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Lawmakers in New Mexico, Minnesota, West Virginia and Illinois outlined plans to legalize recreational marijuana this week. Elsewhere, in Wyoming, a medical marijuana legalization bill was introduced.
Here, we’ve rounded up the 10 headlines you need to know before this week is over.
- Michigan: The Michigan Supreme Court will hear arguments in a dispute over whether a Kent County township can restrict where medical marijuana is grown. Byron Township, south of Grand Rapids, has an ordinance that bars registered caregivers from growing marijuana at a commercial property, but the state appeals court said the ordinance conflicts with Michigan’s medical marijuana law. Read more
- Arizona: A proposal by Sen. Sonny Borrelli would have the currently one-year certifications for medical marijuana cards extended to two years to reduce fees for medical marijuana. The move would eliminate not only the need for the expense of an annual trip to the doctor but also paying a second-year annual fee to the state. Read more
- New Hampshire: A state commission created to reduce alcohol and drug problems in New Hampshire has expressed opposition to a bill to legalize recreational marijuana use. While several of the members of the commission did not vote, those who did were unanimous in their opposition, including those representing hospitals, the departments of safety and corrections, and the state liquor commission. Read more
- New Mexico: Democratic legislators have introduced a bill to regulate and tax recreational marijuana sales for people 21 and older across New Mexico. House Bill 356 would allow counties and cities to opt out of the market and establish a 9-percent surtax on commercial cannabis sales. Read more
- Minnesota: Sen. Melisa Franzen and Rep. Mike Freiberg have backed bills in both chambers that would outline the legalization of recreational marijuana in the state. Read more
- West Virginia: Members of the West Virginia House of Delegates are backing a bill to decriminalize marijuana, as well as allow counties to decide to authorize its production and sale. House Bill 2331, introduced earlier this month, would legalize the production of marijuana as well as possession of the drug up to an ounce. Read more
- Oregon: Green Box and Green Hop, two Portland-based, minority-owned cannabis businesses, each received a $30,000 grant from a fund established by the City of Portland and administered by the NuLeaf Project to help grow their companies. Portland set aside $150,000 from cannabis tax revenues to reinvest in minority-owned cannabis businesses operated by people from the communities disproportionately impacted by prohibition and the war on drugs. Read more
- Illinois: State legislators laid out plans for their recreational marijuana proposal at a town hall-style meeting in Springfield Jan. 28. Under the proposal, marijuana “bars” would be prohibited, and teenagers caught driving under the influence of marijuana would lose their licenses. Read more
- Tennessee: In what is expected to be the first of many bills related to marijuana proposed this year, three new measures were introduced Jan. 29, including one to allow out-of-state medical cards. Sen. Sara Kyle and Rep. Gloria Johnson introduced SB 260/HB234, which would allow an individual with a valid medical marijuana card issued in another state to carry up to a half an ounce of the drug in Tennessee. Read more
- Wyoming: Republican House Majority Floor Leader Eric Barlow has introduced House Bill 278 to legalize the use of medical marijuana in Wyoming. The legislation would create an extensive set of guidelines for the use and distribution of medical grade cannabis in the state. Read more
