WASHINGTON, D.C. — With its recent legalization victory in Illinois topping the list, the Marijuana Policy Project has released a new report detailing cannabis policy reform efforts in 2019. Highlighting unprecedented progress at both the state and federal levels, the authors write that 2019 has been a “historic year for marijuana policy and the movement.”
In addition to Illinois, MPP lists the U.S. House of Representatives’ recent approval of a federal spending bill with protections for state marijuana laws, medical cannabis expansion in Georgia, and the elimination of jail time for marijuana possession in Hawaii, New Mexico, and North Dakota among its top 10 wins this year. The report notes that “27 state legislatures considered bills to legalize cannabis for adults in 2019.”
Read the full document here: https://www.mpp.org/2019report.
The report includes an in-depth look at the MPP-led adult use legalization effort in Illinois, which became the first state to legalize marijuana sales through the legislature in June. It also provides a 2019 policy update for every U.S. state and Washington, D.C., along with major developments from U.S. territories. South Dakota is named the “most stagnant” state for marijuana policy reform progress.
Statement from Karen O’Keefe, director of state policies at MPP and lead author of the report:
“Virtually every legislature in the country is taking a close look at its marijuana policies, and many have adopted significant reforms in 2019. Not a single legislature moved to repeal or roll back a medical cannabis or legalization law. Particularly with the first-of-its-kind legalization victory in Illinois, 2019 has been a milestone year for MPP and our movement.”
Statement from Don Murphy, director of federal policies at MPP and contributor to the report:
“Our strategy of building pressure on Congress is working, and we’ve seen historic progress in 2019. Leaders in both parties are talking about the need for reform and giving this issue the attention it deserves. The House’s decision to protect states’ legalization policies is a very encouraging sign. It’s possible that we’ll see the end of federal prohibition before the 2020 election.”
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The Marijuana Policy Project is the nation’s largest cannabis policy organization. It has been a leading advocate for federal cannabis policy reform since its founding in 1995, and it has played a leading role in most major state-level reforms that have occurred over the past two decades. For more information, visit www.mpp.org.
