{"id":3346,"date":"2021-12-30T16:50:19","date_gmt":"2021-12-30T16:50:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/CBMiYGh0dHBzOi8vbm9ybWwub3JnL25ld3MvMjAyMS8xMi8zMC8yMDIxLXllYXItaW4tcmV2aWV3LW5vcm1scy10b3AtdGVuLWV2ZW50cy1pbi1tYXJpanVhbmEtcG9saWN5L9IBAA"},"modified":"2021-12-30T16:50:19","modified_gmt":"2021-12-30T16:50:19","slug":"2021-year-in-review-normls-top-ten-events-in-marijuana-policy-norml","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/?p=3346","title":{"rendered":"2021 Year in Review: NORML’s Top Ten Events in Marijuana Policy – Norml"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"2021<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

#1: Five More States Enact Adult-Use Legalization Laws<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Legislatures in five states \u2014 Connecticut<\/a>, New Jersey<\/a>, New Mexico<\/a>, New York<\/a>, and Virginia<\/a> \u2014 enacted laws in 2021 legalizing adult-use marijuana possession and regulating retail cannabis markets. These legislative victories marked a significant change from past years, when similar laws were enacted almost exclusively via citizens\u2019 initiatives, not by legislative action. In total, 18 states<\/a> \u2014 comprising nearly one-half of the US population \u2014 have now adopted laws regulating adult use marijuana production and retail sales.<\/p>\n

\u201cState lawmakers have learned that advocating for adult-use legalization laws is a winning political issue that is popular with their constituents, regardless of their age, race, or political affiliation,\u201d NORML\u2019s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said.<\/p>\n

#2: State Officials Vacate Over Two Million Cannabis Convictions<\/h3>\n

Officials in multiple states have moved to either expunge or seal the records of over two million people with cannabis convictions. Specifically, officials in New York announced<\/a> vacating an estimated 400,000 convictions. In Virginia<\/a>, officials have similarly taken steps to seal some 400,000 convictions. In New Jersey<\/a>, officials have expunged over 360,000 marijuana-related convictions. Officials in Illinois<\/a> have vacated an estimated 500,000 cannabis convictions, while California<\/a> officials have expunged over 200,000 convictions. In all, more than a dozen states<\/a> have enacted legislation in recent years facilitating the process of having past marijuana convictions either expunged or sealed from public view.<\/p>\n

In December, US Representatives Dave Joyce (R-OH) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) introduced federal legislation<\/a> to provide funding to state and local governments for the purposes of expunging the records of those with marijuana-related convictions. Following the bill\u2019s introduction, NORML\u2019s Political Director Justin Strekal said, \u201cThis bipartisan effort represents the growing consensus to reform marijuana policies in a manner that addresses the harms inflicted by prohibition. There is no justification for continuing to prevent tens of millions of Americans from fully participating in their community and workforce simply because they bear the burden of a past marijuana conviction.\u201d<\/p>\n

#3: Lawmakers Enact Workplace Protections for Cannabis Consumers<\/h3>\n

Policymakers at the state and local level adopted numerous laws in 2021 limiting employers\u2019 ability to either fire or refuse to hire employees solely based upon their off-the-job marijuana use. In New York, lawmakers enacted sweeping legislation<\/a> prohibiting employers from firing workers who test positive for cannabis absent \u201cobjectively observable indications\u201d of impaired performance. Legislators in several other states \u2013 including Connecticut, New Jersey, and Montana \u2013 similarly took actions limiting pre-employment screening as a condition of employment. Municipal lawmakers in several cities \u2013 including Atlanta<\/a>, Baltimore<\/a>, Kansas City<\/a>, and Philadelphia<\/a> \u2013 passed similar measures.<\/p>\n

Overall, fewer companies are drug testing their employees for cannabis. In June, representatives of the Amazon corporation \u2013 the United States\u2019 second-largest employer \u2013 announced<\/a> that the company will no longer engage in pre-employment marijuana screenings for its new hires, except for those in federally regulated positions (that mandate drug testing). Survey data<\/a> provided this fall by the Manpower Group found that nearly ten percent of employers have eliminated drug testing requirements as a way to attract new hires and to retain current employees.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese decisions reflect today\u2019s changing cultural and legal landscape,\u201d NORML\u2019s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said. \u201cIt is time for workplace policies to adapt to this new reality and to cease punishing employees for activities they engage in during their off-hours that pose no workplace safety threat.\u201d<\/p>\n

