Global Ganja Report

The US Supreme Court on June 23 ruled that Damon Landor, a Rastafarian man imprisoned in Louisiana, could not sue the Louisiana Department of Corrections (LDOC) officials who restrained him and cut off his dreadlocks. Justice Neil Gorsuch delivered the 6-3 opinion, which focused on the applicability of the Religious Land Use & Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA) to state employees.

The US Supreme Court on June 18 unanimously upheld the constitutional right of cannabis consumers to legally possess firearms. In its ruling in United States v. Hemani, the Court determined that efforts by the federal government to categorically ban firearm ownership for individuals with a history of marijuana use violate the Second Amendment.

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger on May 18 vetoed a pair of bills that would have created a retail marketplace for legal marijuana in the state, saying the proposed legislation was premature and could not be "successfully implemented" without "unintended consequences that harm Virginians."

The Supreme Court announced Oct. 20 that it will consider whether a federal law prohibiting gun possession by unlawful drug users violates the Second Amendment, marking the latest firearms dispute to reach the high court following its landmark 2022 ruling that significantly expanded gun rights.

In a last-minute move before the measure was to automatically become law, Gov. Greg Abbott on June 23 vetoed Senate Bill 3, which sought to ban the sale of all THC-laden products in Texas, whether Delta-8 and Delta-9. The bill would have also placed greater restrictions on CBD products, such as banning their sale to those under 21. Abbott has called for a special legislative session to revisit the question, which has pitted the hemp industry against the GOP establishment. Abbott's own Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick was a key advocate of the "THC ban." Patrick bashed Abbott over the veto, saying he "wants to legalize recreational marijuana."

The US Supreme Court ruled June 12 in favor of an Atlanta family attempting to sue the federal government for damages after their home was mistakenly raided by an FBI Special Weapons & Tactics (SWAT) team.

Election day, Nov. 5, saw the defeat of ballot measures to legalize cannabis in Florida, North Dakota and South Dakota. In Florida, the measure actually received upwards of 1.2 million more "yes" than "no" votes. However, because of unique rules in Florida, the constitutional amendment required support from a supermajority (60%) of voters, and it did not meet that threshold. The amendment was publicly opposed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, who spent millions of dollars on taxpayer-funded messaging and made several unfounded claims against the initiative.

The Nov. 8 midterm elections saw mixed results for state cannabis legalization efforts. In Maryland, voters approved Question 4, amending the state constitution to permit the purchase and possession of up to 1.5 ounces. In Missouri, Amendment 3 passed, allowing adults to purchase and possess up to three ounces, with a provision for registered home cultivation. Similar measures failed in Arkansas and North and South Dakota. (Vox, CNBC)