Marijuana Moment reports The governor of South Dakota wants marijuana activists behind a 2020 legalization initiative that her administration overturned with a court challenge to pay the legal fees, rather than have taxpayers foot the bill for her fight to invalidate the voter-approved measure. After South Dakota voters passed the ballot proposal to legalize cannabis for adult use in the state, Gov. Kristi Noem’s (R) administration funded a lawsuit that led to a court ruling voiding the law—a decision upheld by the state Supreme Court last year when justices affirmed that the measure is unconstitutional because it violated a single-subject rule for ballot initiatives. Now a spokesperson for Noem’s office says that advocates with South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws (SDBML) should cover the legal costs, arguing that they were forewarned that the reform proposal could face a legal challenge. Ian Fury, a spokesperson for the governor’s office, told The Argus Leader that the “proponents of Amendment A submitted an unconstitutional amendment and should reimburse South Dakota taxpayers for the costs associated with their drafting errors.”

Cannabis Law Report, 01/16/2022 21:26:00

Open article: https://cannabislaw.report/south-dakotas-gov-kristi-noem-wants-cannabis-legalization-activists-to-pay-legal-fees/

Minister of Health Khairy Jamaluddin says the government will review the Dangerous Drugs Act and the Poisons Act to regulate the medical use of marijuana and ketum. The government will review the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and the Poisons Act 1952 to regulate cannabis and ketum for medical use, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said. Cannabis, or marijuana, is currently banned under the Dangerous Drugs Act that imposes extremely harsh penalties for the use of illegal narcotics. Possession of 20g to less than 50g of cannabis is punishable with imprisonment of two to five years and whipping. Possession of 200g or more of cannabis is presumed to be trafficking, which is punishable with a mandatory death sentence. “We will review the Dangerous Drugs Act and the Poisons Act so that regulation of the use of substances like cannabis and ketum for medicinal purposes can be adapted according to scientific evidence and data, as well as the latest research, on their use,” Khairy said in his New Year message last Thursday to Ministry of Health (MOH) staff, according to a transcript of his speech provided to the press.

Cannabis Law Report, 01/16/2022 20:31:00

Open article: https://cannabislaw.report/malaysian-government-reviewing-dangerous-drugs-act-for-medical-cannabis/

During his reelection campaign, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has struck a moderate tone when it comes to marijuana. When asked about cannabis reform during a campaign event last week, Abbott once again laid out the argument that prisons and jails are places “for dangerous criminals who may harm others.” “Small possession of marijuana is not the type of violation that we want to stockpile jails with,” the governor said. His remarks come as opinions on the matter begin to change across the state. A University of Texas at Austin and Texas Tribune poll last June showed 60% of Texas voters say they support the recreational use of marijuana. Abbott has signaled he is open to the idea of decriminalization. It’s been a different story for Lt. Governor Dan Patrick. “The Lt. Governor has made it pretty explicitly clear that he is not on board for lessening the state’s drug laws around marijuana,” said Joshua Blank with UT Austin’s Texas Politics Project. “But I think like any other public figure, if pressure continues to mount, especially within his own party, there’s no reason he can’t change his mind,” KXAN spoke with Rep. Joe Moody (D) who represents El Paso in Austin. Moody has authored legislation tackling cannabis reform, though his bills have not made it out of Patrick’s senate.

Mmp News Author, Medical Marijuana Program Connection, 01/15/2022 16:11:00

Open article: https://mmpconnect.com/texas-is-evolving-on-marijuana-so-what-would-it-take-to-change-the-laws/

Vermont Democratic and Progressive lawmakers filed a new bill this week to decriminalize drug possession—a policy they hope will serve as a harm reduction tool that can also help to address racial disparities in enforcement. Reps. Logan Nicoll (D) and Selene Colburn (P) introduced the legislation, which would make possession and distribution of low levels of currently illicit drugs punishable by a $50 fine, without the threat of jail time. People could have the fee waived by completing a health screening that would be facilitated through a new treatment referral system. The bill would amend state statutes on drug possession and distribution to make it so people would face the civil penalty if the amount of the drug in question is under a “benchmark personal use” threshold that would be determined by a new Drug Use Standards Advisory Board. That board would be comprised of “experts in the fields of general and behavioral health care, substance use disorder treatment, and drug user communities,” according to the text of the bill. The proposal would further remove criminal penalties for sharing small amounts of currently illicit drugs without compensation. Already, 40 initial cosponsors have signed up to support the proposal—nearly one-third of the Vermont House. Colburn told Marijuana Moment in an interview on Tuesday that she wants to see the legislature engage with this issue in a way that lawmakers in other states have—like nearby Maine, where the House approved a decriminalization bill last year.

Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 01/14/2022 08:10:00

Open article: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/vermont-lawmakers-file-drug-decriminalization-bill-with-hopes-of-promoting-harm-reduction/