The odor of cannabis can no longer be the only thing police notice in order to search a vehicle during a traffic stop after an Illinois Supreme Court ruling last week. The consolidated cases had different outcomes in the appellate court. The Illinois Supreme Court heard the case in January. Representing the state, attorney Mitchell Ness said while cannabis is legal for medical reasons and now recreational purposes, products must be sealed in an odor-proof container when it’s being transported.
Cannabis, or marijuana, has come a long way on the road back to legitimacy in the United States, and it soon may pass an important milestone: rescheduling. That’s the technical term for reclassifying it as a less dangerous drug, which would loosen some restrictions around it at the federal level.
Cannabis was widely used as medicine in the 1800s and early 1900s. But Congress effectively criminalized it in 1937 with passage of the Marihuana Tax Act. However, starting in 1996, marijuana has since become accessible in most states for adult medical or recreational use.
Listen up, stoners, it’s time to register and vote. Lord knows the people that want to put you in a cage will be. If you like weed, and being left alone—you got two things to do:
Twenty-four states already have legal cannabis—three more could join them. Here’s what’s at stake.
Florida cannabis legalization
Florida Amendment 3 will need every cannabis-lover and then some to reach 60% percent of the vote—the threshold to approve weed legalization in the Sunshine State.
Amendment 3 fully legalizes holding up 3 ounces of bud and 5 grams of concentrate—ending some 66,000 arrests per year and generating hundreds of millions in court savings and tax revenue. All Florida medical dispensaries could sell to adult-use consumers.
Everyone from singer Miguel to former President Trump has endorsed the measure. But far-left and far-right extremes—from Gov. Ron DeSantis to the most conspiratorial tokers—say Amendment 3 either goes too far or not far enough.
Related
Pot prohibition costs Florida at least $200 million per year
Florida’s powerful, entrenched Republicans have also made it harder to vote.
Florida’s powerful, entrenched Republicans have also made it harder to vote. In 2022, Gov. Ron DeSantis canceled all standing vote-by-mail requests.
According to the Tallahassee Democrat, the GOP-led Florida Legislature has ripped out mail-in ballot boxes, added new voter ID rules, and deterred voter registration. For example, you must request to vote-by-mail every voting cycle, instead of once every 4 years.
“Voter rolls may now be purged annually, you should check your voter status every year well in time to address it before any voting deadlines.”
The deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot is Thursday, Oct. 24. Even if you think you’re registered, check your voter status.
Related
Legalization drives down cannabis prices, analysis finds
South Dakota cannabis legalization
South Dakota will again vote on legalization. Measure 29 legalizes 2 ounces, 16 grams of hash, and 1600 milligrams of THC in edibles. You could grow up to 12 plants per household. A May poll showed Measure 29 losing with only 41.8% of the vote.
North Dakota will again vote on legalization. Measure 5 legalizes 1 ounce of cannabis, 4 grams of hash, and 300 mg edibles, plus up to 6 plants in a household. You don’t have to register to vote in North Dakota.
Nebraska could legalize medical cannabis with Initiative 438. A yes repeals medical weed prohibition in Nebraska, and regulates the medical cannabis trade. So far 38 states have medical cannabis.
The deadline to register to vote in Nebraska is October 18, so do it today.
A union-funded measure to increase unions in the Oregon cannabis industry is on the ballot. Current law already allows unions at pot businesses. Oregon Measure 119 mandates each cannabis business sign a ‘labor peace agreement’ or lose their license. The deadline to register to vote in Oregon is Oct. 15.
Psychedelics legalization
Massachusetts psychedelics legalization
Massachusetts Question 4 would legalize psychedelics for adults 21 and up, as well as tax them, and create an Advisory Board.
You could grow “any plant, fungus, or preparation containing” DMT, mescaline, ibogaine, or psilocybin. And you could possess 1 gram of DMT, 18 grams of mescaline, 30 grams of ibogaine, 1 gram of psilocybin, and 1 gram of psilocyn. You could also grow said plants or fungus in a 12 by 12-foot area.
Massachusetts ‘shroom legalization is on track to fail with 42% support.
Act and vote locally to have the most impact. Local city council members and county supervisors will decide if your town can have a dispensary, or allow licensed farms.
State representatives and state senators decide how high your taxes will be, or if you can have a cannabis lounge.
Furthermore, Marijuana Policy Project made a guide for New Hampshire voters who want to pick pro-reform candidates. New Hampshire is a prohibition state with no initiative process, so voters have to pick a governor and legislators to advance their rights.
More weed and psychedelics voter guides to check out
A raft of groups have gathered up election info for you to digest. Check out voter guides from:
Even better—ASA has a toolkit to help you track your candidates, get a meeting with them, and brief them on compassionate reforms they can pledge to uphold.
Ballotpedia—Ballotpedia does a bang-up job briefing voters on 2024 ballot measures.
OK, we’ll add more resources as we find them. Be sure to register and vote— because pot prohibitionists certainly will be.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed a bill on Tuesday to let cannabis cafes in California serve food and drink and host live performances, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. This comes one day after he vetoed a bill that would have allowed small cannabis growers to sell products directly to consumers. https://www.ganjapreneur.com/california-gov-signs-bill-to-let-cannabis-cafes-serve-food-host-live-music/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=california_gov_signs_bill_allowing_live_music_events_at_cannabis_cafes_kamala_harris_talks_legalization_and_more&utm_term=2024-10-02
