The New York Senate and Assembly have passed a bill to encourage businesses to use hemp materials for packaging, construction, and other industrial purposes. After the final procedural steps, the measure will be on its way to the governor. The legislation amends state statute to stipulate that the Agriculture Commissioner would need to work with the Urban Development Corporation, hemp workgroup, and stakeholders who use (or “may potentially use”) hemp “to develop and promote the use of hemp by businesses for purposes such as packaging, construction, and other uses.” Sen. Michelle Hinchey (D), a consistent proponent of hemp as an environmentally sustainable alternative to other materials, introduced her bill on the matter before it was substituted for an identical Assembly-passed measure and then cleared the Senate on Tuesday in a unanimous 63-0 vote. The Assembly version, sponsored by Assemblymember Donna Lupardo (D), passed in that chamber by a vote of 133-5 back in February.

Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 05/18/2022 08:50:00

Open article: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/new-york-bill-encouraging-businesses-to-use-hemp-for-construction-and-other-purposes-heads-to-governor/

The governor of Delaware has given his first public comments on a bill to legalize marijuana that was sent to his desk last week, noting the legislation’s limited scope but saying that he has remaining concerns and declining to say specifically whether he intends to sign it. Gov. John Carney (D), a rare example of a Democratic governor who continues to oppose legalization, said that he agrees that using cannabis shouldn’t be a “criminal offense,” adding that the bill passed in the legislature “just decriminalizes.” “It doesn’t have a regulatory piece that goes with it,” Carney told WMDT. “So we’re looking at the same concerns that I’ve been articulating for some time with respect to public safety and its effect on our young people, and we’ll continue to keep those in mind.” The bill that’s been transmitted to the governor’s desk is narrowly tailored, but because it removes all criminal penalties associated with possession and sharing of up to one ounce of marijuana between adults 21 and older, advocates consider that to be a form of non-commercial legalization.

Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 05/17/2022 11:07:00

Open article: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/delaware-governor-makes-first-comments-on-marijuana-legalization-bill-sent-to-his-desk/

Rhode Island lawmakers have unveiled a newly revised marijuana legalization proposal that’s scheduled to be taken up in two committees this week and then heads to the floors of both chambers next week. The legislation is the product of months of negotiations between legislators and the governor, who released his own legalization measure as part of a budget proposal in January. Now the identical companion bills, which are being sponsored by Sen. Joshua Miller (D) and Rep. Scott Slater (D), are ready for action. Both the Senate Judiciary Committee and House Finance Committee are expected to vote on the measures on Wednesday. Assuming they advance through those panels, floor votes are set for May 24. “I’m proud that everyone involved—the advocates, the existing industry, patients, legislative leaders and the governor’s office—worked very cooperatively to smooth out the bumps and create a proposal that works for all the stakeholders,” Miller said in a press release.

Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 05/17/2022 15:29:00

Open article: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/rhode-island-lawmakers-unveil-revised-marijuana-legalization-bill-with-committee-votes-set-for-this-week/

Minnesota’s Republican-controlled Senate on Wednesday blocked Democrats’ move to advance a marijuana legalization bill that’s been stalled in committee. Democratic Senate Minority Leader Melisa López Franzen (D) announced her plans to bring the issue up for consideration on the chamber floor through a procedural mechanism that would have required a supermajority of 41 votes to advance. As was expected, the motion failed to reach that threshold in the GOP-run body. The process López Franzen sought to use is called recall from committee. The Senate legalization bill was referred to a committee in February 2021, but it did not advance. Democrats sought to leverage that process to skip committee consideration and bring it straight to the floor for consideration. “We all know that legalization would have economic benefits, but there’s other urgent aspects of my legislation,” López Franzen said. “With all the discussion about public safety this year, we also need to address disparities in the criminal justice system around cannabis that disproportionately impact communities of color. That’s why I’m asking to make this urgent motion to bring my bill to the floor.”

Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 05/18/2022 12:53:00

Open article: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/minnesota-republican-senators-block-marijuana-legalization-vote/