Pennsylvania Considers State Legalization Models
Pennsylvania Governor Wolf has changed his stance on adult-use legalization of cannabis last year, now favoring a tax and regulate policy.
Facing opposition from the GOP legislature, the Pennsylvania lieutenant governor John Fetter has reached out to his counterparts in Michigan and Illinois to research what other states are doing right.
In a virtual forum, the three LT. Gov. discussed how their respective states are managing their marijuana programs. Pennsylvanian democrats hope that marijuana revenue can help offset their state coffers after loses due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
West Coast Fires Continue to Threaten Outdoors Grows
Brutal wild fires have affected cannabis crops in Washington, Oregon and California. This season the dry and hot weather conditions have produced record numbers of acres burned and there is more expected in October.
California and Oregon have rules specific for dealing with disasters, including fires. Licensed growers can seek pre-approved relief, but the process takes several months. Guerilla growers have no sanctioned relief. How this impacts the supply chain and the prices for cannabis on the street has yet to be determined. Many farmers are harvesting early to save their crops. This could drastically affect the quality. This years west coast weed might be a little smoky.
State Marijuana Ballot Initiatives
Arizona — After legalization suffered a narrow loss at the ballot box in 2016, a renewed attempt to end marijuana prohibition in Arizona is underway. The 2020 initiative (Prop 207), spearheaded by Smart and Safe Arizona, received official qualification for the November ballot on August 10.
Mississippi — Mississippians will have an opportunity to vote on two medical marijuana ballot initiatives this November. After gathering well over the required number of signatures, Mississippians for Compassionate Care succeeded in qualifying a medical marijuana initiative, Initiative 65. And in March, state lawmakers voted to put a competing measure — which puts greater regulatory control in the hands of the state legislature — on the ballot, too.
Montana — In January, the newly formed New Approach Montana campaign filed two ballot initiatives for state review. One, a constitutional amendment requiring roughly 50,000 signatures to qualify, would allow lawmakers to establish a legal age for marijuana consumption. The other, a statutory measure that requires about half as many signatures, would establish a system to regulate and tax marijuana for adult use. Despite signature gathering challenges caused by COVID-19, the group submitted more than 130,000 signatures on June 19 to qualify the pair of legalization initiatives for the November ballot. The campaign received official word on August 13 that both measures qualified for the November ballot.
New Jersey — Unlike most other marijuana policy ballot initiatives, which qualify through signature drives, New Jersey will vote on legalization later this year thanks to a legislative referral. After failing to find enough common ground to pass a bill in 2019, lawmakers opted to put a proposal before the voters.
South Dakota — Thanks to an impressive signature gathering effort last year, New Approach South Dakota and South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws succeeded in qualifying two marijuana policy reform initiatives for the 2020 ballot. One would establish a medical marijuana program, while the other would legalize and regulate marijuana for adults 21 and older. South Dakota will be the first state to vote on medical marijuana and adult-use legalization initiatives simultaneously.
States where initiatives failed include Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Missouri, Nebraksa, North Dakota, and Oklahoma.
