Earlier this week, the Marijuana Policy Project released a report looking into cannabis policy reform efforts in 2019.
The Marijuana Policy Project’s 2019 progress report looks back on one of the most active legislative sessions in history for marijuana policy reform. Bills to legalize marijuana were proposed in a record 27 states, with Illinois enacting a landmark law to legalize and regulate marijuana with a focus on reinvesting in communities hard hit by the war on drugs.
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Dozens of state bills passed to improve medical marijuana laws or roll back prohibition, including in some of the reddest states in the country. Meanwhile, for the first time ever, the U.S. House passed an amendment to shield state legalization laws from federal interference, and several Congressional committees are exploring federal reforms.
“Legislators across the country — from Alabama to Hawaii — are recognizing that the current approach to marijuana is misguided and counterproductive. They are seeing that the sky doesn’t fall when states relax marijuana laws, and recognizing that voters are tired of criminalizing their neighbors for choosing cannabis instead of opiates or alcohol," MPP's director of state policies, Karen O'Keefe, told Benzinga.
See Also:
Harris, Nadler Introduce Comprehensive Federal Cannabis Reform Bill
'Public Opinion Has Changed So Dramatically': How Cannabis Is Shaping The 2020 Presidential Election
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