Cannabis Regulatory Update: Nevada Continues Weed Arrests Despite Legalization, Missouri's Efforts To Legalize

Nevada Police Still Arrests People For Marijuana Possession Despite Legalization 

Some six years since Nevada legalized recreational cannabis, the Silver State is not running the program as smoothly or as lawfully, one might say, as it should.

According to a new lawsuit, backed by the Nevada chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the state’s drug code still lists cannabis as a Schedule 1 drug, which is unconstitutional, and allows state police to continue to arrest people for cannabis possession, reported Marijuana Moment.  

The suit is against the state Board of Pharmacy, which is in charge of the scheduling of controlled substances. Plaintiffs argued that because the board did not remove marijuana from Schedule 1, people are still at risk of being prosecuted for possession of cannabis with intent to distribute.

“This is what the police departments are doing. They’re actually charging people with possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell even if it is marijuana,” Sadmira Ramic, an attorney with ACLU of Nevada, told the outlet.

It looks like the state police have been exploiting this legal “loophole” even though legal sales of recreational cannabis in Nevada began in 2017. The state first legalized medical marijuana back in 1998 and 2000, through a pair of ballot measures. Nevertheless, despite these legal programs, cannabis users are not necessarily safe against prosecution.

Does Cannabis Legalization Bill In Missouri Still Have A Chance? 

The end of the legislative session in Missouri is a few weeks away, which is making marijuana advocates in the state worried about their efforts to push for cannabis legalization. 

GOP state Rep. Ron Hicks sponsored a bill to legalize possession and use of marijuana for those 21 and older, which had a committee hearing at the beginning of March. Then almost a month after the bill got a vote, after which new amendments were added causing dissatisfaction among the bill’s supporters, writes Missouri Independent. 

 “Do we still have time? Yes,” said Hicks, highlighting that the legislature will continue on May 13.  “I’ve seen bills sail through the process in a week. It really comes down to whether we have the will to tackle it.”

What now?

It looks like it’s up to supporters to use all their efforts to find enough signatures before a May 8 deadline.

They are asking medical marijuana businesses to help them out via monetary donations, reminding them that the new program would give them priority when it comes to new recreational marijuana licenses.

 “We have already collected and processed over 170,000 signatures but still need to collect at least that many more in the remaining weeks to ensure we have cushion and certainty we’re on the ballot,” the newsletter said.

Missouri legalized medical marijuana in 2018; this March medical cannabis sales surpassed $30 million, for the first time getting close to $1 million a day. 

Even though some may be skeptical or against seeing marijuana legalization in the state, Hicks remains optimistic saying that it is going to happen soon or later – with or without lawmakers.

Photo: Courtesy of Rick Proctor on Unsplash