Nov 24 South Dakota Supreme Court rules against voter-backed pot legalization By Stephen Groves, Associated Press Gov. Kristi Noem instigated the legal fight to strike down the amendment passed by voters in November. Continue reading
Jun 22 Connecticut legalizes recreational use of marijuana By Susan Haigh, Associated Press People age 21 and older will be allowed to possess and consume marijuana beginning on July 1 under the new law. The measure also lays the groundwork for a new cannabis industry in the state and attempts to address racial… Continue reading
May 03 As more states legalize marijuana, people with drug convictions want their records cleared By Courtney Vinopal Sixteen states and the District of Columbia have now legalized recreational marijuana. For people with lingering drug convictions, this has raised new questions about what this legislation means for their criminal records. Continue reading
Apr 07 Virginia becomes first Southern state to legalize marijuana By Sarah Rankin, Associated Press Lawmakers voted Wednesday to approve Gov. Ralph Northam's proposed changes to a bill to allow adults in Virginia to possess and cultivate small amounts starting in July. Continue reading
Apr 05 Watch 7:38 Could Oregon’s decision to decriminalize hard drugs provide a model for the country? By Stephanie Sy, Lena I. Jackson, Casey Kuhn With New York’s recent legalization of recreational cannabis, more than 40 percent of Americans now live in states that have embraced marijuana legalization. Oregon has been on the leading edge of drug reform and in November became the first to… Continue watching
Mar 31 New York is latest state to legalize recreational marijuana By Marina Villeneuve, Associated Press The legislation provides protections for cannabis users in the workplace, housing, family court and in schools, colleges and universities, and sets a target of providing half of marijuana licenses to individuals from underrepresented communities. Continue reading
Jan 22 Arizona launches legal marijuana sales with dozens of licenses for dispensaries By Associated Press The state Health Services Department on Friday announced it had approved 86 licenses in nine of the state's 15 counties under provisions of the marijuana legalization measure passed by voters in November. Continue reading
Dec 04 House votes to decriminalize marijuana at federal level By Matthew Daly, Associated Press The bill would reverse what supporters called a failed policy of criminalizing pot use and take steps to address racial disparities in enforcement of federal drug laws. Continue reading
Nov 03 Push to relax drug laws gains big victories on state ballots By David A. Lieb, Associated Press Voters in Arizona and New Jersey added their states to the list of places legalizing marijuana for adults. And Oregon became the first state to decriminalize possession of small amounts of hard drugs. Continue reading
Feb 13 New Mexico bid for recreational pot falls short By Morgan Lee, Associated Press The vote illustrates the difficulties of using the legislative process and not a ballot initiative to fully legalizing marijuana. Continue reading