In 2019, twenty seven U.S. states proposed cannabis reform legislation for medical marijuana and non-medical adult use.[1] State-level legalization remains at odds with cannabis' status as a Schedule I narcotic under the Controlled Substances Act at the Federal level.
Major publications predicted several state legislatures would propose legislation in 2019, or voters would do so directly via initiative. These included Connecticut, Hawaii, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island and Illinois. Ohio Marijuana Legalization Initiative (filed in 2018) may appear on the 2019 ballot.[2]
| State | Title | Detail | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | HB 1972 | Arkansas HB 1972, proposed decriminalization[15] | |
| Alabama | SB98 | Alabama SB98, proposed decriminalization (approved by Senate Judiciary Committee[16]) | |
| Arizona | Proposition 207 | Arizona Proposition 207, Smart and Safe Arizona Act: a legalization initiative on the 2020 ballot[17] [18] | |
| Connecticut | House Bill 7371 | Connecticut House Bill 7371, proposed legalization and regulation, and SB 1085, legalizing possession, and expunging past convictions (approved by finance, general law, and judiciary committees)[19] [20] [21] | |
| Delaware | HB 110 | Delaware HB 110 legalization (approved by House Revenue & Finance Committee June 5[22]) | |
| Florida |
| ||
| Hawaii | Hawaii SB 686, proposed legalization | ||
| Idaho | Idaho hemp and medical cannabis initiative (filed)[29] [30] | ||
| Missouri | HB 1095 | Missouri HB 1095, proposed decriminalization[33] | |
| New Hampshire | House Bill 481 | New Hampshire House Bill 481, proposed legalization (passed House of Representatives April 4) | |
| New Jersey | New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory and Expungement Aid Modernization Act, proposed legalization and regulation, to become 2020 voter referendum
| ||
| New Mexico | House Bill 356 | New Mexico House Bill 356, proposed legalization and regulation (failed)
| |
| New York | New York Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (S1527/A1617), legalization and regulation[36] | ||
| Pennsylvania | H.B. 1899 | Pennsylvania H.B. 1899, adult use legalization and sales through state liquor stores; introduced October 1, 2019[37]
| |
| South Dakota |
| ||
| Texas | House Bill 63 | Texas House Bill 63, proposed decriminalization (passed Criminal Jurisprudence Committee on March 25,[41] passed in House of Representatives April 29[42]) | |
| Virginia | House Bill 2371 | Virginia House Bill 2371 proposed legalization; it was defeated in the Courts of Justice committee.[43] |