2025 State Advocacy Wins

Our dedicated team and volunteers have been working tirelessly to advocate for policies that support addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery. 

We are proud of the progress we have made and remain committed to advocating for policies that support addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery.

Here are some highlights from our ongoing efforts in key states:

Arizona

In Arizona, we collaborated closely with local partners and advocates to build support for stronger cannabis advertising safeguards, which helped ensure the successful passage of HB 2179, which was signed into law by the Governor on May 6, 2025.

This bill represents a significant step forward in protecting youth from inappropriate cannabis marketing.

Key Provisions of HB 2179:

• Protecting Children: Prohibits cannabis advertising that could appeal to minors, including the use of cartoons, bright colors, or youth-oriented imagery.

• Clear Warnings: Requires all advertisements to include standardized health and safety warnings, ensuring consumers are informed about potential risks.

• Community Safeguards: Bans cannabis ads near public transportation hubs, schools, daycares, and other places where children and families gather.

This legislation reflects a growing recognition in Arizona of the need to have strong public health protections, especially for youth, to accompany the state’s decision to legalize adult recreational use.

Missouri

Throughout Missouri’s 2025 legislative session, we worked closely with local advocates and lawmakers to advance regulation of intoxicating hemp products, including Delta-8 THC.

Our efforts focused on ensuring these products are subject to the same safety and youth protection standards as other regulated substances.

While no legislation ultimately passed, two promising bills gained traction:

• SB 54 (sponsored by Sen. Nick Schroer): Advanced in the Senate but stalled after a 7-hour filibuster.

• HB 393 (sponsored by Rep. Dave Hinman): Offered a strong regulatory framework but did not reach final passage.

Both bills aimed to establish THC limits, age restrictions, and retail safeguards to protect youth and ensure product safety.

We continue to work with Missouri stakeholders on interim solutions and are laying the groundwork for renewed efforts in the next session.

Ohio

Shatterproof is working with leadership in the Ohio Senate to advance SB 86, a measure aimed at regulating intoxicating hemp products and implementing youth protections.

Key provisions of the bill include:

• Restricting sales of intoxicating hemp products to licensed dispensaries only.

• Prohibits advertisements and packaging that appeal to children.

• Establishes a 10 mg limit for edibles.

• Regulating drinkable cannabinoid products, ensuring safety and compliance standards.

• Imposing taxes on these products to generate state revenue.

This legislation reflects growing concerns over unregulated cannabinoid products and aims to bring them under a framework similar to marijuana. The bill is currently under review in the Senate General Government Committee.

Shatterproof also led efforts with leadership to advance Ohio SB 56, which strengthens safeguards to reduce youth exposure and access to cannabis while respecting adult-use rights.

The bill introduces several measures aimed at protecting children and teens as the state refines its cannabis laws, including:

• Child-Safe Packaging & Labeling: All cannabis products must be clearly labeled and packaged with warnings. Products cannot resemble candy, fruit, or cartoon characters, reducing the risk of accidental ingestion or appeal to minors.

• Public Use Ban: Cannabis use is restricted to private residences only, helping prevent normalization of use in public spaces where youth are present.

• Potency Limits: THC content is capped at 35% for plant products and 70% for concentrates, with additional limits on edibles (10mg per serving, 100mg per package), helping prevent overconsumption and accidental exposure.

These provisions aim to provide strong protections for Ohio’s youth, aligning with public health priorities while respecting the will of voters to legalize recreational use for adults.

Montana

We’re proud to share that our advocacy efforts in Montana helped advance three key youth cannabis safety bills this session.

Working alongside local partners, we provided strategic support and testimony to ensure these measures prioritized youth protection and public health:

• HB 792: Cannabis Labeling & Warning Requirements Signed by the Governor on May 8, 2025, this bill strengthens cannabis product labeling laws. It requires clear, standardized warning labels and educational messaging on packaging to help prevent accidental youth exposure and inform consumers about potential health risks.

• HB 636: THC Potency Limits for Edibles Also signed on May 8, 2025, this bill caps THC content at 5mg per serving and 100mg per package for edibles. This aligns with national best practices to reduce the risk of overconsumption, especially among first-time or younger users.

