Criminal law, equity and expungement laws by state

AB 1103: Controlled substances: research.

The Research Advisory Panel must review research projects to be conducted in California that require administration of Schedule I or Schedule II controlled substances. Until January 1, 2028, the panel may expedite review of applications meeting specified criteria including federal approvals and independent peer review. The panel may withdraw approval for reasonable cause after providing written notice and a reasonable cure period.

SB 141: California Cannabis Tax Fund: Department of Cannabis Control: Board of State and Community Corrections grants.

The Controller must disburse funds from the California Cannabis Tax Fund to the Department of Cannabis Control for maintaining the track and trace program and conducting civil or criminal enforcement against unauthorized commercial cannabis activity. The Board of State and Community Corrections must make grants to local governments addressing public health and safety, prioritizing applications including illicit cannabis enforcement, and may only grant to jurisdictions allowing retail storefronts or, for populations under 10,000, cannabis delivery.

SB 25-246: Eliminate Gray & Black Market Marijuana Grant Program

Prohibits the division from awarding grants under the gray and black market marijuana enforcement grant program for fiscal year 2025-26 and repeals the entire grant program effective June 30, 2026.

HB 6930: An act concerning the social equity council's recommendations regarding social equity plans, strategic planning, ethics, license renewal fees, financial assistance applications and policies and procedures.

The Social Equity Council must develop and adopt an ethical code of conduct by October 1, 2025, and require council members and staff to complete annual ethics training on disproportionately impacted areas and the cannabis industry starting January 1, 2026. Licensed cannabis establishments must maintain active social equity plans and submit annual impact reports to the council by March 1, 2026, and annually thereafter.

HB 7132: An act concerning non-safety-related traffic stops, driving while consuming cannabis and excessive reckless driving.

Operators of motor vehicles must not smoke, inhale, or ingest cannabis while operating a vehicle on public highways, roads, parking areas for ten or more cars, private roads with established speed limits, or school property. Peace officers may only stop a vehicle for this violation if they observe active cannabis consumption and detect burnt cannabis odor. Operators must not operate vehicles at speeds greater than 85 miles per hour.

Took effect 1 October 2025

HB 110: An act to amend title 4 of the delaware code relating to the delaware marijuana control act.

SB 220: "Putting Georgia's Patients First Act"; enact

H 7: UNIFORM CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES – Amends existing law to provide a penalty for possession of less than three ounces of marijuana.

Any person is prohibited from possessing marijuana in an amount greater than three ounces net weight. Any person who possesses marijuana in an amount less than or equal to three ounces net weight and is eighteen years of age or older must pay a fine of not less than three hundred dollars in addition to other penalties.

Took effect 1 July 2025

HB 12: CRIME/MISDEMEANOR: Provides relative to the sale of consumable hemp products (EN SEE FISC NOTE GF EX)

Amends provisions regarding consumable hemp products by modifying references to regulatory authority and adding a definition reference to R.S. 3:1481 for the term 'product'.

HB 187: Criminal Procedure - Expungement - No Finding and Case Terminated Without Finding

A person may petition for expungement of police, court, or state records if convicted of specified misdemeanors, felonies, or attempts thereof. A disposition may be expunged if the case was disposed of with a no finding designation or terminated without finding, notwithstanding ineligibility rules that would otherwise bar expungement of convictions in the same unit.

Took effect 1 October 2026

HB 413: Criminal Law - Controlled Dangerous Substances and Firearms

A person at least 21 years old may manufacture a personal use amount of cannabis products or concentrated cannabis for personal use or adult sharing at a private residence if the manufacturing process does not involve volatile solvents. Persons may not manufacture, distribute, dispense, or possess specified quantities of controlled dangerous substances listed in the act.

Took effect 1 October 2025

SB 894: Office of Social Equity - Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund - Modifications

The Executive Director of the Office of Social Equity shall administer the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund and oversee appropriation of funds and training of recipients. Each county shall develop a plan for distributing funds to community-based organizations in consultation with stakeholders and hold a public hearing before finalizing the plan. Counties must submit annual reports to the Office by October 1 beginning in 2026.

