Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker's executive order to close all nonessential businesses in the state in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19 would make an allowance for medical marijuana dispensaries, but not adult-use recreational sellers.
A congressional committee approved two bills focused on marijuana and military veterans. The action is the first markup of cannabis-related legislation on Capitol Hill this year.
After hours of tense debate, the Alabama Senate voted to pass a bill to legalize medical marijuana in the state. Lawmakers voted 22-11 in support of the legislation, which would allow qualifying patients to purchase certain medical marijuana products from state-licensed dispensaries.
The Maryland House of Delegates passed a bill that would expand the state’s current marijuana decriminalization policy, making it so that people caught possessing up to one ounce of cannabis—rather than just 10 grams—would avoid jail time.
For most of New York City’s 1.1-million marijuana enthusiasts, Wednesday evening was one like any other. For Fitzroy Gayle, it was the night smoking a joint almost got him killed.
President Donald Trump ousted his acting White House chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, and replaced him with Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC). Meadows has consistently opposed efforts to scale back the federal war on marijuana as a member of Congress.
A coalition of criminal justice reform advocates—including several Republican officials and a major basketball star—recently delivered a letter to President Trump, imploring him to grant pardons or commutations to people serving time in federal prison for non-violent marijuana offenses.
Boston’s first pot shop opened Monday, marking the first recreational marijuana store to open in a major East Coast city. Pure Oasis is also among the few retail stores in the country owned and operated by people of color, who experts say have struggled to break into the industry.