• SB 375: Ban on Intoxicating Hemp Products (Delta-8 THC) Signed into law on May 5, 2025, this bill prohibits the sale of hemp-derived products that contain intoxicating levels of THC. This closes a loophole that allowed unregulated, youth-accessible products to be sold outside the state’s cannabis framework.

Oklahoma

We’re excited to report that the Behavioral Health Parity Bill (HB 2049), championed by the Oklahoma-based organization, Healthy Minds Policy Initiative, has passed the Oklahoma Legislature and is now headed to the Governor’s desk.

We anticipate it will be signed into law later this month. Shatterproof worked to mobilize grassroots support for this critical legislation and ensure lawmakers prioritized behavioral health equity.

What HB 2049 Does:

• Improves oversight and accountability in behavioral health coverage under Oklahoma Medicaid.

• Ensures that substance use disorder (SUD) and mental health treatment are covered equally to physical health.

• Advances Oklahoma’s commitment to parity and access in behavioral healthcare.

This marks a significant step forward in ensuring that all Oklahomans receive the care they need, when they need it.

Nebraska

Shatterproof has been actively engaged in Nebraska this session, working alongside local advocates and legislators to advance behavioral health parity.

Through written testimony, strategic support, and grassroots engagement, we’ve helped shape and move forward a key piece of legislation: LB 380. (LB 380 and LB 381 were combined into this final version).

What LB 380 Does:

• Strengthens oversight and enforcement of behavioral health parity within Nebraska Medicaid.

• Ensures that mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) treatment is covered equally to physical health services.

• Advances accountability and transparency in behavioral health coverage.

We’re excited to share that LB 380 has passed two of the three required votes in the Nebraska Legislature. We expect it to proceed to final reading and passage soon, after which it will head to the Governor’s desk for signature.

This bill represents a major step toward ensuring that all Nebraskans have access to the behavioral health care they need and deserve.

Texas

This session, we’ve worked closely with the Texas Coalition for Healthy Minds, and our many grassroots advocates across Texas to elevate community voices and promote policies that protect public health and ensure access to care.

While some of our broader goals — like behavioral health parity — face steep challenges, we’ve made meaningful progress on several important fronts:

Progress on Key Public Health Bills:

• SB 1644: Decriminalizing Fentanyl Test Strips This bipartisan bill passed the Texas House unanimously on April 22 and is now in the Senate Criminal Justice Committee. With the Governor’s public support, this bill would remove fentanyl test strips from the state’s drug paraphernalia list — an essential step in preventing overdoses and saving lives.

• SB 3: Intoxicating Hemp Regulation Originally introduced as a full ban on intoxicating hemp products, SB 3 has evolved significantly thanks to public input and advocacy. The House State Affairs Committee amended the bill to focus on regulation rather than prohibition, including: THC content limits, minimum age requirements, and retail restrictions near schools.

• HB 4454: Patient Brokering Protections This bill targets unethical practices in addiction treatment marketing. It passed the House and is now under consideration in the Senate. If enacted, it would impose stronger consumer protections to prevent exploitation of vulnerable individuals seeking care.

Behavioral Health Parity

While behavioral health parity legislation has yet to cross the finish line in Texas this session, we’ve made meaningful progress in raising awareness and building momentum. Our efforts have focused on:

• Educating lawmakers on the real-world impact of unequal mental health coverage.

• Mobilizing grassroots voices to keep parity on the policy agenda.

• Promoting bipartisan understanding of the need for reform.

Two key parity bills we supported this session include:

• HB 2528: This bill would require most private health plans (excluding Medicaid and CHIP) to cover medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid and substance use disorders, including methadone, buprenorphine, and naloxone. It also limits prior authorization to reduce treatment delays.

• HB 1045: Aims to align Texas insurance rules with federal parity laws by prohibiting more restrictive limits on substance use disorder (SUD) treatment than for medical/surgical care. It expands the definition of eligible treatment facilities and ensures transparency in coverage.

We remain committed to ensuring that mental health and addiction treatment are treated with the same urgency and respect as physical health in Texas law.