Marijuana legalization is about to make significant gains

Four states are considering voting proposals to legalize marijuana for medical or recreational purposes in this year's mid-term elections.

This has already been a great year for legal weeds. In January, California, the largest legal marijuana market in the United States, opened its first marijuana stores for recreational purposes. The same month, Vermont became the ninth state of the nation – and the first to do so through the state legislature rather than by referendum – to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes (sales remain prohibited, unlike other legal States). Oklahoma became the 30th state to legalize marijuana for medical purposes in June.

And while lawmakers in New Jersey missed a deadline to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes early last month, they pledged to vote on the bill before the end of the year. Also last month, Canada opened its first marijuana clinics for recreational purposes, making it the largest marijuana market in the world.

Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal substance in the United States. And the tendency of states to ban bans for legal regulation of the plant reflects a general cultural shift toward greater acceptance of legal marijuana, which has continued to grow in recent years. Today, two out of three Americans are in favor of legalization. More than half of the US states have legalized marijuana in one form or another. And states like Colorado, the first to set up a regulated marijuana market for adults, have had successes that have denied the predictions of some lawmakers and law enforcement officials that such policies could lead to disaster.

Despite state efforts to abolish prohibition, marijuana remains illegal under the Regulated Substances Act, although President Donald Trump has expressed support for a possible relaxation of the ban on the plant by the federal government.

"Support for legalization is increasing rapidly across the country and is leading to victories at the polls and in state legislatures," said Mason Tvert, director of media relations for the Marijuana Policy Project, a reform group in the United States. drug policy. "It is highly likely that we will see at least two or four other states adopt major marijuana policy reforms by the same year next year.

Here is an overview of the voting measures that voters in four states will consider on November 6th.

If approved, Michigan Proposal 1 allow adults aged 21 and over to buy, grow, use and possess marijuana for recreational purposes. Under this measure, adults may be in possession of 2.5 ounces of marijuana, a provision similar to the state's law on marijuana for medical purposes approved in 2008. Adults can also grow up to 12 marijuana plants at home for their personal use. In addition, the initiative legalizes the cultivation of industrial hemp, which can be used for the manufacture of textiles, biofuels and food.

Marijuana sales would be accompanied by a 10% excise tax, revenues that will be used to fund research, education, repair and maintenance of roads and bridges. According to a recent study, the legalization of marijuana in Michigan would eventually lead to $ 130 million in new tax revenue for the state with an industry that could reach a value of 800 million dollars from here 2024.

Recent vote suggests that strong majorities of voters in the state are in favor of the adoption of the proposal.

Measure 3 on the North Dakota Ballot legalize the use, purchase and possession of marijuana for recreational purposes. However, unlike traditional legalization measures, the specific parameters of the program are not defined in the text of the initiative. An additional regulatory and tax framework should then be established.

However, the measure has progressive outlines aimed at repairing the damage caused by the failure of the war on drugs. If passed, an automatic process would be created for the North Dakota to have their marijuana convictions expunged from their records. This would also make the state liable for all damages resulting from delisting prosecution.

It is not known if the measure has enough support to be adopted. In the months leading up to the elections, polls showed a slight majority in favor, a plurality supporting legalization and one strong opposite majority. North Dakota legalized marijuana for medical purposes in 2016.

Voters in Utah will consider Proposal 2, that would allow patients to legally use, possess and purchase marijuana for medical purposes under conditions such as HIV, multiple sclerosis, post-traumatic stress disorder, epilepsy, autism , cancer, Alzheimer's disease and others. During any 14 day period, a state-licensed cardholder can purchase up to 2 ounces by weight of marijuana. The measure would prohibit smoking marijuana but would allow vaping, edible products impregnated with marijuana and other means of consumption.

Eligible patients would request a medical marijuana card from their doctor. Doctors would no longer have the right to recommend a card to more than 20% of their patients. Starting in 2021, cardholders who reside more than 100 kilometers from a state-approved clinic would be allowed to cultivate up to six marijuana plants for personal medical purposes. This would limit the number of dispensaries to one per county, except in larger counties where the state could issue more licenses depending on the size of the population.

Support for the bill has evolved over time in many polls. Earlier in the year, support for the measure was very strong among the Utahns, with some polls showing as much as three quarters of the voters of the state support the initiative. In recent months, polls have shown a decline, but still strong, majority in narrowing support to just a slim majority in support.

It is interesting to note that Utahns may have access to marijuana for medical purposes, regardless of the adoption of Proposition 2. In October, medical marijuana advocates and state legislators from Utah have accepted. a compromise bill this would legalize marijuana for medical purposes in the state, but with some differences from the voting initiative. The bill would require a full vote in the state legislature and a signature of the governor to become law.

The most significant changes in the compromise bill include: some qualifying conditions would be removed while others would be added, local jurisdictions would have more power to prohibit dispensaries in their areas, dispensaries would be required to If tobacco became a pharmacy, edible products would be banned at the same time as tobacco, but other ways of using cannabis would still be allowed.

The governor of Utah, Gary Herbert (D), called for a special session the Utah legislature after the November election, whether or not the vote measure be passed, to pass the compromise bill. The bill appears to be supported by a number of key government stakeholders, including advocates, policy makers and the Mormon Church.

Missouri voters will consider three separate proposals to legalize marijuana for medical purposes on their ballot: two amendments to the Constitution – amendments 2 and 3 – and an initiative that would amend the state's law, the proposition C.

The three proposals would legalize the use, purchase and possession of marijuana for medical purposes and would allow the state to put in place a regulatory framework allowing licensed clinics to operate in that state. Their approaches to taxation, home development and eligibility conditions differ significantly.

So what happens if all three pass? according to state lawif "contradictory" amendments or laws are adopted, the proposal receiving "the largest affirmative vote wins, even if this (proposal) did not receive the majority of affirmative votes". However, a conflict between an amendment and a legislative initiative, both pass, may need to be decided in court, as the the attorney general's office indicated would likely occur for a similar potential conflict in 2016 following the duel of the Missouri tobacco tax proposals on the ballot that year.

There have not been as many polls in Missouri as in other states with marijuana measures on the ballot, but in August, a poll found a majority of Missourians support the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes.