Marijuana laws in Pennsylvania are among the most severe in the country despite a majority of voters supporting legalization and regulated sales, according to a report from the Marijuana Policy Project. The organization, which is working towards changing federal cannabis laws, examined states where policies lag the most behind public opinion. Research showed that there were 19 states who still penalize marijuana possession with possible jail time and a criminal record, even though 68% of Americans agree it should be legal. Possession of cannabis has been decriminalized in 31 states, but only 18 of those have legalized recreational use among adults. A 2020 poll from Harper Polling found that 62% of likely voters in Pennsylvania support the legalization and sale of recreational marijuana. However, under current state law, those found in possession face up to 30 days of imprisonment or a fine of up to $500 for 30 grams or less — just under an ounce. In Philadelphia, marijuana use was decriminalized in 2014, but the city has yet to legalize it. Possession of 30 grams or less for personal use comes with a fine of $25 and smoking in public comes with a penalty of $100.

Mmp News Author, Medical Marijuana Program Connection, 03/23/2022 20:29:00

Open article: https://mmpconnect.com/pennsylvania-among-states-with-strictest-marijuana-laws-report-finds/

A New Hampshire House committee approved an amended version of a bill to create a state-run marijuana market for adult consumers, sending it to the full House for a second-floor vote. The House Ways & Means Committee met for the third time in the span of a week on Monday to discuss the proposal and gave it a “do pass” recommendation in a 12-10 vote. There was the fourth meeting to discuss the measure scheduled for this Wednesday when a vote was initially expected, but members decided to go ahead and take action sooner instead. This legislation already cleared the chamber this month, but because it involved economic components, it needed to go to the Ways & Means Committee before it could be taken back up on the floor. If the chamber passes it again as amended, it will be transmitted to the Senate. While advocates have spent years pushing for an end to cannabis criminalization and a regulated market for adult consumers, the idea of a first-in-the-nation, the government-run cannabis market has left many stakeholders with reservations.

Noah Daly, Marijuana Moment, 03/21/2022 16:18:00

Open article: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/new-hampshire-lawmakers-approve-state-run-marijuana-legalization-bill-with-amendments-sending-it-back-to-house-floor/

The Texas Supreme Court on Tuesday heard oral arguments concerning the state’s ban on manufacturing smokable hemp products—the latest development in a drawn-out legal battle on the policy first proposed and challenged in 2020. A lower court determined in August that a proposed ban on the manufacturing and sale of smokable hemp was unconstitutional and imposed a permanent injunction that barred the state from prohibiting the full range of hemp activity. Texas officials then raised the in-state manufacturing matter to the state’s highest court. Hemp products—including those that can be inhaled—have been legal in Texas since Congress federally legalized the crop under the 2018 Farm Bill and the legislature followed suit, so long as the cannabis contains no more than 0.3 percent THC per dry weight. But regulators threw the industry for a loop when the Department of State Health Services proposed a rule prohibiting the manufacturing and sale of smokable hemp products within the state.

Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 03/22/2022 17:47:00

Open article: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/texas-supreme-court-hears-case-challenging-states-smokable-hemp-manufacturing-ban/