to the Pennsylvania medical marijuana program that were recommended by the Medical Marijuana Advisory Board on April 9.

The Department approved the advisory board’s recommendations to allow patients to access medical marijuana flowers for vaporization in addition to the more expensive processed products they can currently obtain from dispensaries. Smoking marijuana would remain prohibited. It also approved several additions to the list of conditions for which patients can qualify for the program.

The Department of Health will promulgate official regulations with the changes on May 12.

Medical marijuana became available in Pennsylvania to registered patients in February. Only a fraction of the approved cultivation centers and dispensaries are currently operational, and patients are not permitted to purchase whole plant marijuana under the current system. This has led to product shortages and prohibitively expensive medicine throughout the state. There is more information about the benefits to patients of allowing whole plant marijuana here.

“Allowing cannabis in its natural, flower form and expanding the list of qualifying conditions will have a huge positive impact on seriously ill Pennsylvanians,” said Becky Dansky, legislative counsel for the Marijuana Policy Project, who helped lead the medical marijuana effort in the state legislature. “By being able to provide medical marijuana in plant form, producers will be able to get medicine into the hands of patients much more quickly and for much lower cost to patients. This is vitally important for patient access right now while the program is still getting off the ground and production is not yet at full capacity. We hope these rules are promulgated as quickly as possible so even more patients will be able to find relief.”

Pennsylvania was the 24th state to pass and implement an effective medical marijuana law. There are 29 states with effective medical marijuana laws and more than a dozen states have had medical marijuana bills introduced this year.

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Sen. Cory Gardner says Pres. will direct Dept. of Justice not to interfere with state-legal marijuana programs

* Statement below from Marijuana Policy Project Director of Conservative Outreach Don Murphy *

                              
WASHINGTON — According to a statement released Friday by Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO), President Trump said in a phone call on Wednesday that he would not allow the Department of Justice to target businesses and individuals who are in compliance with state laws regulating marijuana for adults. Sen. Gardner also said the President would support legislation allowing states to determine their own marijuana polices without federal interference.

While on the campaign trail, Trump made several comments in support of medical marijuana and leaving marijuana policy to the states. As President, he has been mostly silent on the issue, and his statements directing federal prosecutors to pursue the death penalty in some drug cases caused concerns among marijuana policy reform advocates that he would retreat from his campaign positions on marijuana.

On January 4, Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded a Department of Justice policy instituted in 2013 that directed federal prosecutors not to enforce federal marijuana laws against individuals and businesses that are in compliance with state medical or adult-use marijuana laws. In response, Sen. Gardner threatened to block any departmental nominees until he received assurances that his state and others with similar laws would not be targeted.

“Sen. Gardner has done a great service for his constituents by standing up for federalism regarding marijuana policy,” said Don Murphy, director of conservative outreach for the Marijuana Policy Project. “Everyone who knew about President Trump’s statements on this issue during the campaign were hoping he would uphold those values and support states’ abilities to enact laws regulating marijuana for medical or adult use while in office. This news should make states more comfortable implementing their legalization programs. It should also serve as a rallying cry for lawmakers to pass comprehensive legislation that leaves marijuana policy to the states permanently.”

Spending restrictions that prevent federal interference in state medical marijuana programs were renewed by Congress in March, but no such protections exist for states that have regulated marijuana for adults. Trump’s reported statements suggest that the same policy will apply to both medical and adult use providers, but the Dept. of Justice could still legally pursue cases against state-legal adult use operations if federal prosecutors choose to do so.

“With the support of the President, the American public, and mounting evidence that regulating marijuana similarly to alcohol is much preferable to prohibition, there is no reason for Congress to delay any longer,” continued Murphy. “There are several pieces of marijuana policy legislation being considered right now, and every one of them should get hearings immediately.”

A Gallup poll released in October showed that 64% of Americans support making marijuana legal for adults. This was also the first time in this annual poll that a majority of Republicans polled supported legalization. A CBS News poll released in April 2017 showed that 71% do not think the federal government should interfere in state marijuana laws.

Twenty-nine states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories of Guam and Puerto Rico have enacted effective medical marijuana laws. Marijuana is legal and regulated for adults in eight states, and adult possession and limited home cultivation are legal in the District of Columbia and Vermont. More than 20 states are expected to consider bills to regulate marijuana this year.

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HARTFORD, Conn. — The Joint Committee on Appropriations approved a bill that would legalize and regulate marijuana for adults in Connecticut on Thursday, potentially setting it up for floor consideration before the end of this year’s legislative session.

HB 5394, which was introduced by the committee, would task the commissioners of Mental Health and Addiction Services and Consumer Protection and Revenue Services with developing regulations for possession and retail sales of marijuana for adults 21 and older. More details will be added to the bill as it moves forward over the coming weeks.

