On May 4, 2022, South Carolina’s medical marijuana bill — SB 150, also known as the South Carolina Compassionate Care Act — was ruled unconstitutional by the state’s House of Representatives. The constitutional challenge was mounted by Rep. John McCravy, who argued that because the bill involves the creation of a new tax, specifically on medical cannabis, the bill should have originated in the House, per the South Carolina constitution. House Speaker Pro Tem Thomas Pope agreed with Rep. McCravy’s argument and ruled the bill unconstitutional. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Tom Davis, appealed the ruling, but the House voted 59-55 to table the appeal, stopping the bill in its tracks. In response to this tabling of his appeal, Rep. Davis stated he would be “working on” getting the bill a “merits up or down [vote] in the House,” before the Legislature closes in mid-May. While the ruling dealt a blow to the bill’s momentum, it is notable that the bill has not yet seen a vote on the merits — this setback was strictly a procedural one. The bill, which would allow patients with qualifying medical conditions to buy, possess, and use cannabis from state-licensed dispensaries, was passed by the Senate in February 2022. The bill has 14 listed cosponsors and was passed unanimously by the House Medical, Public, and Municipal Affairs Committee before stalling out on the House floor.

Rachel M. Labruyere, Cannabis Law Report, 05/09/2022 17:36:00

Open article: https://cannabislaw.report/south-carolinas-medical-marijuana-bill-ruled-unconstitutional-but-sponsor-vows-to-keep-fighting/

Missouri activists have turned in more than double the number of signatures needed to qualify a marijuana legalization initiative for the November ballot. As the prospects of enacting reform through the legislature have dwindled in recent days, Legal Missouri 2022 turned in more than 385,000 signatures to the state on Sunday. They need 171,592 of those submissions to be validated in order to put the issue before voters. Campaign manager John Payne previously led a successful ballot effort to legalize medical cannabis in the Show-Me State in 2018. “As we submit more than 385,000 petition signatures to the state today, the message from voters is clear: it’s past time to end the senseless and costly prohibition of marijuana,” Payne said in a press release. “This widespread and enthusiastic show of support from the people of Missouri exceeds our expectations.” While the largely industry-funded signature drive for the adult-use initiative appears to have proved fruitful, some advocates and stakeholders have raised concerns about the proposal and pushed for legislative reform instead, like a legalization bill from Rep. Ron Hicks (R). That measure moved through the committee process, and there were expectations that it would reach the House floor last week, but the sponsor now says that it doesn’t seem leadership is willing to advance it before the session adjourns on May 13.

Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 05/08/2022 17:01:00

Open article: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/missouri-activists-submit-double-the-signatures-needed-for-marijuana-legalization-ballot-initiative/

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) joined other lawmakers, advocates, and celebrities in New York City on Saturday to speak at a marijuana rally as he works to finalize a bill to end federal cannabis prohibition. This marks the second year in a row that the leader participated in the NYC Cannabis Parade & Rally. Also making an appearance was House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), whose bill to federally legalize marijuana passed the full chamber last month. Schumer stressed to rally attendees that he’s working to win bipartisan support for the forthcoming bill he plans to introduce with Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ). “I have invited every U.S. senator—every Democrat, every Republican—to come to meet with us and tell us why they won’t support the bill or whether they will, and I’m making good progress,” Schumer said. “I’ve already met with six Republicans, so we can get 10 [and] we can get the 60 votes we need on the floor of the Senate to pass legislation that is so important.”

Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 05/07/2022 15:04:00

Open article: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/schumer-says-hes-discussed-marijuana-bill-with-six-republicans-in-speech-at-nyc-legalization-rally/