Marijuana remains to be illegal in the majority of the United States, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t making progress! More and more people are becoming open-minded to the benefits of this natural drug, and it is becoming vastly more accepted in society. In the recent day, many states have hopped on the marijuana train, and we are here to fill you in on some of the most recent developments!
Number Seven: Ohio and Marijuana
Medical marijuana progress has been set back for a few months now, but things are finally starting to get in motion again. The initiative supported by the Marijuana Policy Project has cleared its reviews and received approval. Thus, if the volunteers for the organization receive 305,591 voter signatures by July, the initiative will appear on the November Ohio ballot.
Number Six: Illinois
Once again, the issue of cannabis decriminalization is being brought to the attention of the Senate. The proposed bill requests that the penalty for possession of more than 10 grams of pot be reduced to a reasonable $100-$200 fine. If the bill passes in the Senate, the movement will then be reviewed by the House of Representatives.
Number Five: Colorado
We know that Colorado has already legalized cannabis in more ways than we thought realistically possible, but those who treasure their newfound rights may be in danger of disappointment. Despite the extreme success the state has experienced from its legislation, state officials are pressing a need for restrictions on THC levels in products. The “cap” would only apply to recreational marijuana, but the proposed THC percentage is no more than 15%.
Number Four: Maine
The state of Maine has embraced use of medical cannabis, however feel the need to establish a legal limit when it comes to driving. A bill has been constituted to propose a limit equal to that of Colorado and Washington, roughly .05 nanograms of THC per millimeter of blood. This seems reasonable, however many patients claim a safe level is higher.
Number Three: Oregon
Oregon Governor Kate Brown has just signed off on a bill that allows medical marijuana dispensaries and recreational shops to sell small doses of extracts and edibles to eligible customers. The only thing staying in the way of this action is the regulation of sale draft from the Oregon Health Authority, which has not yet been planned.
Number Two: Hawaii
In Hawaii, the House Judiciary Committee has recently approved a study aimed at decriminalizing all illegal drugs. However, they recently added an amendment to the action that states the focus of the study will only be drugs that cause felony offenses.
Number One: Florida
The previously unsuccessful movements for medical marijuana legalization in Florida have finally made a bit of progress. Just last week, Florida Governor Rick Scott finally signed off on an amendment to the “Right to Try” act in Florida, which states that terminally ill patients will have legal right to try full-strength marijuana products. It isn’t much, but hey, it’s progress. We hope you enjoyed our list of the seven states making strides towards legalizing marijuana!