marijuana

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has said that one of his legislative priorities is to ban all consumable THC products in the state during the upcoming Texas legislative session.

Medical marijuana remains illegal in Kansas, and groups representing Kansas police chiefs, sheriffs and peace officers want it to stay that way — claiming it will create black market activity and crime. However, a majority of Kansans support legal weed.

It’s now been two years since New Mexico legalized recreational cannabis, and sales data shows Texans are helping what’s become a multi-million-dollar industry for the state. Despite that, Texas lawmakers seem even farther from approving any sort of marijuana reform than they were just a few years ago.

Missouri’s first legal sale of cannabis came in early February 2023. Kansas residents could immediately drive over and buy it legally, but risked arrest and prosecution if they brought their joints or gummies across the state line.

Lubbock Compact, the organization behind the proposed initiative, said Paxton’s decision to sue Austin, San Marcos, Killeen, Denton, and Elgin for decriminalizing marijuana goes against what those voters have shown they want.

The Organized Crime Task Force (OCTF) found about 72,000 pounds of black-market marijuana inside a metal barn on Nov. 9 in Wagoner County.

Movement on marijuana policy has stalled in the GOP-dominated Kansas Legislature for consecutive sessions, and it’s unclear whether House and Senate leaders will allow a floor vote in the upcoming session.

Activists say registered voters will be a deciding factor.

Voters are just days away from deciding whether Oklahoma will legalize recreational marijuana. But results of similar ballot initiatives in Arkansas and Missouri could help predict the fate of State Question 820.

The road to even partial legalization of marijuana has been a long and rocky one. Last session, the Kansas House approved a medical marijuana bill, while a Senate proposal died in committee.