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Pennsylvania: Reading City Council Adopts Municipal Decriminalization Ordinance

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Members of the Reading (population: 95,000) city council have approved a municipal ordinance decriminalizing low-level marijuana possession offenses.

The ordinance, which passed by a 5-2 vote on Monday, imposes civil fines rather than criminal penalties for violations involving either the possession or use of up to 30 grams of marijuana. Under state law, marijuana possession is classified as a criminal misdemeanor, punishable by jail time.

Regional NORML coordinator Chris Goldstein spoke before the council in favor of the ordinance, opining that its adoption will save city resources and prevent thousands of low-level arrests. “Decriminalization is well proven, not just in Pennsylvania, but around the country,” he said. “One small arrest can have a huge impact [on people’s lives.]”

Numerous other Pennsylvania cities, including Erie, Harrisburg, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh, have enacted similar ordinances.

Since 2018, nearly 90,000 Pennsylvanians have been arrested for violating state marijuana laws. Over 85 percent of those arrests were for marijuana possession.

Additional information on municipal decriminalization ordinances is available from NORML.



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Does Keanu Reeves Consume Cannabis

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Know as an all around great guy – does he chill with a little marijuana?

Keanu Reeves, the famously humble Hollywood star known for his kindness and low-profile lifestyle, has long captured the public’s admiration—not only for his roles in blockbusters like The Matrix, John Wick, and Speed, but also for his reputation as one of the nicest guys in show business. But does Keanu Reeves consume cannabis. While he’s not one to court controversy, questions about his stance have naturally surfaced in an era when marijuana legalization is sweeping across the globe.

RELATED: Data Shows People Like Cannabis Before Intimacy

Born in Beirut and raised in Toronto, Reeves began his acting career in the 1980s with early roles in films like River’s Edge and Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. By the late 1990s, he had become a household name thanks to the groundbreaking Matrix trilogy. Despite his superstardom, Reeves has remained grounded, often seen taking public transportation, giving generously to charity, and treating cast and crew on film sets with genuine warmth.

This modest, respectful demeanor has led many to wonder about his views on topics like cannabis, which sits at the intersection of culture, health, and personal choice. While Reeves has rarely spoken directly about marijuana in recent years, he has never adopted a judgmental tone about its use. In the 1990s, he was candid about having tried marijuana, but emphasized he was never a heavy user.

In past interviews, Reeves has suggested a nuanced perspective—neither an advocate nor a critic. He has shown sympathy for marijuana’s medicinal use and the need for a fair and rational approach to cannabis policy. His long-time bandmate in the grunge group Dogstar, Bret Domrose, once hinted that Keanu supports personal freedoms, including the right to use cannabis responsibly. However, unlike some of his Hollywood peers, Reeves has not attached his name to any cannabis brands or outspoken legalization campaigns.

That low-key approach mirrors his general public image: calm, measured, and deeply respectful of others’ choices. He’s a man who lets actions speak louder than words—whether that’s giving up his seat on the subway or helping carry equipment on set.

RELATED: Dolly Parton Expands Her Food Empire

As marijuana becomes more normalized across North America and beyond, many look to celebrities like Keanu Reeves for cues. While he may not be waving a cannabis flag, his quiet tolerance and thoughtful distance suggest an openness to a world where cannabis is accepted and its users are not stigmatized.

In the end, Keanu Reeves continues to be a model of humility and open-mindedness—a star whose thoughts on cannabis reflect his broader values: compassion, privacy, and respect.



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Texans Deserve Choice, Not a Monopoly: Texas Hemp Business Council Urges Lawmakers to Defeat SB 5

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[PRESS RELEASE] – AUSTIN, Texas, July 28, 2025 – The Texas Hemp Business Council (THBC) issued the following statement:

“As S.B. 5 heads to the Senate floor during the special session of the 89th Texas Legislature, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and Senators Charles Perry and Roland Gutierrez are actively looking to gift-wrap the entire cannabis market to a few select state-licensed [medical] marijuana companies, one of which already controls over 75% of the market.

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“Their claim that the restrictive Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP) can replace hemp-derived cannabinoids is misleading and dangerous. 

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“TCUP currently serves just over 100,000 patients and requires registration, physician prescriptions, higher prices and fewer options. While H.B. 46 was an attempt to improve the program, it does little to expand real access to a restrictive and expensive TCUP program that serves an entirely different purpose than hemp.

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“Meanwhile, hemp is legal and regulated under federal and state law and serves millions of adult consumers and veterans who rely on affordable, accessible alternatives for wellness, pain relief and more.

“S.B. 5 would destroy a $10 billion industry that supports over 53,000 jobs and eliminate economic opportunity for thousands of small business owners across the state. All being done under the false flag of ‘safety,’ while the real goal is market control by a politically connected few. This isn’t about protecting public health; it’s about protecting a monopoly. 

“Governor Abbott’s veto message was clear: Regulate hemp responsibly; don’t ban it. Texans deserve choice, not coercion. S.B. 5 is prohibition disguised as policy, and lawmakers should reject it. Public opinion, economic data and common sense all point in the same direction: This is a manufactured crisis driven by special interests, not public demand.

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“At a time when Texas faces real and pressing challenges like strengthening flood warning systems, redistricting and providing meaningful property tax relief, some Senate leaders are spending this special session pushing a hemp ban Texans clearly don’t want. It’s a clear example of misplaced priorities and misguided policies.