#4: Marijuana Arrests Decline Precipitously<\/h3>\n

The number of persons arrested in the United States for violating marijuana laws declined 36 percent<\/a> between 2019 and 2020, according to data released in September by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation. According to the agency, police made an estimated 350,150 arrests<\/a> for marijuana-related violations in 2020. That total is down more than 50 percent from peak levels in 2008, when police made over 800,000 marijuana-related arrests. Marijuana-related arrests were least likely to occur in 2020 in western states \u2014 most of which have legalized the possession of the substance.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs more states move toward the sensible policy of legalizing and regulating cannabis, we are seeing a decline in the arrest of non-violent marijuana consumers nationwide,\u201d NORML\u2019s Executive Director Erik Altieri said. He added, however, \u201cWhile these numbers represent a historic decline in arrests, even one person being put into handcuffs for the simple possession of marijuana is too many.\u201d<\/p>\n

#5: Historic Percentages of Americans Say Cannabis Should Be Legalized<\/h3>\n

The percentage of Americans who believe that \u201cthe use of marijuana should be legal\u201d held at record highs in 2021. According to nationwide polling data<\/a> provided by Gallup, 68 percent<\/a> of US adults support legalization. That ties the highest percentage of support ever reported in a national Gallup poll. \u201cAs was the case in 2020, solid majorities of US adults in all major subgroups by gender, age, income and education support legalizing marijuana,\u201d Gallup pollsters determined. Several other 2021 surveys, such as those compiled by Quinnipiac University<\/a> and Harris Research<\/a>, similarly identified supermajority support for legalizing marijuana.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no buyer\u2019s remorse on the part of the American people. In the era of state-level legalization, voters\u2019 support for this issue has grown rapidly \u2014 an indication that these policy changes have been successful and are comporting with voters\u2019 desires and expectations.\u201d NORML\u2019s Executive Director Erik Altieri said. \u201cToday, voters of every age and in virtually every region of the country agree that marijuana should be legal. We have a mandate from the American people and we intend to make sure that elected officials abide by it.\u201d<\/p>\n

#6: Rates of Youth Marijuana Use Decline<\/h3>\n

Fewer young people are consuming cannabis, according to data<\/a> compiled by the US National Institutes of Health and published in November. The NIH data is consistent with findings reported<\/a> by the University of Michigan\u2019s Monitoring the Future, the Youth Behavioral Risk Survey<\/a>, and other recently published data sets<\/a>. Speaking publicly on the subject in September, Nora Volkow, Director of the US National Institute on Drug Abuse, acknowledged<\/a> that state-level marijuana legalization hasn\u2019t led to an increase in the percentage of young people using marijuana.<\/p>\n

Commenting on the trend, NORML\u2019s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said, \u201cThese findings ought to reassure lawmakers and others that cannabis access for adults can be legally regulated in a manner that is safe, effective, and that does not inadvertently impact young people\u2019s habits.\u201d<\/p>\n

#7: Courts Strike Down Marijuana Legalization Votes<\/h3>\n

The Supreme Courts of Mississippi and South Dakota issued rulings this year nullifying voters\u2019 decisions to legalize cannabis.<\/p>\n

In May, judges on the Mississippi Supreme Court ruled<\/a> to quash Initiative 65<\/a>, which sought to regulate medical cannabis access in the state. Seventy-three percent of Mississippi voters had approved the measure on Election Day, but justices later determined that citizens\u2019 initiatives were no longer permissible under state law.<\/p>\n

In December, justices on the South Dakota Supreme Court struck down<\/a> a voter-approved adult-use legalization initiative after determining that it violated the state\u2019s single subject rule. The state\u2019s Republican Governor spearheaded<\/a> the litigation. Fifty-four percent of voters had approved the ballot measure.<\/p>\n

In response to the rulings, NORML\u2019s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said: \u201cLegalization opponents cannot succeed in the court of public opinion or at the ballot box. Thus, they are now petitioning the courts to overturn the will of the people. Whether or not one supports marijuana legalization, Americans should be deeply concerned by this trend and by the outcomes of these cases.\u201d<\/p>\n

