Marijuana Legalization

Following news reports about mysterious vaping-related illnesses, the Trump administration intends to prohibit flavored nicotine vapes, on the theory that flavored vapes are especially appealing to minors and encouraging them to take up nicotine use.

Ready or not, election season has begun. Last month, 20 presidential candidates from the Democratic ticket held two separate debates (10 candidates for each debate), with the field having now grown to roughly two dozen hopefuls.

But this isn't the only battle brewing. There's another topic that's garnering a lot of buzz throughout America, and it's going to get its share of the limelight in 2020. I'm talking about the green rush, marijuana.

More than half of all state legislatures considered legislation in 2019 to legalize the possession or use of marijuana, a new record that illustrates a normalization of an issue that lawmakers once saw as a third rail.

Only a few states actually passed legislation dealing with marijuana this year, and just one — Illinois — legalized its recreational use among adults. But backers of legal marijuana point to the broad debate itself as evidence that a once-niche issue has gone mainstream.

After a meeting with black millennial leaders and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), I visited one of my closest friends who lives in a quaint apartment complex in a D.C. suburb. Attempting to decompress from the conversation about mass incarceration, gender equity, and bail bonds, I found myself zoned in on Maryland foliage swaying gently from a spring breeze. My attention was then captured by children traversing the courtyard of the complex with elevated voices and sheer excitement. The children were unfazed by the economic limitations characteristic of the neighborhood.

The country is moving forward with legalization at a record pace — but what that actually means can vary wildly from state to state. Some that are “medically legal” consider limited access to CBD to be enough, while others allow full ­recreational use, offering all forms of THC-rich, psychoactive products to anyone over 21. And then there’s Alabama. Here, a breakdown of what’s legal, what’s not, and where you should be looking next.

Legalizing marijuana for medical or recreational purposes isn’t associated with an uptick in traffic fatalities, according to a new study released this month.

Kansas State University graduate student Andrew Young looked at data on average traffic fatalities over 23 years and used two models to assess the impact of cannabis reform on road safety.

The Judiciary Committee approved three bills Monday that would legalize possession of cannabis for adults 21 and older and expunge prior drug convictions.

The 21-19 vote in favor of the general legalization bill came after a spirited, hour-long debate. At least three Democrats joined Republicans in opposing the bill, which now heads to the Senate.

The Judiciary Committee vote on three cannabis bills Monday comes a week after the General Law Committee narrowly approved a separate bill that establishes a regulatory framework for production and sale.

Recently, Title posted a Twitter thread laying out her “top 10 must-haves for any state cannabis legalization bill.” It’s a best-practices list aimed at ensuring equity and accountability. She’s been sharing versions of the list with officials in neighboring states, most recently Connecticut. “I rewrite these every time I give a speech in another state,” she said, “because every day I learn more and they evolve.”

A growing list of Democratic presidential contenders want the U.S. government to legalize marijuana, reflecting a nationwide shift as more Americans look favorably on cannabis.

Making marijuana legal at the federal level is the “smart thing to do,” says California Sen. Kamala Harris, a former prosecutor whose home state is the nation’s largest legal pot shop. New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, a prominent legalization advocate on Capitol Hill, says the war on drugs has been a “war on people.”

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) took marijuana reform supporters by pleasant surprise when he endorsed legalization last year after previously calling cannabis a “gateway drug” that should remain prohibited. But for advocates, there was at least one major disappointment in store when he got around to revealing the details of his plan: the proposal, unveiled as part of his budget last month, would ultimately include a ban on home cultivation of recreational marijuana.