The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) maintains legislators and voters in more than 12 states enacted over 40 laws liberalizing cannabis policies this year.
Per the NORML 2022 Legislative Report, Maryland, Missouri, and Rhode Island enacted laws legalizing adult-use marijuana possession and regulating retail cannabis markets, with 21 states now possessing laws regulating adult-use marijuana production and retail sales.
“Voters and lawmakers took significant steps this year to repeal marijuana prohibition laws and to provide relief to those tens of millions of Americans who have suffered as a result of them,” NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said. “Polling continues to show that marijuana reform is popular among voters, regardless of political party. As more lawmakers recognize that advocating for marijuana policy reforms is a political opportunity, not a political liability, we anticipate future legislative gains in 2023 and beyond.”
NORML noted it estimates 2 million people have had their marijuana-related convictions either pardoned or expunged in recent years in the wake of states adopting mass pardons or enacting laws facilitating the mass expungement of prior convictions.
According to the report, California, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Montana, and Rhode Island have enacted statutes limiting employers’ ability to hire / fire workers for their recreational cannabis use in certain circumstances while over half of medical marijuana access states have enacted similar workplace protections.
Additionally, the analysis determined Mississippi became the 37th state to enact legislation regulating medical cannabis production and sales, with others passing laws expanding the rights of qualified medical marijuana patients.