In the US, retail cannabis will outsell chocolate in 2023, and support for marijuana legalization is at an all-time high. In 2023, 22 states have legalized pot for recreational use by adults over 21. Weed remains completely illegal, including for medical use, in only ten states.
However, even in the states with the strictest cannabis laws, such as South Carolina, bipartisan legalization support has grown significantly. It’s safe to say the subject is no longer divisive.
Republican legislators in some of the most conservative states support marijuana legalization.
According to MJBizDaily, there are two pieces of bipartisan legislation to legalize medical cannabis in South Carolina. The Put Patients First Act, co-sponsored by Republican Representative Jay Kilmartin, and the South Carolina Compassionate Care Act. The latter of which is co-sponsored by four Republican representatives.
Although neither bill will see ratification in 2023, the Compassionate Care Act made it to the South Carolina House floor. It marked the furthest a piece of marijuana legislation has ever gone in the Palmetto State.
Marijuana Moment reports in April 2023, the Texas House of Representatives officially passed a marijuana decriminalization bill. Now up for debate on the Senate floor, if ratified, HB 218 would create a path for cannabis conviction expungements. And another bill currently in committee, HB 3562, would legalize the possession of up to 2.5 ounces of weed.
Additionally, a study by the University of Texas shows 72% of voters in the Lone Star State support marijuana decriminalization. And about 60% of voters support the full legalization of cannabis for recreational use. Recreational marijuana is more popular in Texas than Governor Gregg Abbott, who has an approval rating of 46%.
Lawmakers reintroduced bipartisan legislation to prepare for Federal recreational cannabis legalization.
Forbes reports House Representatives Dave Joyce (R-OH) and Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) reintroduced the PREPARE Act to research federal marijuana reform. The Preparing Regulators Effectively for a Post-Prohibition Adult Use Regulated Environment Act would establish a commission to study federal legalization.
Under the law, a team of experts would research the regulation of recreational weed in a manner similar to alcohol. The experts will also examine the effects of cannabis criminalization on veterans, minorities, and low-income communities. Additionally, the commission would also study cannabis safety regulations and youth protection.
According to Akerman LLP Cannabis Practice chair Jonathan Robbins, the Prepare Act differs from traditional legalization legislation. Rather than removing THC from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, it creates a system to inform lawmakers better.
“Those responsible for regulating cannabis at the federal level need to be properly educated,” said Robbins. There is a lot of misinformation and misconceptions out there. It may not be legally necessary, but I believe it is crucial.”
Nearly 90% of Americans show support for marijuana legalization in some form.
Pew Research Center reports 88% of adults in the US say weed should be legal for recreational or medical use. 59% of survey respondents supported recreational legalization, and 30% agreed it should only be legal for medical use. Only 10% of the people surveyed said weed should remain illegal. Additionally, 37% of respondents who identified as conservative said pot should be legal for adult recreational use. And 44% of conservatives surveyed supported medical weed.