“That’s why THBC and the vast majority of Texans strongly support a common-sense alternative that includes 21-plus age limits, child-resistant packaging and setbacks from schools. It’s the right path forward for public safety, economic freedom and the future of hemp in Texas.” 



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Massachusetts Psychiatric Society Endorses Bill To Decriminalize Psilocybin Possession

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“We are encouraged by the growing body of rigorous research exploring the use of psychedelics, including psilocybin in treating treatment-resistant types of mental illness.”

By Jack Gorsline, HorizonMass

Massachusetts psychedelic policy advocates recently marked a significant milestone at a July 15 legislative hearing, which featured testimony on four of the 12 psychedelics-related bills filed this year on Beacon Hill. The hearing was highlighted by a historic, first-ever endorsement of psychedelic decriminalization-specific legislation anywhere by a professional psychiatric society: The Massachusetts Psychiatric Society (MPS).

Among the bills addressed at the hearing of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary was H.1726, sponsored by state Rep. Homar Gómez (D), which seeks to decriminalize the possession of psilocybin.

Another proposal, H.1624 from state Rep. Mike Connolly (D), proposes a psychedelics task force to consider equity in psychedelic access.

H.1858, from state Rep. Marc Lombardo (R), aims to reduce legal penalties for psilocybin possession by imposing a $100 fine for quantities under one gram, effectively decriminalizing small amounts.

And S.1113, sponsored by state Sen. Cindy Friedman (D), directs the Department of Public Health (DPH) to create a trial program for medically supervised psilocybin therapy, specifically excluding ownership by “cannabis industry organizations, psychedelic molecule development companies or pharmaceutical companies.”

Massachusetts Psychiatric Society supports psychedelics measures

The endorsement from the Massachusetts Psychiatric Society, a professional organization representing approximately 1,400 psychiatrists across the state, was a notable development.

Dr. Jhilam Biswas, speaking on behalf of the MPS, stated, “I’m here today to express the society’s support for H.1624, H.1726, H.1858 and S.1113, bills that allow for the dismissal of complaints for the simple possession of psilocybin, provided that if the individual meets clear safety-based criteria, which is being over the age of 21, not operating a vehicle and not endangering of children.”

Dr. Biswas clarified that the society’s support was not a “blanket endorsement of recreational psychedelic use,” noting its opposition to last November’s Ballot Question 4, which members believed was “too far reaching and lacked necessary safeguards.” She emphasized, “While we know there is promising research happening in psychedelic medicines in the field of psychiatry and medicine, broad and premature access to many different substances without caution is not only dangerous, but does impact the research community.”

In contrast, Dr. Biswas described the current bills as a “more balanced and responsible approach,” applying “narrowly to define situations to adults over 21 who are not driving and not endangering children, and whose action caused no harm to others.” She added, “It gives courts more discretion and it maintains important public safety protections while avoiding any unnecessary criminal penalties.”

The MPS also acknowledged the amount of research into psychedelics for mental illness treatment.

“Moreover, we are encouraged by the growing body of rigorous research exploring the use of psychedelics, including psilocybin in treating treatment-resistant types of mental illness,” Dr. Biswas said. “Institutions like our local EMC hospitals and research centers in Massachusetts are leading these studies with promising early outcomes.” She concluded by urging legislators to view these bills “not just at, this as criminal justice reform, but as a public health opportunity.”

According to the organization Mass Healing, the MPS’s endorsement of these three psilocybin decriminalization proposals marks the first time any branch of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) has endorsed psychedelics legislation of any kind.

Curiously, the MPS’s recent endorsement contrasts with testimony provided at a previous psychedelics bill hearing last month. Outgoing MPS President Dr. Nassir Ghaemi opposed H.2506, which sought to decriminalize possession of up to 50 grams of dried psilocybin mushrooms, stating he was speaking “on his own behalf, as well as that of the society.”

Plant medicine advocates testify on Beacon Hill

Former Yes on 4 campaign staffer Graham Moore also spoke in favor of the bills, acknowledging that the previous measure “went too far for the people of Massachusetts right now.” The advocate championed the current proposals as “much more narrowly tailored,” and emphasized that “people don’t want lives ruined over simple possession, but people also do not want unlimited green light to everybody’s all sorts of psychedelics.”

Moore also refuted claims of increased public health problems in areas that have decriminalized psilocybin, citing Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Colorado as well as the Netherlands, where legal psilocybin availability has not led to widespread abuse due to its non-addictive nature.

Timothy Morris is a Billerica resident who, along with fellow advocate and Mass resident Henry Morgan, submitted H.1726 to state Rep. Gómez. At the hearing, he expressed his gratitude for the process: “I’m thankful that we’re able to get the ball rolling so soon after question 4, as well as for Dr. Biswas’s supporting testimony.”

Morris added, “The fact that Institutions—such as the Massachusetts Psychiatric Society—are beginning to support the decriminalization movement, marks the start of a powerful paradigm shift for related public policy.”

This article is syndicated by the MassWire news service of the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism. If you want to see more reporting like this, make a contribution at givetobinj.org.

Marijuana Moment is made possible with support from readers. If you rely on our cannabis advocacy journalism to stay informed, please consider a monthly Patreon pledge.

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