#8: Unregulated Delta-8 THC Products Often Mislabeled, May Contain Impurities<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Labeling information provided on the packaging of grey market Delta-8 THC products is typically inaccurate<\/a>, according to independent analyses of unregulated, over-the-counter products. Many available products also contain heavy metals and unlabeled cutting agents<\/a>. The production and popularity of synthetically derived Delta-8 products rose significantly in 2021, prompting NORML to issue a report<\/a> cautioning the public that most Delta-8 producers are not regulated<\/a> and that they may use potentially dangerous household products<\/a> in their manufacturing processes.<\/p>\n

NORML Board Member Dr. Dale Gieringer, who authored NORML\u2019s 2021 report, said<\/a>: \u201cConsumers are facing a bewildering array of new cannabis products, including novel agents such as Delta-8 THC. Many come from suspect, unregulated sources on the hemp market or contain new synthetic substances not found in nature. \u2026 We strongly recommend that consumers stick to state-regulated products consisting of naturally occurring cannabis ingredients, and that they avoid novel products from the underground market or that are derived from industrial hemp CBD.\u201d<\/p>\n

#9: Twin Study Rebuts Claim that Early-Onset Cannabis Use Increases Psychosis Risk<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Cannabis exposure during adolescence is not independently attributable to either adult-onset psychosis or signs of schizophrenia, according to longitudinal data<\/a> from two cohorts of twins published in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Researchers reported<\/a>: \u201cEpidemiological studies have repeatedly shown that individuals who use cannabis are more likely to develop psychotic disorders than individuals who do not. It has been suggested that these associations represent a causal effect of cannabis use on psychosis, and that psychosis risk may be particularly elevated when use occurs in adolescence. \u2026 This study, however, does not support these hypotheses, suggesting instead that observed associations are more likely due to confounding by common vulnerability factors.\u201d<\/p>\n

In recent years, opponents of marijuana legalization have increasing alleged that exposure to certain cannabis products, particularly those with higher percentages of THC, can trigger psychotic episodes in consumers as a justification to roll back<\/a> marijuana legalization laws.<\/p>\n

#10: US Senate Punts on Opportunity to Advance SAFE Banking<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Members of the US Senate failed to include House-passed SAFE Banking<\/a> provisions as part of the 2021 version of the National Defense Authorization Act. The provisions were ultimately removed from the bill<\/a> in conference committee \u201cat the Senate majority leader\u2019s insistence.\u201d<\/a> The SAFE Banking provisions \u2013 which allow state-licensed marijuana-related businesses to engage freely in relationships with banks and other financial institutions \u2013 have been passed by the US House of Representatives on five occasions, but they have never been advanced by the Senate.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is unfortunate that Congress failed to take this opportunity to affirm the legitimacy of state-legal marijuana markets and instead acted in a way that will continue to deny this emerging legal industry access to basic financial tools and services,\u201d NORML\u2019s Political Director Justin Strekal said. \u201cUntil Congressional action is taken, state-licensed marijuana businesses and those millions of Americans that patronize them will continue to be at a higher risk of robbery due to the all-cash nature of this industry. Furthermore, smaller entrepreneurs who seek to enter this industry will continue to struggle to compete against larger, more well-established and well-capitalized interests.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n

Share this:<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Like this:<\/h3>\n
Like<\/span><\/span> Loading…<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

#1: Five More States Enact Adult-Use Legalization Laws Legislatures in five states \u2014 Connecticut, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, and Virginia \u2014 enacted laws in 2021 legalizing adult-use marijuana possession and regulating retail cannabis markets. These legislative victories marked a significant change from past years, when similar laws were enacted almost exclusively via citizens\u2019 initiatives, not by legislative action. In total, 18 states \u2014 comprising nearly one-half of the US population \u2014 have now adopted laws regulating adult use marijuana production and retail sales. \u201cState lawmakers have learned that advocating for adult-use legalization laws is a winning political issue… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3347,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3346","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/2021-year-in-review-normls-top-ten-events-in-marijuana-policy-norml.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3346","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3346"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3346\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3347"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3346"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3346"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3346"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}