Austin, TX — On Saturday, Governor Greg Abbott (R) signed a medical cannabis expansion bill (HB 46) into law, making Texas the 40th state to legalize cannabis for medical use. 

The final version of HB46 includes several improvements to the Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP). Previously, TCUP was an extremely limited, restrictive, low-THC medical cannabis program that didn’t meet the Marijuana Policy Project’s standard to be considered a medical cannabis state.

“For too long, the existing Texas Compassionate Use Program has been severely limited, leaving countless Texans without the relief they desperately need. Texans have spoken, and their voices have been heard. HB 46 will expand access to medical cannabis, a relatively safe and effective treatment option that has long been sought by patients suffering from pain and several other serious medical conditions,” said Kevin Caldwell, Southeast Legislative Manager at the Marijuana Policy Project.

The improvements to TCUP include adding chronic pain, Crohn’s disease, and traumatic brain injury as qualifying conditions, and adding methods of delivery to include lotions, patches, suppositories, pulmonary inhalation with approved nebulizers, inhalers, and vaporizers (when directed by a doctor). Further, the bill replaces the current limit of 1% THC by weight with up to 10 milligrams per dose and a package not to exceed 1 gram of THC. The bill also requires The Department of Public Safety to issue 12 more licenses for dispensing organizations (for a total of 15 total). Dispensing organizations must become operational within 24 months after the license is issued. A full summary of HB 46 is available here.

With the addition of Texas, 40 states and Washington, D.C. now have workable medical cannabis laws. Polling consistently shows that the vast majority of Americans support allowing seriously ill patients to use cannabis for medical purposes with their doctors’ approval.

"Following in the footsteps of 39 other states, Texas has embraced a commonsense policy that will ensure that Texans facing serious medical conditions have access to a medicine that's already successfully improving lives nationwide. This new law is a direct result of overwhelming public support, acknowledging medical cannabis as a valuable, scientifically-supported option for managing chronic pain and debilitating illnesses," said Lauren Daly, Interim Executive Director at the Marijuana Policy Project.

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Harrisburg, P.A. — In its first four years of legal sales, Pennsylvania can anticipate $1-1.4 billion in adult-use cannabis tax revenue, according to a report released by the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP).

Based on revenue projections from Arizona, Maryland, and Michigan, and assuming 16% in total taxes at retail, MPP anticipates that Pennsylvania would generate between $105 and $236 million in tax revenue in its first year of legal cannabis sales, and between $320 and $610 million by year four. 

“As Pennsylvania navigates a period of fiscal uncertainty, the Commonwealth is losing out on hundreds of millions of dollars in annual tax revenue that is instead flowing into the coffers of its neighboring states. Lawmakers should seize the opportunity to bolster the budget and grow the economy, while expanding freedom and implementing public health regulations,” said Karen O’Keefe, Director of State Policies at the Marijuana Policy Project. 

On May 7, 2025, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed HB 1200, which would legalize cannabis for adults 21 and older with sales through state-run stores. On May 13, the Senate Law and Justice Committee voted down HB 1200, with Chairman Dan Laughlin (R) expressing opposition to the state-stores model. Sens. Laughlin and Sharif Street have circulated a cosponsorship memo for a bipartisan bill with privately-operated stores, which avoids the uncertainty, expense, and delay of state-run stores.

Collectively, states have generated a combined total of more than $24.7 billion in tax revenue from legal adult-use cannabis sales since the first adult-use cannabis markets launched in Colorado and Washington in 2014, including over $4.4 billion in 2024, which is the most revenue generated by cannabis sales in a single year. 

Twenty-four states and the District of Columbia have legalized cannabis possession for adults 21 and older. All except Virginia and D.C. have also legalized, regulated, and taxed cannabis sales. In two legalization states — Delaware and Minnesota — sales have not begun yet.

Notably, cannabis taxes have provided funding for a variety of programs and services, such as Medicaid, education, school construction, housing, roads, early literacy, bullying prevention, behavioral health, alcohol and drug treatment, veterans’ services, conservation, job training, conviction expungement expenses, and reinvestment in communities that have been disproportionately affected by the war on cannabis, among many others. 

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States have generated a combined total of more than $24.7 billion in tax revenue since legal adult-use cannabis sales began

Washington, D.C. — States have generated a combined total of more than $24.7 billion in tax revenue from legal adult-use cannabis sales since the first adult-use cannabis markets launched in Colorado and Washington in 2014, according to a new report published by the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP). 

In 2024 alone, legalization states collectively generated more than $4.4 billion in cannabis tax revenue from adult-use sales, which is the most revenue generated by cannabis sales in a single year. Further, seven states collected over $200 million in adult-use cannabis taxes (four of those states generated over $500 million in revenue, one of which collected over $1 billion).

