Political

Stakeholders, focused on forthcoming recommendations for how a social equity bill should be implemented, debated the details that define equity, from income to disproportionately impacted areas.

Last week’s Colorado Department of Revenue Marijuana Enforcement Division rulemaking workgroup on how a social equity bill will be implemented zeroed in on local control, income thresholds for applicants, and the definition of disproportionately impacted areas. 

Kamala Harris, Joe Biden’s pick for the second half of the Democratic presidential ticket, said in their first joint interview that the Biden-Harris Administration will pursue a national policy of cannabis decriminalization.

The Biden Administration would pursue policies to decriminalize cannabis possession and enact some police reforms, said Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) — Joe Biden’s pick for vice president — in an interview yesterday with ABC News.

Pennsylvania is deep in the red, and the culprit is COVID-19. But if the federal government can’t save the state, can marijuana?

That’s what the Keystone State appears poised to try. If it does, the state might need to prepare to be disappointed.

Gov. Tom Wolf imposed strict social-distancing measures in March to smash the novel coronavirus, and while it worked—Pennsylvania’s rate of new infections is among the lowest in the United States—it came at great cost.

A new bill filed by Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota would end marijuana prohibition, which she called a failed policy that leads to racist over policing

A new bill filed by a Democratic senator from Minnesota would end marijuana prohibition across the United States and set up a system that regulates cannabis like alcohol or tobacco.

Bills focused on a state bank, delivery, and curbing the illicit market failed to make it through this legislative session.

While Californians voted to legalize cannabis four years ago, lawmakers continue to debate and tweak regulations for the world’s largest legal cannabis market. 

This year, COVID-19 caused legislative delays from coast to coast. Some states’ legislative sessions ended early, while lawmakers in other states were forced to shift focus to discussions about coronavirus-related bills. 

Nothing in 2020 has gone according to plan, and cannabis legalization is no exception. According to Vox's criminal justice and public health reporter German Lopez, at least 18 states were predicted to legalize cannabis to some degree this year, either through their legislatures or via ballot measure. 2020 was supposed to be a big year for cannabis legalization. 

And then COVID-19 happened. 

One thing we know for sure about Kamala Harris is that cannabis makes her laugh.

Not necessarily when she smokes it, as the California senator and top-tier candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination says she hasn’t gotten high since college. But definitely when she’s asked about it. And her laughter has evolved from nervous to knowing right along with her position on legalization, which has gone from clear opposition in 2010 to full-throated support today.

Arizona’s ballot initiative to legalize adult-use cannabis has survived a legal challenge by opponents and is expected to move forward to the official signature verification stage.

Cannabis legalization should be a no-brainer for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith has proposed a federal legalization bill that would remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act and grant regulatory authority of the plant to the Food and Drug Administration.