Took effect 1 October 2025

HB 12: Cannabis - Sale and Distribution - Tetrahydrocannabinol Offenses

Persons may not sell or distribute products containing tetrahydrocannabinol exceeding 0.5 milligrams per serving or 2.5 milligrams per package unless licensed and compliant with manufacturing, testing, and labeling standards. Persons may not sell or distribute products advertised as containing tetrahydrocannabinol that violate potency requirements. Distributors of delta-8 or delta-10 tetrahydrocannabinol may not sell to individuals under 21 years old and must employ age-verification mechanisms on websites.

Took effect 1 July 2025

SB 214: Cannabis - Sale and Distribution - Tetrahydrocannabinol Offenses

Persons may not sell or distribute products containing tetrahydrocannabinol that violate potency, packaging, or labeling requirements, or that are advertised as containing tetrahydrocannabinol in violation of those requirements. Persons may not sell or distribute such products to individuals under 21 years old. Websites selling delta-8 or delta-10 tetrahydrocannabinol must employ age-verification mechanisms.

Took effect 1 July 2025

H 5350: An Act modernizing the commonwealth’s cannabis laws

The Massachusetts cannabis control commission must establish and maintain an online portal for anonymous complaints about suspected violations, review complaints timely, and adopt procedures to assess them. Licensees must not receive or extend credit for marijuana sales beyond 60 days except in usual business course. The commission must limit total licenses available and conduct targeted audits of ownership and control compliance within 12 months.

SB 74: Generally revise marijuana laws

Marijuana cultivators, manufacturers, and dispensaries must obtain licenses from the department of revenue and comply with cultivation, manufacturing, and sales requirements. Licensees must submit samples for testing, participate in seed-to-sale tracking, and comply with THC content limits. Property owners must provide written permission for licensed premises on rented or leased property.

SB 508: Generally revise driving under the influence laws for THC levels in drivers under 21

A person under 21 years of age commits driving under the influence if they drive or are in actual physical control of a vehicle within Montana while having any amount of tetrahydrocannabinol, excluding inactive metabolites, in their body as shown by analysis of blood or other bodily substance.

HB 344: Revise criminal laws.

Drivers of noncommercial or commercial vehicles must not operate vehicles while having prohibited substances in their body at specified thresholds including amphetamine 100 ng/ml blood, cocaine 50 ng/ml blood, heroin 50 ng/ml blood, methamphetamine 100 ng/ml blood, and other listed drugs. Violators must complete chemical dependency assessment and education or treatment.

HB 49: Generally revise laws related to synthetic cannabinoids

A person may not manufacture, process, store, or offer for sale synthetic marijuana cannabinoid products. Marijuana and marijuana products may only be sold by licensed manufacturers, cultivators, or dispensaries and may not exceed potency levels established by the department. Hemp and hemp products sold by unlicensed persons may not exceed 0.5 milligrams of total delta-9 THC per serving and 2 milligrams per package.

SB 786: Crimes and punishments; increasing certain fine; prohibiting certain consumption of medical marijuana. Effective date.

Operators and passengers must not transport or possess open intoxicating beverages or low-point beer in moving vehicles on public highways except in rear trunks or inaccessible compartments. Persons operating motor vehicles must not consume marijuana, inhale secondhand marijuana smoke, or possess open marijuana containers in passenger areas.

Took effect 1 November 2025

HB 3825: Relating to monetary obligations in criminal cases; and prescribing an effective date.

Judgment remedies for monetary obligations in convictions for possessing less than one ounce of marijuana prior to July 1, 2015, in municipal or justice courts expire on the effective date of this act. Persons with expired judgment remedies are considered to have completed and fully complied with their sentence for purposes of conviction set-aside statutes.

SB 347: Relating to farm use land used for illegal growing of marijuana; and prescribing an effective date.

Amends Oregon law to specify that disqualification of farm use land occurs as of the January 1 assessment date of the earlier of the assessment year when a civil penalty was imposed or when a criminal complaint resulting in conviction was filed.

HB 8544: An act relating to food and drugs -- the rhode island cannabis act

Cannabis cultivators, product manufacturers, retailers, and testing laboratories must obtain licenses from the Rhode Island cannabis control commission and comply with all regulations. Licensees must undergo criminal background checks, maintain compliance with tax obligations, consent to inspections, and notify the commission of changes within ten days. No cannabis or cannabis product may be sold without prior testing by a licensed laboratory.

