Today in cannabis news: Nebraska cannabis advocates reboot a plan to place a medical cannabis measure on the state’s 2022 midterm ballot; in the first vote of its kind in the state, the Minnesota House passes a measure that would legalize recreational cannabis statewide; and the Congress of Spain votes in favor of a measure to study the effects in other nations of controlled medicinal cannabis programs.
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** First up: After the state Legislature refused to approve a proposed measure last week, Nebraska cannabis advocates are rebooting a plan to bring a medical cannabis legalization referendum to voters during the 2022 midterm elections.
The rejection of the relatively stringent proposal in the unicameral legislature, which was the product of a filibuster that proponents could not resolve, came with a challenge by activists: if politicians do not follow the will of citizens, who heavily favor medical cannabis, voters will push to pass a more extensive legalization bill.
Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana declared that advocates would rapidly speed up a petition campaign for a constitutional voter measure after the proposal slipped two votes shy of the 33 senators required to pass. They have reason to be optimistic about the initiative’s future, as the organization successfully placed a medical cannabis initiative on the 2020 ballot, despite the fact that the country is in the grip of a pandemic.
The proposal was never presented to citizens because the Nebraska Supreme Court decided that it breached the single topic law for ballot measures. To prevent the issue this time, the current draft legislation consists of only one sentence: “Persons in the State of Nebraska shall have the right to cannabis in all of its forms for medical purposes.”
** Next up: In the first vote of its kind in the state, CBS Minnesota reports that the Minnesota state House has passed a measure that would legalize recreational cannabis statewide, marking a watershed moment in a decades-long campaign.
The measure passed with a 72-61 vote, including some Republican approval and some Democratic–Farmer–Labor (DFL) Party dissidents, and it comes after numerous committee deliberations, group forums, and coordination with state government bodies.
The measure, however, grinds to a stop in the Minnesota Senate, where the GOP-controlled chamber will not consider it. Nonetheless, Democrats argue that thorough examination and increasing public approval demonstrate that Minnesota is prepared to take that measure.
Although Black Minnesotans are disproportionately affected by the state’s existing statutes prohibiting cannabis consumption but for those with recognized medical conditions, proponents claim legalization would further shift the state to social justice and racial equality. Per an ACLU survey, Black Minnesotans are five times more likely than white Minnesotans to be incarcerated for cannabis.
https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2021/05/14/recreational-marijuana-bill-house-approves/
** Last up: The national committee of the Congress of Spain voted in favor of a measure submitted by the Grupo Parlamentario Vasco (Basque Parliamentary Group), which was backed by many organizations, such as the Observatario España de Cannabis Medicinal (Spanish Medicinal Cannabis Observer). The resolution, which received a plurality of 20 votes in favor and 14 votes opposed, creates a subcommittee to study the effects in other nations of controlled medicinal cannabis programs.
Though Spain was one of the first European nations to decriminalize personal cannabis usage, medicinal cannabis laws lag behind regions of Western and Central Europe. Patients are currently unable to receive licensed medical cannabis products apart from a small number of prescription cannabinoid medications like Sativex and Epydiolex due to obsolete legislation surrounding medical cannabis accessibility.
As per a new survey from the Center for Sociological Research, above 90% of Spaniards support the legalization of medicinal cannabis.
As a result, the establishment of the subcommittee is a crucial kickoff in the Spanish government’s liberalization of medical cannabis. In the near future, this development could pave the way for medical cannabis accessibility in Spain. The nation presently holds the title of being the biggest European nation without access to medical cannabis.
https://prohibitionpartners.com/2021/05/13/spanish-government-to-examine-benefits-of-legalising-medical-cannabis/
