Voters in California, Massachusetts and Nevada approved recreational marijuana initiatives Tuesday night, and several other states passed medical marijuana provisions, in what is turning out to be the biggest electoral victory for marijuana reform since 2012, when Colorado and Washington first approved the drug’s recreational use.
Marijuana Wins Big on Election Night
In addition to the states above, local outlets in Maine are declaring victory for the states legalization measure, but with 91% of precincts reporting just a few thousand votes separate the “Yes” and “No” columns. A similar legislation measure in Arizona did not gain sufficient support to pass, with 52% of the voters rejecting it.
On the medical side, voters in Florida, North Dakota and Arkansas have approved medical marijuana initiatives. Voters in Montana also rolled back restrictions on an existing medical pot law. Reformers were jubilant. “This represents a monumental victory for the marijuana reform movement,” said Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, in a statement. “With California’s leadership now, the end of marijuana prohibition nationally, and even internationally, is fast approaching.”
