From our friends at NORML...

Vermont lawmakers enacted legislation this fall establishing rules and regulations overseeing the commercial production and retail sale of marijuana to adults. Commenting on the passage of the law, NORML State Policies Coordinator Carly Wolf said: “While the law, as written, is not perfect, we are confident that lawmakers will continue to further amend these proposed rules and regulations accordingly in a manner that both prioritizes public safety as well as the needs of entrepreneurs looking to enter into this space. This is a victory for those who wish to disrupt the illicit marketplace and move forward with an above-ground, regulated cannabis marketplace.” 

Prior to the passage of the law, Vermont had been the only state to depenalize marijuana possession without providing adults with legal, above-ground access to cannabis and cannabis products via state-licensed retailers. 
 

From our friends at NORML...

 
Tens of thousands of citizens previously burdened with the stigma of a lifelong marijuana conviction had those convictions finally expunged in 2020. In California alone, over 100,000 citizens had their records expunged. In several other states – including Colorado, Nevada, Illinois, and Washington – public officials granted pardons to tens of thousands of citizens with cannabis convictions. In addition, lawmakers in various states, like Michigan and Vermont, enacted legislation in 2020 explicitly facilitating the expungement of low-level marijuana records – joining over a dozen other states that have passed similar legislation. 
 

 From our friends at NORML...

After years of lobbying and pressure by Virginia NORML and others, lawmakers this year abolished its strict criminal penalties for marijuana possession offenses – replacing them with a $25 fine, no arrest, and no criminal record. “NORML is proud to have worked to bring about these needed changes to Virginia law, said NORML development director, Jenn Michelle Pedini, who also serves as the executive director of Virginia NORML. “Virginians have long opposed the criminalization of personal marijuana possession, and the enactment of this legislation turns that public opinion into public policy.” 

Following this legislative victory, NORML immediately pivoted to push for the enactment of adult-use legalization in Virginia – a push that spurred the state’s Governor and Attorney General in November to publicly endorse the policy change. 

 From our friends at NORML...

Voters approved a series of statewide ballot proposals on Election Day legalizing the use and distribution of marijuana for either medical or adult-use purposes. Voters legalized the possession of marijuana by adults in Arizona, Montana, New Jersey, and in South Dakota, while also legalizing medical marijuana access in Mississippi and South Dakota. In several states, voters passed the measures by historic margins. 

Commenting on the election results, NORML’s Executive Director Erik Altieri said: “These results once again illustrate that support for legalization extends across geographic and demographic lines. The success of these initiatives proves definitively that marijuana legalization is not exclusively a ‘blue’ state issue, but an issue that is supported by a majority of all Americans — regardless of party politics.” 

From our friends at NORML...

In dozens of states this spring, lawmakers and regulators designated marijuana producers and retailers to be “essential services” – explicitly permitting them to remain open during pandemic lockdowns and loosening rules so that they could expand their operations to include services like curbside pick-up and home delivery. By enacting these protections, politicians publicly acknowledged, in some cases for the first time, the significant role these establishments play in promoting the health of their communities as well as their clientele.