There was much at stake this election season, but the desire from voters to push cannabis forward was one of the strongest demonstrations of approval yet. Although the fate of the presidency still hangs in the balance, it is very apparent that states will likely never stop supporting cannabis initiatives. According to Marijuana Policy Project Deputy Director Matthew Schweich, a new day is dawning in the cannabis industry. “With the passage of these initiatives, one-third of the population now lives in jurisdictions that have legalized cannabis for adult use, and 70% of all states have embraced cannabis for medical use. The federal government is out of step with a clear national trend toward legalization,” said Hawkins in a press release. “We can put an end to the social injustices and other harms that result from the criminalization of marijuana. While cannabis legalization is not the cure-all to end the war on drugs, it is a necessary step and would provide an opportunity for many long-oppressed communities to finally have a chance to heal.”
Check below to learn more about which relative initiatives made the cut (hint, it’s all but one).
Arizona Proposition 207, aka the “Smart and Safe Arizona Act”
Result: PASSED
Description: Proposition 207 will legalize recreational cannabis for all adults over 21 years of age. It will require a 16 percent excise tax on retail cannabis sales, and establish a program to help expunge cannabis-related convictions from residents’ records.
Mississippi Initiative 65
Result: PASSED
Description: Initiative 65 proposes a foundation for a Mississippi medical cannabis program to be built. People with qualifying conditions will be allowed to possess and consume cannabis, as long as they’re certified by a licensed physician. It will also allow medical cannabis to solely be provided by licensed treatment centers.
Mississippi Initiative Measure #65A, or Alternative 65A
Result: DID NOT PASS
Description: Measure #65A is a constitutional amendment proposal that would create the foundation for a medical cannabis program in Mississippi. Only terminally ill patients would have been allowed to smoke cannabis, and would have required licensed physicians to oversee treatment.
Montana Initiative 190
Result: PASSED
Description: Initiative 190 will legalize recreational cannabis in the state of Montana. The Department of Revenue will license and regulation cultivation, transportation and sale of cannabis. The measure will also implement a 10.5 percent tax on cannabis sales that will go to the state general fund to serve a variety of programs, and will create the framework for cannabis-related conviction expungement.
Montana Constitutional Amendment 118
Result: PASSED
Description: Constitutional Amendment 118 will amend the constitution to allow the people to establish a legal age for purchasing, consuming and possessing alcohol and cannabis.
New Jersey Public Question 1
Result: PASSED
Description: Public Question 1 will allow for possession, consumption and cultivation of recreational cannabis for adults over 21 years of age
Oregon Measure 109
Result: PASSED
Description: Measure 109 will allow the Oregon Health Authority to create and manage a program to allow licensed medical practitioners to prescribe psilocybin mushrooms to adults who are over 21 years old.
Oregon Measure 110
Result: PASSED
Description: Measure 110 will expand drug treatment rather than arresting people for possession of small amounts of drugs. Paid for by current state cannabis taxes, the measure would boost treatment and support services, and would remove harsh penalties for low-level drug possession and replace them with a fine.
South Dakota Initiated Measure 26
Result: PASSED
Description: Initiated Measure 26 will establish a medical cannabis program in the state of South Dakota, specifically for patients who suffer from debilitating medical conditions. Approved patients will be allowed to possess up to three ounces of cannabis, and grow a minimum of three plants at home. It will also establish legal cannabis testing, manufacturing and cultivation facilities.
South Dakota Constitutional Amendment A
Result: PASSED
Description: Constitutional Amendment A will legalize recreational cannabis, with a dated requirement to have the South Dakota State Legislature pass necessary laws for medical cannabis and hemp sales by April 1, 2022.
