It’s been more than a decade since Colorado and Washington legalized recreational marijuana, and 24 other states and Washington, D.C., followed suit in the following years. Seventeen other states have also legalized medical marijuana, but each state’s laws have various exceptions.
Four more states could soon join that growing list: Florida, Idaho, Nebraska and South Dakota. Advocates in each state want to put a referendum on the November general election ballot, allowing voters to choose whether to legalize recreational or medical marijuana use. There is.
The status of efforts in each state as of April 20th is as follows.
florida
What’s on my Florida ballot?
Florida’s Recreational Marijuana Amendment 3 would allow people 21 and older to use and possess up to 3 ounces of marijuana. Among other changes to state law, people can now purchase marijuana through dispensaries without using a medical marijuana card.
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Will it pass?
For the referendum to pass, Floridians would need to vote at least 60% in favor of legalization. It’s a high bar, but advocates in the state say it’s doable. A poll conducted by the University of North Florida in November found that 67% of residents support legalizing recreational marijuana.
The cannabis industry also appears poised to enter an already thriving market. Florida-based cannabis company Trulieve has spent $40 million on an effort to collect the signatures needed to put recreational marijuana on the November ballot. Other cannabis companies have also raised $15 million for the effort.
They could probably double that money and get it back. Medicinal cannabis is already booming in the Sunshine State, with nearly 800,000 customers. Florida has one of the fastest growing populations in the United States and a thriving tourism industry.
It’s up to state legislatures to decide whether and how much to tax marijuana products, but other states have seen significant financial benefits after legalizing marijuana.
idaho
What’s on the Idaho ballot?
Idaho is one of just five states that prohibits the use of marijuana of any kind, including for medical purposes, making it some of the strictest laws.
The political action committee Kind Idaho has been working for years to change that. The group is currently collecting signatures for the Idaho Medical Cannabis Initiative, which focuses on providing medical cannabis to people with chronic health conditions or terminal illnesses. Among other provisions, it would protect caregivers of such individuals from prosecution and criminal penalties if they possessed or cultivated marijuana for their patients.
Will it pass?
The Idaho Medical Marijuana Initiative, first proposed by Kind Idaho in 2022, is not yet on the ballot. The group is still collecting signatures and needs a total of 62,896 signatures by May 1 to appear on the November ballot.
If the measure appears on the ballot, supporters hope it has a good chance of passing. A 2022 poll by the Idaho Statesman found that 68% of respondents supported decriminalizing marijuana for medical purposes.
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nebraska
What’s on the Nebraska ballot?
Marijuana in Nebraska is illegal for both medical and recreational purposes. Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana is a voting committee working to certify two medical marijuana initiatives on the November general election ballot.
The first ballot initiative, the Patient Protection Act, would protect “people with serious health conditions and their caregivers” “from arrest for the use of medical marijuana recommended by a health care provider.”
The second initiative, called the Medical Marijuana Regulation Act, would create a Nebraska Medical Marijuana Commission that would be able to regulate private companies that manufacture and provide medical marijuana to eligible patients.
Will they pass?
As of March, the group reportedly had collected at least 40,000 of the 87,000 signatures required for each ballot initiative, with a July 3 deadline to submit petitions. They hope to gather a significant number of signatures at a statewide event on April 20th.
A recent poll found that 70% of Nebraskans support legalizing medical marijuana, a sign of hope for supporters if the measure appears on the November ballot. becomes.
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south dakota
What’s on the South Dakota ballot?
A South Dakota marijuana legalization initiative could be on the November ballot if the citizen-initiated measure gets enough signatures. The deadline for submitting the required 17,509 signatures is May 7th.
The measure would legalize the use, possession, and distribution of medical marijuana.
Will it pass?
If the measure is on the ballot, it has a good chance of passing. South Dakota residents have already voted to legalize both medicinal and recreational marijuana in the 2020 election. However, the amendment legalizing recreational marijuana was struck down as unconstitutional the following year, leaving only medical marijuana legal in the state.
Currently, South Dakota has some of the toughest marijuana laws, with penalties of up to 10 years in prison and up to $20,000 in fines for possession, regardless of the amount.
The patchwork of marijuana laws in the United States can be confusing at best. We recommend checking where your state stands on legalization.
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