HB 2107 Advances Through Texas House of Representatives

We have been monitoring various State Congresses across the U.S. and what cannabis policy-related bills they have circulating through them this legislative session.  One of the biggest surprises for me personally is legislative action and support we are seeing in the state of Texas.  We are thrilled to share the news we got today about HB 2107 from the Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy when they posted this:

Medical cannabis has unprecedented support in the Texas House. Now what?
Last Tuesday night, the Public Health committee considered public testimony in support of HB 2107 until nearly 2 a.m. Patients, including military veterans, caregivers, and medical professionals shared their stories and experiences with an attentive and thoughtful committee. The next day, the legislation gained significant traction, jumping from five to over 70 representatives signing on as either joint or co-authors. (Currently 77 co-authors.)

Read More:https://www.theweedblog.com/medical-cannabis-has-unprecedented-support-in-texas/

We have been covering a lot of news about what is going on in the New England States and you may recall that our last article about policy in Vermont discussed a recent cannabis bill proposal in the Vermont Senate.  As you can imagine, we were thrilled to see this in our inbox today from the Vermont Coalition to Regulate Marijuana regarding what is going on in the House…

Vermont House of Representatives Approves Proposal to Make Marijuana Legal for Adults; H. 170 Advances to Third Reading

The bipartisan measure would eliminate penalties for personal marijuana possession and cultivation by adults 21 and older — a policy change supported by 57% of Vermont voters

Read More:https://www.theweedblog.com/vermont-house-approves-adult-use-marijuana-proposal/

With all of the state legislatures being in session and the current state of momentum in the cannabis policy reform movement, it is no surprise that many states are seeing marijuana bills and other proposals come through for consideration.  The State of Vermont is no exception.

Just recently, the Vermont Senate voted 21-9 in favor of a bill that would legalize marijuana for adults in the State and would create a regulatory agency on the production and sale of marijuana.  This is not surprising, considering the recent news from New Hampshire and the other New England States that legalized recreational/adult-use cannabis laws this past election cycle.

According to the Vermont Townhall

Read More:https://www.theweedblog.com/marijuana-legalization-bill-passes-through-vermont-senate/

Around a year ago, it was announced that the Canadian government planned to legalize cannabis in Canada. Last week, the Canadian government, under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, unveiled its plans to do so.

The Cannabis Act is an act that was introduced to Canadian Parliament in 2017 that would legalize cannabis in Canada. It is a milestone in the legal history of cannabis in Canada, alongside the 1923 prohibition.
Should the Cannabis Act pass in Canadian Parliament, this country would become the second nation in the world, after Uruguay, to regulate a legal marijuana market.  While this feels like a long time coming, as it was one of Trudeau’s biggest endorsements while he was campaigning for office, it is definitely exciting to see it begin to come to fruition.

Read More:https://www.theweedblog.com/canadian-government-unveils-plan-to-legalize-cannabis-in-canada/#prettyPhoto

The Marijuana industry is growing rapidly, and at the moment it seems as if nearly everyone wants in.

According to cannabis research firm ArcView, legal cannabis sales in North America surged by 34% last year to $6.9 billion, and by 2021, sales of legal weed are expected to top $22 billion. Investment firm Cowen & Co. is arguably even more bullish, calling for $50 billion in legal pot sales by 2026, which works out to a compounded annual growth rate of more than 23%.

This growth rate is all thanks to the rapidly changing opinion of the public and a number of legislators in select states. National pollster Gallup, which has been keeping tabs on the public's opinion of marijuana for nearly 50 years, notes that 60% of respondents were in favor of a national legalization in its 2016 poll, an all-time high. Comparatively, just 25% felt the same way back in 1995.

Read More:https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/04/16/this-landmark-marijuana-bill-would-move-cannabis-t.aspx

Regardless of how you feel personally about recreational marijuana, the majority of Illinoisans and the vast majority of Chicagoans support marijuana legalization. According to a recent poll from a public policy institute at Southern Illinois University, 66 percent of voters in the state support recreational marijuana, while 74 percent of Chicagoans are in favor of legalization. Citing these and other statistics, state lawmakers and marijuana reform advocates held a press conference in Chicago on Wednesday to unveil a new approach to making pot legal in the Land of Lincoln.

Sen. Heather Steans and Rep. Kelly Cassidy, both of Chicago, were joined by figures from various marijuana advocacy groups to lay out how they plan to grow bipartisan support of pending legislation that would make it legal for adults to possess, purchase and grow small amounts of marijuana. Through public hearings, mobilizing support and sound policy, the message on Wednesday was that it's only a matter of time until grass gets a pass.

Read More:https://www.timeout.com/chicago/blog/heres-why-marijuana-will-eventually-be-legal-in-illinois-041217