How is 2019 shaping up for cannabis in the U.S.?

While prohibition persists at federal level, more and more American states are taking the initiative to legislate on cannabis. Already, 32 states have legalized medical use and 11 have legalized recreational use. Early November, in the context of the parliamentary elections, Three states have legalized medical or recreational cannabis by popular vote, and new governors have been elected. With the new mandates soon to take effect, some members are already anticipating the 2019 legislative session and starting to draft cannabis bills. Hemp should also be legal at federal level from January.

Governors' endorsement

• New York : After commissioning a study and convening a working group on the issue, the governor of New York officially announced that the legalization of recreational cannabis would take place in 2019. He is due to give details next Monday of the regulatory system he intends to put in place. The bill will then have to be approved by the state legislature, which will then have a Democratic majority and will most likely vote in favor.
• Connecticut Connecticut's newly elected governor, Ned Lamont, had declared cannabis legalization one of his priorities. He had even stated that he wanted to legalize recreational cannabis in his first year in office (the state already allows medical cannabis and has decriminalized possession of small amounts of cannabis). So it's a safe bet that Connecticut's recreational cannabis laws will change as early as 2019. In other news, a survey conducted this summer shows that 59% of Connecticut residents are in favor of legalization.
• Illinois The new governor-elect, Democrat J.B. Priztker, declared that he would support the legalization. He sees it as a source of revenue in the context of the state's pension crisis. His term begins in January, and the Democrats have a super-majority in both houses of Parliament. It is therefore highly likely that initiatives to legalize recreational cannabis with a market and tax system will see the light of day in Illinois as early as 2019.

MPs take initiatives for next parliamentary session

• IndianaSenator Karen Tallian has already pre-filled two cannabis bills for the next legislative session. The first legalizes possession of less than 56 grams of cannabis. The second establishes Cannabis Compliance Commission, a state body in charge of regulating everything to do with the trade and use of cannabis. The senator plans to file another bill, in 2019, for the creation of a medical cannabis program. A proposal to this effect was introduced earlier this year. It was not approved, but a specialized committee was set up to study the issue. Within a year, a telephone survey on 604 residents estimated that 80% of them were in favor of legalizing medical or recreational cannabis. However, cannabis programs cannot be approved by popular vote in Indiana. The future of cannabis in Illinois is therefore entirely in the hands of the legislature, where Republicans hold super-majorities in both houses. They are reputed to be more conservative, but this is not always the case: in Rhode Island, On the contrary, the Republican leader of the House of Representatives is in favor of legalization, while the Democratic leader is more reticent.
• South CarolinaThree deputies have pre-populated four proposals for legislation on cannabis for the upcoming voting session. Those of Rosalyn Henderson-Myers and J. Todd Rutherford both aim to legalize medical cannabis by granting cultivation and distribution licenses. The other two aim to decriminalize. MP Ivory Thigpen's bill aims to amend the law to make possession of less than 28 grams and 10 grams of hashish a civil offence instead of a crime punishable by prison. Rutherford's proposal would decriminalize possession, but only for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress. They would be allowed to possess up to 28 grams of cannabis and 10 grams of hashish.
• New JerseyMurphy, New Jersey's new governor since January, has taken a stand in favor of legalizing cannabis, but so far none of his initiatives have been successful. At the end of November, on the other hand, Senate and Assembly committees have approved a proposed law in a joint session. The proposal would legalize recreational cannabis and create an industry of producers and traders. It must now be approved in plenary session. The vote will take place in 2019, as the text is not entirely finished and an agreement on the tax proportion must be reached with the governor, who had stated that he would oppose a law with less than 25% in taxes. The text in question provides for only 12% of taxes. It also provides for the erasure of cannabis-related criminal records.
• Missouri: Missouri voters approved medical cannabis last November. Building on this success, a state legislator has already filed a 2019 bill to legalize recreational cannabis. Like legalization in Vermont, the proposal doesn't involve setting up a cannabis market. Instead, residents will be allowed to possess 56 grams of cannabis and grow up to six plants at home.
• Texas: Members of Parliament pre-filled in a dozen or so proposals of cannabis legislation, ranging from complete legalization to simple decriminalization. For the moment, Texas allows neither medical nor recreational use of cannabis, both of which are punishable by prison sentences and fines. It is unlikely that cannabis will be legalized in the conservative state, but decriminalization debate looks promising.
• VirginieA proposal to decriminalize cannabis will be introduced in 2019. It would amend existing law to make possession of small quantities of cannabis a simple civil offense rather than a felony, removing prison sentences.
• Nevada: Cannabis is already legal in this state, but the deputies plan to introduce a series of new regulations. bill draft request on cannabis. Visit bill draft request is to represent the existing law in a modified form. These modifications generally concern taxes and banking services.

The reluctant

• NebraskaIn Nebraska, the unicameral legislature has been debating the issue of medical cannabis since 2016, but nothing has moved, with initiatives failing to garner enough votes or being vetoed by the governor. Tired of this immobility, members of parliament have decided to introduce the issue in the form of a popular vote initiative. They will therefore be collecting signatures to be able to submit a proposal for legalization to the citizens' vote. This will take time and will not happen in 2019, but more likely in 2020. Matthew Schweich, director of Marijuana Policy Project, supports the initiative and points to other conservative states such as Utah, which has just legalized medical cannabis through this procedure, as an example. His organization is currently considering medical cannabis campaigns in Idaho and Mississippi for 2020.
• New Hampshire: Completely against the tide, the governor of Sununu has campaigned against the legalization of cannabis in all its forms and vowed to veto any legalization proposal. . yet, a survey showed that a majority of voters and members of both parties supported legalization. Cannabis use is already decriminalized in the state. If a bill can rally enough deputies, it could still override the governor's veto.