“At a time when federal funding cuts are putting pressure on states’ budgets, adult-use cannabis taxes are bringing billions of dollars into states’ coffers. Legal adult-use markets have also contributed to significant job growth, creating thousands of new employment and small business opportunities. While economic growth isn’t the primary reason for legalizing adult-use cannabis, it is undeniably a great benefit,” said Lauren Daly, Interim Executive Director at the Marijuana Policy Project. 

MPP’s report reviews each legalization state’s adult-use cannabis tax structure, population, and year-by-year adult-use cannabis tax revenue in chronological order, based on when state-legal cannabis sales began. These figures include cannabis excise taxes and states’ standard sales taxes that are applied to cannabis. They do not include medical cannabis tax revenue.

Twenty-four states and the District of Columbia have legalized cannabis possession for adults 21 and older. All except Virginia and D.C. have also legalized, regulated, and taxed cannabis sales. In two legalization states — Delaware and Minnesota — sales have not begun yet.

“Cannabis prohibition destroys lives by tearing apart families and creating life-altering criminal records that stand in the way of jobs, housing, and an education. Cannabis legalization dramatically reduces the number of arrests and wasted law enforcement resources, while generating billions of dollars in new revenue that can improve residents’ wellbeing,” said Karen O’Keefe, Director of State Policies at the Marijuana Policy Project.

Notably, cannabis taxes have provided funding for a variety of programs and services, such as Medicaid, education, school construction, housing, roads, early literacy, bullying prevention, behavioral health, alcohol and drug treatment, veterans’ services, conservation, job training, conviction expungement expenses, and reinvestment in communities that have been disproportionately affected by the war on cannabis, among many others. 

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Washington, D.C. — The Marijuana Policy Project (“MPP”), the nation’s leading cannabis organization, announced that Lauren Daly will join the organization as Interim Executive Director. Lauren is returning to MPP after working as a frontline fundraiser for more than a decade in impactful nonprofit organizations. 

"The Board of Directors is delighted to work with Lauren to strengthen MPP and ensure that the values and voice of the cannabis policy reform movement remains central in the critical work ahead to end prohibition in every state and the nation. Lauren's demonstrated her dedication to patients, consumers, and people who are marginalized by marijuana laws through her years of work in the movement, and we're grateful that she's bringing her skills and insights to MPP," said Betty Aldworth, Chair of the MPP Board of Directors.

Lauren first joined the cannabis movement as a volunteer in 2013 and soon after joined the MPP as a Membership Assistant. In 2014, she joined Students for Sensible Drug Policy (“SSDP”) and became the organization’s first Development Director, leading fundraising efforts during one of the largest growth periods in SSDP’s history. In 2020, she became a Development Officer for the American Civil Liberties Union of the District of Columbia, where played a key role in steering ACLU-DC’s fundraising strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most recently, she managed a multi-million dollar portfolio of donors at Brown University. 

“I'm thrilled to be back at MPP and am looking forward to serving the organization during this interim period. There’s much more work to be done as we continue our efforts to end cannabis prohibition. With a talented, driven staff and a proven strategy for achieving meaningful reforms, MPP is well-positioned for success in 2025 and beyond. I’m honored to be part of this organization,” said Lauren Daly, MPP’s new interim executive director.

In 2025, MPP is focused on legalizing and regulating cannabis via the state legislatures in Hawaii, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania; working with local allies to pass medical cannabis laws in the remaining states without medical cannabis programs; protecting and expanding access in Nebraska and the 38 other states with existing medical programs; and advancing federal cannabis reforms.

"For thirty years, MPP has been the leader on state-level cannabis reforms. This year, we’ve set our sights on advancing cannabis reform opportunities in key states and re-prioritizing our efforts at the federal level. We look forward to working together with allies to maximize pressure for full federal legalization," said Daly.

Current Interim Executive Director Matthew Schweich, who has led the organization since the summer of 2023, will revert to his role of Deputy Director.

“I’m very excited to hand the reins to Lauren and lend whatever assistance I can as she leads MPP into its next chapter,” said Schweich.

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Washington, D.C. — A new report compiled by the Marijuana Policy Project demonstrates that legalizing and regulating cannabis for adults has not led to increased cannabis use among youth. In fact, data that was recently released shows decreases in youth cannabis use in 19 of the 21 states with before-and-after data. The full report is available here.

"Over a decade into state-level cannabis legalization, the data is unequivocal: Legalization does not increase youth cannabis use. In fact, evidence suggests the opposite. By transitioning cannabis sales from the illicit market to a regulated system with age-restricted access, we've seen a decrease in youth cannabis use,” said Karen O’Keefe, director of state policies at the Marijuana Policy Project. 