“This committee vote reiterates what most Connecticut residents already know: it is time to make marijuana legal for adults,” said Becky Dansky, legislative counsel for the Marijuana Policy Project. “The discussions that have taken place in the legislature this year have provided more than enough information to effectively move forward with legalization. Connecticut should stop punishing adults for using a substance that is safer than alcohol, and it has an opportunity to regulate marijuana before it starts losing tax revenue to other states in the region that have already started this process.”

There are nine states that have made marijuana legal for adults, as well as the District of Columbia. Neighboring Massachusetts is in the process of implementing its regulated marijuana market, and in nearby New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has made legalizing and regulating marijuana a priority this year.

A poll conducted by Sacred Heart University in October 2017 showed that 71% of Connecticut residents support regulating and taxing marijuana for adults.

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The Connecticut Coalition to Regulate Marijuana is a coalition of citizens, organizations, and community leaders working to end marijuana prohibition in Connecticut and replace it with a system in which marijuana is regulated and taxed similarly to alcohol. For more information, visit https://www.RegulateCT.org.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Marijuana Policy Project, the nation’s leading marijuana policy reform organization is launching a national search for a new executive director.

“We are excited to launch this search,” said Jeffrey Zucker, chair of the Board Search Committee. “As a movement, we are close to ending marijuana prohibition in the United States. MPP will continue to play an important role, and we are seeking candidates with experience, expertise, and passion for the issue.”

While the search is underway, MPP will reach out to prominent figures in the fields of politics, social justice, and business to ensure the most diverse and inclusive candidate pool possible. The search is expected to last approximately three months and potential candidates are encouraged to apply. MPP seeks candidates with political management, fundraising, and advocacy experience.

Matthew Schweich, the current executive director, will continue leading the organization until his successor has been named and will then focus his attention on the Michigan and Utah ballot initiative campaigns. Schweich will not depart MPP until after the November election.

“It’s been a privilege to lead this exceptional staff,” said Schweich. “After November, I plan to pursue other opportunities in politics. But first, I want to assist the new executive director during their transition and then help finish what we started in Utah and Michigan. I think both of those ballot initiative campaigns are very important for our movement.”

Schweich joined MPP in early 2015 as the director of state campaigns. He was the campaign director for the 2016 legalization ballot initiative campaigns in Maine and Massachusetts and also worked on the 2016 Nevada campaign. He was named executive director of MPP in November 2017. During his tenure in this role, MPP helped to pass a law making marijuana legal for adults in Vermont (the first time marijuana has been legalized legislatively) and helped coordinate the successful effort to renew the federal policy that protects state medical marijuana programs from federal interference.

“Throughout his time at MPP, Matt has contributed enormously to our success,” said Jeffrey Zucker. “He played a pivotal role in legalizing marijuana in Maine and Massachusetts. As our executive director, he guided the organization through a transition and maintained our track record of success. We thank him for his outstanding leadership and commitment to MPP.”

MPP provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, MPP complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the organization has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Interested parties may apply here or contact edsearch@mpp.org.

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Legislation renews spending restrictions that prevent federal law enforcement from targeting medical marijuana patients and businesses in compliance with state law
                                                            
WASHINGTON — A spending bill passed by Congress early Friday contains language that renews restrictions on the use of federal funds to interfere with state medical marijuana programs. If approved by the president, the legislation will continue to prevent the Department of Justice from spending resources to target medical marijuana patients and providers who are in compliance with state law. These protections are set to expire on September 30and would need to be renewed in the FY2019 spending bill. This language was originally approved in 2014 and has been included in every subsequent budget agreement.

On January 4, Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded a Department of Justice policy instituted in 2013 that directed federal prosecutors not to enforce federal marijuana laws against individuals and businesses that are in compliance with state medical or adult-use marijuana laws. This move created uncertainty in states where marijuana is legal for adults, but passage of the spending bill ensures that medical marijuana programs will still be protected for the remainder of the fiscal year.

“Patients across the country will be relieved to hear that Congress has maintained the current policy of allowing states to make their own decisions on medical marijuana policy,” said Matthew Schweich, executive director for the Marijuana Policy Project. “A strong majority of American voters oppose federal interference in state-level marijuana laws. Any actions by the federal government against medical marijuana patients or their providers would represent a dangerous and unjust backwards step on public health. Lawmakers are increasingly recognizing the benefits of medical marijuana, as well as the role it can play in our efforts to combat a nationwide opioid crisis that tragically claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Americans last year.”

Recent studies suggest that marijuana may be used to treat opiate addiction as well as many of the conditions for which opiates are commonly prescribed. Several states where marijuana is legal for medical purposes have shown links between reforming their marijuana laws and positive opiate-related public health outcomes.

“It is imperative that Congress continue to include these temporary protections in the federal budget until comprehensive marijuana policy reforms are passed,” Schweich continued.

Twenty-nine states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories of Guam and Puerto Rico have enacted effective medical marijuana laws. Marijuana is legal and regulated for adults in eight states, and adult possession and limited home cultivation are legal in Vermont and the District of Columbia.

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