Marijuana reform in 2022 ran the gamut, with three new states legalizing hashish for grownup use and an ideologically various mixture of different states advancing coverage modifications that contact on every thing from expungements to office protections for customers.
A report revealed by NORML on December 12 places the 12 months into context, highlighting simply how lively advocates and lawmakers had been, as they’ve bucked the established order of prohibition and sought out new coverage that builds on the ever-expanding hashish reform motion.
“Voters and lawmakers took important steps to repeal marijuana prohibition legal guidelines and supply aid to tens hundreds of thousands of People who’ve suffered because of this.”
As of the 12 months’s finish, 21 states have now legalized adult-use marijuana, and the overwhelming majority of states have some type of medical entry.
“Voters and lawmakers took important steps this 12 months to repeal marijuana prohibition legal guidelines and to offer aid to these tens hundreds of thousands of People who’ve suffered because of them,” NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano mentioned in a press launch.
Whereas most headlines give attention to legalization—and there have been some reform setbacks, such because the defeat of three poll measures in historically conservative states—advocates are additionally ending the 12 months having achieved plenty of different necessary, albeit much less extensively publicized, victories.
NORML’s report locations the poll and legislative developments into eight classes: legalization, expungement, medical marijuana, office drug testing, fairness, juveniles, business and miscellaneous.
Listed here are among the key highlights.
Legalization
Three states legalized marijuana for grownup use this 12 months: Maryland, Missouri and Rhode Island. The primary two had been authorized by voters by means of poll initiatives, whereas Rhode Island’s legislature handed the state’s reform that was signed into legislation by Gov. Dan McKee (D). (Leisure gross sales started in the Ocean State at the beginning of the month.)
There have been, nonetheless, plenty of states the place legalization superior by means of state legislatures, and the place activists had sought to move the reform on the poll but were not successful this year.
Expungement
Legislatures in California, Colorado and Illinois every authorized payments coping with hashish expungements or file sealing.
In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed legislation in September mandating that the courts course of file sealing and different types of aid for folks with eligible hashish convictions on their data in a particular timeframe.
Colorado’s governor equally enacted a invoice to streamline expungements, whereas Illinois’s governor signed a measure in June to make it so courts can’t deny petitions to expunge or seal data primarily based on a optimistic drug take a look at for marijuana.
Medical Marijuana
Practically a dozen states superior medical hashish reform this 12 months, together with Mississippi, the place medical marijuana legalization was signed into law in February.
California expanded its medical hashish program with a brand new legislation that forestalls localities from blocking supply companies of their areas, which is supposed to assist shut the entry hole for sufferers.
Kentucky created a Middle for Hashish Analysis on the College of Kentucky to facilitate research into the advantages and dangers of marijuana. In the meantime, Louisiana, in the meantime, expanded its program by allowing nurses to issue medical cannabis recommendation and let out-of-state sufferers with sure qualifying situations entry its dispensaries.
In Washington, D.C., the mayor signed laws to extend the possession restrict for sufferers whereas additionally permitting adults 21 and older, in addition to non-residents, to self-certify as medical marijuana patients. That successfully circumvents a congressional rider that’s blocked the District from implementing a system of regulated adult-use hashish commerce.
Medical hashish reforms had been additionally enacted this 12 months in Maine, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah and Virginia.
Office Drug Testing
A subject that obtained appreciable consideration in state legislatures this 12 months issues office drug testing coverage, and three states, plus DC, enacted reform laws to that finish.
A California legislation, for instance, prohibits most employers from discriminating in opposition to employees primarily based on drug assessments that present the presence of THC metabolites. Medical marijuana employment protections had been additionally applied in Louisiana and DC this 12 months.
In Utah, the governor signed laws that “limits state employers from taking punitive actions in opposition to workers who devour hashish merchandise at dwelling in compliance with the state’s medical marijuana entry legislation,” NORML mentioned.
Fairness
Maine eliminated provisions of its hashish legislation that beforehand restricted business participation by folks with prior drug convictions on their data.
Massachusetts, in the meantime, enacted a legislation making a “Hashish Social Fairness Belief Fund” that’s meant to advertise marijuana market participation by individuals who’ve been disproportionately impacted by the drug warfare.
Juveniles
One other California legislation that went into impact this 12 months mandates that social employees should treat marijuana use by parents the same as it does for alcohol in its baby welfare investigations.
Trade
California’s governor signed a invoice in September that revised the marijuana tax construction in a method designed to take away limitations to coming into the regulated business, whereas undercutting the illicit market. One other invoice signed into legislation permits the governor to enter into interstate hashish commerce agreements with different states, pending a federal coverage change.
Maine enacted a legislation permitting marijuana deliveries for the adult-use market.
Miscellaneous
An executive order from Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) says that “these with prior in-state or out-of-state marijuana-related convictions will not be denied skilled licensure in Colorado.”
Below a legislation enacted this 12 months, police in Louisiana are not ready to make use of to odor of marijuana alone because the justification to conduct a search of an individual’s dwelling and not using a warrant.
Maine authorized laws that provides localities the chance to obtain monetary reimbursements for the prices of licensing marijuana companies and regulating the market.
“Polling continues to point out that marijuana reform is common amongst voters, no matter political celebration,” NORML’s Armentano mentioned. “As extra lawmakers acknowledge that advocating for marijuana coverage reforms is a political alternative, not a political legal responsibility, we anticipate future legislative good points in 2023 and past.”
{Photograph} by Tony Webster through Flickr/Creative Commons 2.0
This story was initially revealed by Marijuana Moment, which tracks the politics and coverage of hashish and medicines. Comply with Marijuana Second on Twitter and Facebook, and join its newsletter.