Legalization

Uruguay will begin selling marijuana in pharmacies this summer, the final stage in the country’s pioneering regulation and normalization of marijuana. The South American country will be the first in the world to legally sell cannabis over the counter for recreational use.  In fact, their president was even nominated for a Nobel Prize after the country legalized cannabis.

Uruguay voted to legalize marijuana in 2013. They were the first country in the world to do so. Instantly there were reports that grams of marijuana would sell for as low as one dollar in Uruguay, and that sales would occur very quickly. Time has shown that launching legal sales in Uruguay has taken longer than expected, and has been discussing these sales for quite a while now.

Read More:https://www.theweedblog.com/uruguay-will-begin-selling-marijuana-in-pharmacies-this-summer/

Public support for marijuana legalization surged in 2016, according to data just released from the General Social Survey.

Last year 57 percent of Americans told the survey's pollsters that they “think the use of marijuana should be legal,” up from 52 percent in 2014.

The numbers from the General Social Survey — a large nationwide survey conducted every two years and widely considered to represent the gold standard for public opinion research — comport with other national surveys last year, which found support ranging from the upper 50s to low 60s.

Read More:https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/03/29/public-support-for-marijuana-legalization-surged-in-2016/?utm_term=.38337ee3a711

The market for medical marijuana and recreational marijuana is growing rapidly, as lawmakers in more states pass legislation legalizing it. Already, 28 states have medical marijuana laws on the books, and eight states have passed recreational marijuana laws, too. According to the latest research by GreenWave Advisors, those numbers are about to climb significantly.

Where marijuana is legal now

Last November's election reshaped the marijuana state map. Ahead of the election, voters in only four states (Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington) had voted to establish recreational markets for adult use of cannabis, and 24 states had passed medical marijuana laws.

As soon as I saw that both Maine and Massachusetts legalized cannabis, I knew it was just a matter of time before other states in the Northeastern U.S. started to talk more about legalization.  One of the states in that part of the country that has been a hot button topic as of late is Connecticut. Will Connecticut legalize cannabis?

Massachusetts (Connecticut’s neighbor) is on par to have a new law for legalized cannabis that fully takes effect next year.  This fact and Connecticut’s other fiscal issues has prompted the state’s lawmakers to seriously consider the possibility of legalizing the recreational use of marijuana for adults.
Several bills with bipartisan support that sanction the retail sale and cultivation of pot are currently progressing through the state’s General Assembly. The first bill drew dozens of supporters recently at a Public Health Committee hearing, many praising the proposed legislation as a way to regulate an illegal industry and potentially deliver millions of dollars for the state.

Read More:http://www.theweedblog.com/connecticut-legalize-cannabis/

Missouri marijuana laws have changed in 2017.  Is marijuana legal in Missouri?  Marijuana isn’t legal in Missouri; but it’s less illegal than it used to be.  Here is why:

Up until January 1, 2017, possession of any amount of marijuana, no matter how small, was considered at least a Class A misdemeanor.  A ‘Class A’ misdemeanor carries a possible jail sentence from 1 day to 1 year in the county jail.  This meant that if a defendant was caught with marijuana, even a single joint, the judge had the authority to put the defendant in jail for a year if he wanted to.  As of January 1, 2017 possession of up to 10 grams of marijuana is now a Class D misdemeanor, so long the defendant has no prior drug convictions.  A ‘Class D’ misdemeanor carries NO jail time and a maximum fine of $500.  This essentially decriminalizes recreational possession.  However, possession of marijuana over 10 grams or a previous conviction for possession of marijuana, can elevate the charge back to a Class A misdemeanor.  It is important to note that although a first offense is not punishable by jail time, a second conviction would be.  Therefore, it is important to preserve your criminal record if you are in fact charged with this offense.  Many times a lawyer may be able to negotiate an outcome that is not considered a “conviction” and therefore under the law, if you ever got caught again, you would still be considered a first time offender.  

Read More:http://www.theweedblog.com/marijuana-isnt-legal-in-missouri/

Two Minnesota Marijuana bills introduced to legalize for adults 21 and over may give voters a chance to bring recreational marijuana to their state. Last week, two lawmakers brought their ideas to the table on how to get the ball rolling on adult-use.

One of the options is being brought up for discussion by Rep. Jon Applebaum, says the Associated Press. He wants to see Minnesota marijuana regulated like alcohol, and have the tax revenue go to public school funding; like Colorado.

“It’s eventually going to happen,” the Democratic lawmaker told CBS Minnesota.

Read More:https://www.theweedblog.com/minnesota-marijuana-bills-legalize/