Arizona
Medical use of marijuana has been legal in Arizona for a decade, and now recreational use will be legally acceptable.
Proposition 207 allows adults 21 and older to possess, consume or transfer up to one ounce of cannabis. Should the prop pass, a regulatory system for the cultivation and sale of cannabis would be created. Arizonans with prior convictions for marijuana will have them removed from their criminal records. A 16% excise tax will be added to marijuana sales, on top of sales tax.
New Jersey
New Jersey voters voted in favor of legalizing the recreational use of marijuana for adults aged 21 years and older. The recreational program will be overseen by the state’s medical cannabis program.
Establishing the rules and regulations of cannabis permits and issuing licenses will likely be a lengthy process. Marijuana sales will face a 6.625% sales tax, and some municipalities will be allowed to charge an extra 2% tax on the sales.
South Dakota
Both provisions on South Dakota’s ballot regarding cannabis—Measure 26 and Amendment A—passed in Tuesday night’s election, making both recreational and medical marijuana uses legal. South Dakota is the first state to approve both forms of marijuana usage at the same time.
Measure 26 creates a medical cannabis program with a registration system for people with qualifying provisions; Amendment A legalizes cannabis for all adults aged 21 and older.
Mississippi
Mississippi had two provisions to legalize medical marijuana on its ballot. The legalization has won approval in the state, according to the Associated Press.
The fact that the majority of Mississippi voters approved marijuana legalization marks a significant step for one of the most conservative states in the US.
Initiative 65 would allow patients with at least one of a listed 22 “debilitating medical conditions” to use medical marijuana, and up to 2.5 ounces of medical marijuana could be possessed at a time. More than 228,000 Mississippians signed petitions to put Initiative 65 on today’s ballot, according to local news affiliate WLBT3. The other provision, Alternative 65A, would allow terminally ill patients to use medical marijuana under the care of licensed physicians, nurses and pharmacists.
Some health care officials in Mississippi have voiced opposition against Initiative 65, saying it is “unregulatable” and that the state won’t receive any tax benefits from the sales. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves (R) is also a vehement opponent.
The Mississippi Association of Chiefs of Police—a group of about 300 law enforcement leaders—has voiced opposition to both provisions.
Montana
There were two provisions on Montana’s ballot to legalize recreational marijuana use in Montana: CI-118 and Initiative 190. Recreational use has been approved by voters for people over age 21, according to the Associated Press.
CI-118 would allow anyone over 21 to purchase marijuana. Initiative 190 would legalize, regulate and tax marijuana at a 20% rate for nonmedical purchases.