Vice President Harris emphasized that “nobody should have to go to jail” for marijuana use, and lamented that “far too many Americans” have faced serious legal consequences for minor marijuana offenses.
“Hundreds of thousands of Americans unduly carry the burden and stigma of a past conviction for behavior that most Americans, and a growing number of states, no longer consider to be a crime.”
Lawmakers have advanced several marijuana-related bills — including legislation to legalize the adult use market — out of their chambers of origin.
“We found that non-medical cannabis legalization was associated with an immediate decline in beer sales. Furthermore, beer sales continued to decline in the post-legalization period, suggesting that individuals are moving away from beer towards legal cannabis.”
Lawmakers are increasingly hearing from business interests, not from consumers and grassroots advocates. That is why it is more important than ever that NORML maintains a seat at the table to ensure that consumers’ interests are heard and taken seriously.
“Today, for the first time since the adoption of federal marijuana prohibition, more US citizens reside in jurisdictions where cannabis is state-legal than live somewhere where it is not.”
The measures now head to Republican Gov. Youngkin’s desk.
Republican-backed legislative efforts to impose arbitrary THC potency caps on certain cannabis products are likely dead for the session.