Election Day For Marijuana

It’s election day for marijuana. The number of states legalizing marijuana for medicinal and/or recreational use continues to grow. Five more states have ballot initiatives for the legalization of recreation/adult use marijuana and four more states have medical marijuana ballot initiatives.

Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada are all states with existing medical marijuana programs who are now voting on ballot initiatives that would legalize recreation/adult use marijuana for state residents 21 years or older.

Arizona is voting on Proposition 205, The Legalization and Regulation of Marijuana Act. Proposition 205 would legalize the possession of up to 1 ounce of marijuana,
allow adults to grow up to 6 marijuana plants in an enclosed, locked space within their residences, and possess the marijuana produced by those plants in the location where it was grown. A limit of the total marijuana plants grown in a single residence would be limited to 12.

Proposition 205 would allocate taxes to school construction, full-day kindergarten programs, public drug education and more.

Proposition 205 appears likely to pass as register voters support it 50 % to 40%.

California is voting on Proposition 64, The Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA). AUMA would legalize the possession of 1 ounce of marijuana flower, or up to 8 grams of cannabis concentrate, the cultivation of up to 6 plants, and the industrial cultivation of industrial hemp.

AUMA would create a tax and regulatory system with the tax resources being allocated toward environmental protection and remediation, youth substance abuse prevention, medical marijuana research and local governments.

California Polls suggests that voters support passing AUMA 52% to 41%.

Maine voters will have The Marijuana Legalization Act on the ballot. The Maine act would legalize for recreational purposes the possession of up to 2 1/2 ounces of marijuana and the possession, cultivation and transportation of up to 6 flowering marijuana plants, 12 immature marijuana plants and unlimited seedlings, and possession of all the marijuana produced by the marijuana plants at that person’s residence.

The Marijuana Legalization Act appears likely to pass as polls show it is supported by 50 % – 41 % margin.

The Massachusetts initiative would legalize possession up to 1 ounce of marijuana outside of an individual’s residence, possession of up to 10 ounces of marijuana in an enclosed, locked space within their residences, growing up to 6 marijuana plants in an enclosed, locked space within their residences and possess the marijuana produced by those plants in the location where it was grown.

No more than 12 total marijuana plants can be grown in a single residence.

Massachusetts initiate also seems likely to pass.

Nevada is voting on legalizing recreational/adult use marijuana allowing possession of 1 ounce of marijuana and allowing anyone who does not live within 25 miles of a marijuana store to grow up to 6 marijuana plants.

Nevada is also creating a tax and regulatory system with taxes being allocated to supporting schools and K-12 education.

Four states are voting on legalizing medical marijuana, Arkansas, Florida, Montana and North Dakota.

Arkansas is voting on Issue 6, the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment, which would legalize medical marijuana for 17 qualifying conditions. It is uncertain whether Issue 6 will pass.

Florida’s initiative, Amendment 2, is likely to pass as recent survey suggest that 73% percent of the voters support it.

Montana is voting to reinstate medical marijuana laws after legislative restrictions made it impossible for them to work.

North Dakota is voting on Initiated Statutory Measure 5, The North Dakota Medical Marijuana Legalization Initiative, which would legalize medical marijuana for debilitating medical conditions. Recent polls suggest 47 % support it as opposed to 41% who don’t. 50% is required to pass.

Currently 4 states have legalized recreational/adult use marijuana and 25 states have legalized some sort of medical marijuana program. If all ballot initiatives pass, a total of 28 states will have legalized marijuana in some form. Nine states will have legalized recreation/adult use of marijuana. If all recreational/adult use ballot initiatives pass, nearly a quarter of all Americans will reside in areas where recreational use marijuana is legal.