Author Archives: ushempmuseum
Arizona: Lawmakers Fail To Act On Measure To Defelonize Minor Marijuana Offenses
House lawmakers failed to consider, House Bill 2007, legislation to defelonize minor marijuana possession offenses. Arizona’s penalties pertaining to the possession and/or sale of cannabis are among the toughest in the nation. Under present law, marijuana possession is classified as a felony, punishable by up to two years in jail. Annually, an estimated 20,000 Arizonans … Continue reading
Maryland: Governor Signs Industrial Hemp Legislation
Governor Larry Hogan has signed legislation, House Bill 443, to permit the Department of Agriculture to authorize institutions of higher education to cultivate industrial hemp for academic research purposes. Members of the Senate voted 45 to zero in favor of the bill. House members voted 136 to zero in favor of the measure. Members of Congress recently approved … Continue reading
Florida: Lawmakers Table Hemp Measures
House and Senate legislation, HB 271 and SB 554, that sought to redefine industrial hemp as an agricultural crop and establish licensing regulations to allow for the plant’s cultivation died in committee this legislative session. Hemp is a distinct variety of the plant species cannabis sativa L. that contains minimal amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive … Continue reading
New Jersey: Marijuana Decriminalization Measure Pending
Assembly Bill 2050, legislation to decriminalize minor marijuana possession offenses in New Jersey, is pending in the General Assembly. If approved, the legislation would remove criminal penalties for those who possess 15 grams of marijuana or less. Offenders would face civil fines of (1) $ 150 for a first violation; (2) $ 200 for a … Continue reading
Hawaii: Lawmakers Fail To Act On Legislation To Restrict Home Cultivation
House lawmakers took no action on legislation that sought to eliminate patients’ longstanding rights to cultivate medical marijuana. House Bill 1680 sought to repeal patients’ legal authority to cultivate personal use quantities of cannabis. The legislation was not heard in time for the filing deadline and therefore will no longer be considered by lawmakers during this … Continue reading
New Mexico: Senate Declines to Move Measure to Prohibit Medical Marijuana Insurance Reimbursements
After extremely compelling testimony from injured workers in earlier committees, the Senate Judiciary Committee never scheduled a hearing for House Bill 195, which sought to prohibit workers compensation insurers from reimbursing employees who qualify for medical cannabis access for injuries sustained on the job. This means that the measure, which had been narrowly approved by members … Continue reading
National NORML Board of Directors Endorses Denver Social Use Ballot Initiative 300
Meeting at our board meeting in Boston this past Friday, held in conjunction with the Boston Freedom Rally, the national NORML board of Directors endorsed Denver Social Use Initiative 300, the Neighborhood-Supported Cannabis Consumption Pilot Program. Under current law, marijuana can be legally smoked only in a private home, or in one of only a … Continue reading
NORML’s Legislative Round Up September 23rd, 2016
Next Tuesday is National Voter Registration Day and NORML will be releasing an updated and revised 2016 Congressional Scorecard. The Scorecard is an all-encompassing database that assigns a letter grade ‘A’ through ‘F’ to members of Congress based on their marijuana-related comments and voting records. With the 2016 presidential election drawing closer and statewide marijuana … Continue reading
NORML National Board Endorses Medical Cannabis Act in Arkansas
At our board meeting in Boson held this past Friday, in conjunction with the Boston Freedom Rally, the board voted to endorse the 2016 Arkansas Medical Cannabis Act, sponsored by the Arkansans for Compassionate Care. This initiative would establish 38 non-profit medical cannabis centers across the state, and would function like most of the standard … Continue reading