On November 8, 2016, nine states voted on the legalization of either medical or recreational weed. Five states―Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada―were deciding whether to permit marijuana use for adults. The other four―Arkansas, Florida, North Dakota, and Montana―were considering the legalization of medical cannabis.
The voters supported the adult-use marijuana initiatives in three states: California, Massachusetts, and Nevada. Maine still has a chance to join this group. Arizonans, unfortunately, lost their chance to expand cannabis consumption beyond medical use. Still, with over 20 percent of Americans now living in a state where cannabis is fully legalized, this may be a decisive step towards changing marijuana policy on the federal level.
The voters in Arkansas, Florida, and North Dakota decided to permit cannabis use for medical purposes. The list of qualifying conditions varies from state to state, but the most crucial and important thing is that more Americans will now get access to the medicine they need without being forced to leave their home states.
In Montana, where medical cannabis was legalized back in 2004, the main question was whether to expand access to medical weed across the state. Happily, over 55 percent of voters supported the Initiative 182.
In the next few days, WeedLex will tell you more about each of the winning initiatives. Subscribe to our updates on Facebook and Twitter.