Welcome back to The Week in Weed, your Friday look at what's happening in the world of legalized marijuana.
One of the states we thought might legalize in the near future was Illinois. The Cook County state's attorney has come out in favor of cannabis legalization and the expunging of misdemeanor offenses. That prediction is looking pretty solid.
Another state we've been watching is Minnesota. We don't think they're likely to be the next state to legalize in the Midwest, but new legalization legislation (try saying that three times fast) has just been introduced.
Meanwhile, on the East Coast, the governor of New Jersey has added opioid addiction to the list of conditions that are eligible to be treated with medical marijuana. And the governor of Pennsylvania, seeing the trend towards legalization in nearby jurisdictions, is talking about recreational cannabis.
In our latest installment of "Places You Wouldn't have Guessed Are Talking about Legal Marijuana," West Virginia lawmakers are considering an adult-use cannabis bill. Granted, its passage is a long shot, but they're talking. Plus, medical marijuana legislation is being drafted in Kansas, and decriminalization has been introduced in the Tennessee legislature.
In the city of Baltimore, marijuana possession will no longer be prosecuted. And that's regardless of the amount or the criminal history of the possessor.
And in news that brings cautious optimism to those in the cannabis industry, Attorney General nominee William Barr has indicated, in writing, that he will not be going after marijuana businesses in states where they are legal. He has not stated that he will re-instate the Cole Memorandum, but promises to look into that question if confirmed.
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