Nationwide, both the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Monitoring the Future survey indicate significant drops in youth marijuana use between 2011 and 2023/2024, while half of the country legalized and regulated cannabis for adults. These findings challenge the notion that adult-use cannabis legalization is a gateway to increased youth use.

In the two states with the oldest legalization laws, Washington and Colorado, adolescents’ cannabis use has decreased by over 35% since cannabis was legalized and regulated for adults 21 and older. In Colorado in 2011 — the year prior to legalization — 22% of high schoolers reported using cannabis in the past 30 days. That figure has dropped by 42%, to 12.8% in 2023, according to data from the Colorado Healthy Kids Survey. Meanwhile, the Washington State Healthy Youth Survey shows substantial decreases in the percent of students reporting current marijuana in all the three surveyed grades. The 2010 survey found 26.3% of 12th graders used marijuana in the past 30 days. That has decreased by 38% to 16.3% in 2023. Among 10th graders, current marijuana use dropped by 58% since legalization — from 20.0% in 2010 to 8.4% in 2023. Among 8th graders, the survey shows a 61% percent drop past 30-day use of marijuana — from 9.5% to 3.7%.

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Washington, D.C. — On Tuesday, the Marijuana Policy Project released their cannabis policy reform voter guides for the 2024 governors’ races and the U.S. Senate races. 

“With Election Day quickly approaching, voters across the country will soon have an opportunity to cast ballots that will shape prospects for cannabis policy reform for years to come. Our goal is to educate voters on where candidates stand on cannabis policy reform so that they can cast informed votes,” said Karen O’Keefe, MPP’s director of state policies. 

In 11 states, voters will be choosing their next governor on Election Day — Tuesday, November 5. Governors have a tremendous impact on cannabis policies in their states, from signing or vetoing bills to overseeing agencies that can implement, expand, or obstruct existing cannabis laws. To help inform voters, MPP’s gubernatorial voter guide includes public statements on cannabis policy and lawmakers’ votes on cannabis-related legislation, when applicable. In many of these races, there is a stark contrast between where major party gubernatorial candidates stand on cannabis policy reforms. 

Additionally, with 34 Senate seats on the ballot this year, November’s election is key to the prospects for federal reform. Cannabis legalization hasn’t even gotten a vote in the Senate, where 60 votes are needed to overcome a filibuster. Our U.S. Senate voter guide reviews U.S. Senate candidates’ public stances, responses to MPP’s survey questions, and — for incumbents and those holding other elected offices — whether they have supported cannabis policy bills.

Gallup polls show that a supermajority of American voters (70%) agree that cannabis use should be legal. To date, 24 states and Washington, D.C. have legalized cannabis for adults 21 and older. Voters in three additional states will consider adult-use legalization initiatives on Election Day: Florida, North Dakota, and South Dakota. 

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Concord, NH — The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) released their 2024 New Hampshire Cannabis Policy Voter Guide to help inform voters where candidates, as well as incumbent legislators, stand on a variety of cannabis issues. 

MPP has created this voting guide, where we ranked candidates’ support for legalization and other cannabis policy reforms from A+ to F. The voter guide includes information from their records, public comments, responses to Citizens Count’s survey, and replies to our candidate survey. 

At the top of the state’s ticket, Joyce Craig (D) received an “A” based on her support for cannabis policy reform, while Kelly Ayotte (R) received an “F” due to her long standing opposition to legalization and other cannabis policy reforms. Cook Political Report has ranked the gubernatorial race a “toss up”. 

“This year’s elections will be key in shaping New Hampshire’s prospects for legalization in the following years. All of New Hampshire’s neighbors have already legalized cannabis for adults, and a majority of voters believe cannabis should be legal. Our goal is to educate voters on where candidates stand on cannabis policy reform so that they can cast informed votes,” said Karen O’Keefe, MPP’s director of state policies.

Polling shows 65% of New Hampshire voters support legalization. However, the “Live Free or Die” state remains an island of prohibition. While a legalization bill (HB 1633) passed both the House and Senate this year — and had the governor’s support — it did not make it past the finish line. As a result, New Hampshire is still the only state in New England that hasn’t legalized cannabis for adults 21 and older. 

To date, 24 states and Washington, D.C. have legalized cannabis for adults 21 and older. Voters in three additional states will consider adult-use legalization initiatives on Election Day: Florida, North Dakota, and South Dakota. 

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Concord, NH — The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) released their 2024 New Hampshire Cannabis Policy Voter Guide to help inform voters where candidates, as well as incumbent legislators, stand on a variety of cannabis issues. 

MPP has created this primary voting guide based on incumbent lawmakers’ records, public comments, and responses to questions we emailed. The full voter guide is available here. 

