lawmakers

A handful of lawmakers are proposing changes to some of the state's policies on marijuana in 2018. In September, possessing three-fourths of an ounce of marijuana became a violation rather than a crime. Those caught get a $100 fine and no jail time. But before the law changed, people were...

Maine lawmakers are preparing for a 2018 session where Medicaid expansion and marijuana legalization are expected to take center stage. The Legislature must figure out how to pay for Medicaid's eventual $54 million expansion. The sale of recreational marijuana is also set to become legal Feb...

Following the legalization of industrial hemp farming in Wisconsin, some local lawmakers expressed excitement on what that future holds for farmers. Wisconsin was one of the largest producers of industrial hemp in the early 1900s until it was banned in the 1950s. The National Hemp Association...

State lawmakers have taken another step towards legalizing recreational marijuana. Illinois lawmakers on Tuesday heard from a celebrity advocate better known for touring than toking. Rick Steves is best known for introducing millions of people to the wonders of Europe. but the longtime PBS...

Maine lawmakers are returning to Augusta following Republican Gov. Paul LePage's veto of a bill to regulate and tax the sale of marijuana. A two-thirds vote of lawmakers present Monday evening will determine whether or not the veto stands. The bill that establishes rules for the retail...

Questions and answers on Maine pot legislation. Q: How many marijuana bills will state lawmakers consider at the special session? A: Two. One is a regulatory bill, L.D. 1650, that was created by the Joint Select Committee on Marijuana Legalization Implementation, and the other is a...

State lawmakers have announced they will research if Tennessee should legalize marijuana. Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally and State House Speaker Beth Harwell wrote a letter announcing their decision to form an ad-hoc committee to look into the issue. The committee will study, evaluate...

Lawmakers on Beacon Hill are restarting negotiations over legislation that would overhaul the state's recreational marijuana law. A House-Senate conference committee has scheduled a closed-door meeting for Monday afternoon, according to the office of Democratic Sen. Patricia Jehlen...

Massachusetts still doesn't have a state budget for fiscal year 2018 or the rewrite of marijuana laws that lawmakers pledged to get to Gov. Charlie Baker's desk by the end of June. A temporary state budget is in place, set to last through the month of July, as lawmakers continue to work...

Efforts to rewrite the Massachusetts marijuana laws hit a pothole Thursday night. Around 9 p.m., lawmakers at the State House headed home without a compromise bill to place on Gov. Charlie Baker's desk. "We haven't filed a bill yet, that you can see," said state Sen. William Brownsberger...

With just days to go before the Legislature reconvenes for a special session, lawmakers and the administration are zeroing in on a compromise marijuana legalization bill. Gov. Phil Scott vetoed S.22, which passed both legislative chambers in May. With his veto last month, the governor offered...

Negotiators in the House and Senate have reached agreement on how to put medical marijuana into effect. But one senator says lawmakers are going about it the wrong way. Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, was the first lawmaker to publicly support Amendment 2, which 71 percent of voters...

State lawmakers on Wednesday reached agreement on how to put medical marijuana – passed overwhelmingly by voters in November – into effect in Florida. Legislative leaders are expected to add it to their agenda as they convene in Tallahassee Wednesday afternoon, a rare sign of consensus in a...

Among the $409 million in projects vetoed by Governor Rick Scott, there were three items that would have provided over three million dollars to Moffitt Cancer Center and the University of Florida. The state budget called for the money to be used to begin studying medical marijuana and its...

Massachusetts is expected to get a big payoff from future recreational marijuana sales, entering a billion dollar industry. Now, many lawmakers want to use a piece of the pot money. Voters passed recreational marijuana in November of last year so you can smoke it, but you can't legally buy it...

It looks all but certain that state lawmakers will find themselves back in Tallahassee before the month's end. Two high-ranking state senators close to President Joe Negron say they believe he will join the call for a special session to implement the voter-approved medical marijuana...

The path to legalizing pot often leads the same way: through the ballot box. Eight states, including California, Colorado and Oregon, have passed voter-approved ballot measures legalizing the purchase and possession of marijuana for anyone 21 and older. But a new path toward legalization –...

Vermont is on the verge of becoming the ninth state to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, but, being Vermont, it is taking an earthier, grow-it-yourself approach – one that could become a model for others. Vermont is not asking voters to approve a ballot proposal and it is not...

The legislation approved by the lawmakers this past week puts Vermont on the right path toward legalizing the recreational use of marijuana. Gov. Phil Scott should sign the bill and become an active partner in creating an approach that, as the bill states, "increases public safety and reduces...

After a recent medical marijuana bill went up in smoke, a Tampa doctor, who treats patients with medical marijuana, is worried that people are confused about who can seek treatment. As voters in Florida patiently wait for state lawmakers to get their act together and create a framework to...