HB 1016: modify provisions related to the controlled substances schedule and to declare an emergency.

Amends South Dakota's controlled substances laws to add definitions for chemically derived cannabinoids and kratom products, and adds 14 new synthetic opioids and other controlled substances to Schedule I, including isotonitazene, etodesnitazene, and other benzimidazole derivatives.

SB 1740: Courts, Juvenile - As enacted, expands the disposition allowed when a person under 21 is found to have unlawfully purchased, possessed, accepted receipt of, or presented fraudulent proof of age to purchase tobacco, smoking hemp, a vapor product, or a smokeless nicotine product to include requiring community service work, the successful completion of a prescribed court program, or placing the person on an informal adjustment for a period of 90 days for a first violation, and, for a second or subsequent violation, placing the person on probation for up to six months in addition to requiring community service and the successful completion of a prescribed court program focusing on the dangers of tobacco and vapor products. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 15.

General sessions or juvenile court must impose one or more of the following dispositions on a person under 21 found to have unlawfully purchased, possessed, accepted receipt of, or presented fraudulent proof of age to purchase tobacco, smoking hemp, a vapor product, or smokeless nicotine product: community service work not exceeding 50 hours, successful completion of a prescribed court program, civil penalty of $10 to $50, informal adjustment for 90 days, or for second or subsequent violation, probation up to six months plus community service and court program.

Took effect 1 July 2026

SB 1603: Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services, Dept. of - As enacted, clarifies that if marijuana is rescheduled or deleted as a controlled substance under federal law, the commissioner is prohibited from rescheduling or deleting marijuana under state law, unless the general assembly has established a regulatory framework for marijuana and authorized the commissioner to reschedule or delete marijuana as a controlled substance. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 9; Title 24; Title 29; Title 33; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 41; Title 43; Title 45; Title 50; Title 53; Title 57; Title 63; Title 67; Title 68 and Title 71.

Requires the Tennessee advisory commission on intergovernmental relations to study creation of a medical cannabis program, including implementation processes and governmental readiness, and report findings to the general assembly by November 1, 2026.

HB 72: Criminal Offenses - As enacted, establishes mandatory minimum penalties of 48 hours in jail and a $500 fine for a person convicted of knowingly selling or distributing a product containing a hemp-derived cannabinoid to a person who is under 21; prohibits a retailer from knowingly allowing an employee younger than 21 to access, handle, or sell any product containing a hemp-derived cannabinoid on the premises of the retail establishment. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 17; Title 43, Chapter 27 and Title 49, Chapter 6.

A retailer must not knowingly allow an employee younger than twenty-one years of age to access, handle, or sell any product containing a hemp-derived cannabinoid on the retail establishment premises. A person violating the prohibition on selling or distributing hemp-derived cannabinoid products to persons under twenty-one must be sentenced accordingly.

Took effect 1 July 2025

SB 332: Medical marijuana; administration to terminally ill patients.

Directs the Department of Health to convene a work group with specified stakeholders to develop policies for safe administration of medical marijuana to terminally ill patients, with regulations to be promulgated by January 1, 2027.

SB 1466: Criminal records; expungement and sealing of records, repeals Sealing Fee Fund.

The act requires the Department of State Police to develop a secure portal by October 1, 2026, allowing government agencies to determine whether records have been sealed before responding to public records requests. It requires the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission to educate public defenders on expungement and sealing, conduct trainings, and develop resources. The act establishes automatic sealing of traffic infractions 11 years after final disposition.

HB 2117: Experiencing or reporting an overdose or act of sexual violence; arrest and prosecution.

Law enforcement officers must not arrest or prosecute individuals for specified drug and alcohol offenses if the individual sought emergency medical attention for an overdose, reported an act of sexual violence, or rendered emergency care, provided they remained at the scene, cooperated with law enforcement, and identified themselves.

Took effect 1 July 2025

SB 1060: Retail tobacco and hemp products; smoking by a person younger than 21 years of age, prohibitions.

No person younger than 21 years of age shall possess any retail tobacco product or hemp product intended for smoking, except when making a delivery in pursuance of employment, participating in approved medical research, or acting as a law-enforcement officer. Retail dealers must comply with sales restrictions and face penalties for violations.