“This year’s elections will be key in shaping New Hampshire’s prospects for legalization in the following years. All of New Hampshire’s neighbors have already legalized cannabis for adults, and a majority of voters believe cannabis should be legal. Our goal is to educate voters on where candidates stand on cannabis policy reform so that they can cast informed votes,” said Karen O’Keefe, MPP’s director of state policies.

New Hampshire’s state primary day is September 10. While only three Senate seats have primaries, candidates’ positions on legalization vary considerably. Additionally, both leading Democratic candidates for governor expressed support for legalization and regulation, while both leading Republican candidates have been staunchly opposed.

Polling shows 65% of New Hampshire voters support legalization. However, the “Live Free or Die” state remains an island of prohibition. While a legalization bill (HB 1633) passed both the House and Senate this year — and had the governor’s support — it did not make it past the finish line. As a result, New Hampshire is still the only state in New England that hasn’t legalized cannabis for adults 21 and older. 

To date, 24 states and Washington, D.C. have legalized cannabis for adults 21 and older. Voters in three additional states will consider adult-use legalization initiatives on Election Day: Florida, North Dakota, and South Dakota. 

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Washington, D.C. — The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), the nation’s leading cannabis policy reform organization, is launching a nationwide search for an experienced Executive Director to guide the organization through the end of federal prohibition in the United States.

Since MPP was founded in 1995, it has been at the forefront of the movement to end cannabis prohibition. As the nation moves closer to full legalization, MPP seeks a visionary leader to steer the organization into a future of continual improvement of medical and adult-use cannabis systems in states across the country.

“We are excited to embark on this search for a new leader who will build upon MPP’s history of success. Our next dynamic leader will work to achieve our goals with our dedicated, passionate, and accomplished team. As we work to achieve our goal of ending marijuana prohibition in this exciting and challenging time, we are building a legacy of justice, compassion, and liberty,” said Betty Aldworth, Chair of the MPP Board of Directors.

The ideal candidate will possess a proven track record in executive leadership, strategic planning and execution, stakeholder mobilization, and fundraising six- and seven-figure gifts. They will be a skilled communicator and have a demonstrated ability to run a fast-paced organization with a commitment to social justice and policy reform.

The Executive Director will oversee all aspects of the organization, including political strategy and policy development, philanthropic support, communications, and Board development. The position is responsible for the financial stability of the organization and requires a substantial amount of time dedicated to raising millions of dollars for the organization and its campaigns. 

This position is required to work from, or make regular visits to, Washington, D.C., and will require frequent travel and hours commensurate with a C-level position. This position reports to the Board of Directors.

Vangst is taking the lead on recruiting for this position and candidates interested in this opportunity should apply with their resume and cover letter on LinkedIn.

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Betty Aldworth has been named Chair, David Abernathy as Vice Chair, and Brian Vicente as Treasurer

Washington, D.C. — The Marijuana Policy Project, the nation’s leading cannabis policy reform organization, is pleased to announce the election of new leadership to its Board of Directors.

Betty Aldworth has been elected as Chair of the MPP Board of Directors. Betty was a pioneer in the cannabis legalization movement, and served as spokesperson for Colorado's successful Amendment 64 campaign in 2012. As the Director of Communications and Post-Prohibition Strategy at the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, she generates support for psychedelic research and reform through the media and Illustrates the promise of a post-prohibition world through inspiring public education opportunities. Betty has dedicated her career to building a more sensible future through reforming drug policies to be rooted in safety, justice, and education.

David Abernathy will serve as the new Vice Chair. David currently serves as Principal for Arcview Management Consulting and has vast experience in the cannabis industry, from financial services, consulting, and investments to data, analytics, and market research. He is also a longtime advocate for social justice who also serves on the board of the Minority Cannabis Business Association and Cat Town, and he is on the faculty and board of Oaksterdam University.  

Brian Vicente, founding partner of Vicente LLP, has been elected as the Board’s Treasurer. Brian has been a leader in the legalization movement for more than 20 years, working closely with MPP — including as one of the drafters of Colorado's Amendment 64. Brian has helped marijuana businesses obtain state and local licenses since the inception of the regulated cannabis industry, and has also advised national, state, and local government officials in the development of regulated cannabis markets across the country and around the world.

Betty, David, and Brian bring a wealth of experience and expertise to their new roles. Their leadership will be instrumental in guiding MPP as it continues to advance cannabis policy reform across the United States.

"It has been an honor and privilege to serve as Chair of MPP's Board over the past five years. During that time, MPP ushered in some of the most significant wins for cannabis reform, including legalization in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Ohio, and Rhode Island. Our newly revamped board is positioned to lead MPP in furtherance of our mission to end prohibition. I personally nominated Betty Aldworth as Board Chair because I am confident that she and our new officers are the right team to shepherd the end of prohibition nationally," said Sal Pace, MPP Board member.

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