Patrick McKnight | The Libertarian Institute

Pennsylvania Aims To Move Forward Both On Medicinal & Adult Use Cannabis Programs

by Patrick McKnight | Nov 19, 2019 | Featured Articles, Libertarianism

Pennsylvania Considers New Recreational Cannabis Legislation A new effort to legalize recreational cannabis is coming to the Keystone State. Pennsylvania lawmakers Daylin Leach and Sharif Street are hoping to build support for their latest proposal, Senate Bill 350 which they introduced on October 15th. The bill would allow for both home delivery and the automatic expungement of many previous criminal convictions related to marijuana. The bill’s supporters estimate it will generate $500 million in tax revenue within twelve months. In contrast to the approach of many other states, Senate Bill...

Mid-Atlantic States Enact Historic Reforms, But Remain Stalled on Legalization

by Patrick McKnight | Aug 22, 2019 | Featured Articles, Politics

New Jersey May Renew Push to Legalize Marijuana in 2019 Recent comments from Governor Phil Murphy and Senate President Steve Sweeney suggest one final legislative effort to legalize marijuana in 2019. “I think I’ve been consistent that I hoped we could have one more shot at this,” Murphy told reporters last week. “Getting something to happen sooner, if we have a real shot at that, I’d be all in. … Count me all in to try and work toward that.” The Governor’s promised to legalize marijuana within his first 100 days in office. That was nearly two years ago. The following year and half have been...

Veterans Struggle To Gain Access To Medical Marijuana

by Patrick McKnight | Jul 6, 2019 | Blog

By Patrick McKnight Thirty-three states and the District of Columbia have enacted medical marijuana programs. Despite this expansion military veterans often face greater obstacles to gaining access to medical marijuana than other groups. Veterans suffer widespread health problems including chronic pain, traumatic brain injuries, and post-traumatic stress disorder at a rate higher than the general population. When veterans seek medical care from the federal Veterans Administration health system, they not only lack access to medical marijuana but may fear jeopardizing all federal benefits if...

Another Delay for New Jersey Cannabis Legalization

by Patrick McKnight | Jul 1, 2019 | Blog

An ongoing political saga took another unpredicted turn last month. After over a year of building momentum, hopes for a legislative vote on legalizing the adult-use of recreational cannabis have once again faded. Senate President Steve Sweeney announced he is no longer working towards a legislative solution, instead proposing a ballot referendum in 2020. In the meantime, he pledged to continue efforts to expand the Garden State’s medical marijuana program. He also expressed his support for an expungement bill. On May 15, 2019, Sweeney tweeted “We will move forward with the expansion of our...

New Jersey Moves Closer to Legalization

by Patrick McKnight | Apr 2, 2019 | Featured Articles, Politics

New Jersey took another big step towards legalizing the recreational adult-use of cannabis last week, but legislators stopped short of taking the historic vote. After a breakthrough in negotiations over taxes and regulatory oversight between Governor Murphy and Senate President Sweeney in February, the scene appeared to be set for legalization. A vote was scheduled for Monday, March 25 but was postponed due to a lack of support. Leaders now hope to work out remaining sticking points and pass legislation before June. As details of the legislation emerge some controversial provisions have...

2018 Year in Review: Steady Progress Toward Legalization in NJ, NY & PA, Massachusetts Opens Recreational Dispensaries

by Patrick McKnight | Jan 26, 2019 | Featured Articles

Despite the progress and widespread optimism surrounding Garden State cannabis reform in 2018, politics has once again proven to be the biggest obstacle. On November 26th, New Jersey made headlines when bill S2703 left legislative committees and seemed destined for a quick approval vote by the Assembly and Senate. The committees also submitted legislation to further expand New Jersey’s medical cannabis program and develop a process for criminal expungements. Shortly thereafter momentum abruptly stopped. Disagreements over the details of S2703 have apparently exacerbated a rift between...

New Jersey Moves Toward Marijuana Legalization

by Patrick McKnight | Sep 12, 2018 | Featured Articles, Politics

The state of New Jersey could soon become the tenth state to legalize marijuana for recreational use, further nullifying federal cannabis prohibition in effect. New Jersey cannabis reform advocates began 2018 with high hopes. Newly elected Governor Murphy pledged to legalize the recreational use of marijuana within his first 100 days. Several pieces of legislation were introduced in the State House but stalled over the summer due to debates over the budget. Still, the Murphy administration was able to loosen restrictions on medical cannabis and order a temporary halt to cannabis-related...