Update: Three out of the four states approved some sort of legalization of marijuana on Election Day. Michigan voted to allow marijuana to be used for recreational use, while both Utah and Missouri approved marijuana for medical use only. North Dakota rejected Measure 3 which would have allowed for the drug to be used for recreational use.
Previous: Utah, North Dakota, Missouri, and Michigan all have marijuana on the ballot Election Day.
Midterm elections are just days away, and voters in several states will decide if and how their states will regulate the sale and use of marijuana. According to Pew Research Center, 69 percent of Americans are in favor of legalizing the controversial cannabis.Whether it's for recreational or medicinal use, these four states have managed to get marijuana on the ballot.
1. Michigan
With over 250,000 signatures by Michigan citizens documented via a petition in support of recreational marijuana use, voters in the Great Lakes States will finally get the chance to let their voices be heard at the polls, voting on issues like Proposal 1. Some of the policies pegged to recreational marijuana address its possession, consumption, personal cultivation and gardening, and commercial farming. Specifically, if Proposal 1 passes, funding that is obtained through the taxation of its recreational use of marijuana will go toward public education and improving local infrastructure.
2. Missouri
Missouri managed to get three marijuana-focused proposals on the ballot. The New Approach Missouri would allow doctors to prescribe the drug to patients suffering from cancer, epilepsy, PTSD as well as seven other conditions. This is also the only amendment that would allow people to grow their own marijuana plants.
The Bradshaw Amendment also focuses on those suffering from disease. The proposition would establish a board of nine researchers, who would leverage marijuana to discover new medical treatments for incurable illnesses and chronic conditions, including cancer.
The third initiative, the Missourians for Patient Care Act, also advocates for legalizing medical marijuana for patients, after receiving proper certification from a physician. The proposition would include a 2 percent sales tax on medicinal cannabis, the pr proceeds of which would go toward “veterans’ services, drug treatment, early childhood education and public safety.”
3. North Dakota
North Dakota has already allowed certain qualifying patients to use marijuana for medicinal purposes, thanks to the approval of Measure 5.
Now voters in North Dakota will weigh in on Measure 3, a policy akin to how the sale and consumption of alcohol is governed. If passed, this initiative would allow adults ages 21 and older to grow and indulge in cannabis recreationally. Those under the legal age limit using recreational marijuana would be subject to punishment. There would also be penalties for those who attempt to sell marijuana to anyone under 21. According to a report from the Chicago Sun-Times, Measure 3 would also expunge “nearly 180,000 criminal records of those previously convicted of marijuana-related crimes."
4. Utah
Ballotopedia polls show that over 60 percent of Utah’s citizens favor the passing of Proposition 2, as reported by Vox. If passed, this initiative would “legalize medical marijuana for individuals with qualifying conditions.”
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