Are you one of the many Americans that are contemplating not voting this fall? Well if you're new to voting, I guess you may not realize that there is more to vote for than just Orange or Crooked or Johnson or that 4th person. With thenationalmarijuananews.com stating that the top three candidates all agree that medical should be legal, should we worry that it won't become legal? I think all 4 candidates want World Peace, too, but … In a recent Washington Post article titled "An Unprecedented Number Of States Will Vote On Marijuana This Fall," we see that a much more interesting topic may be bringing people to the polls. Yes, the next President will appoint the next Supreme Court Justice, but this election may be pivotal in outlining American drug policy for this year and years to come, especially around marijuana.
"Voters in five states will decide whether to fully legalize recreational use, while voters in four more will weigh in on whether to allow medical marijuana.
The outcome of these initiatives could set the tone for the national marijuana legalization discussion going forward. Big state victories for the pro-marijuana contingent — recreational weed in California, medical marijuana in Florida — could widen the gap between state and federal marijuana policies, ratcheting up pressure on Congress and the next presidential administration to provide a fix.
On the other hand, a string of defeats would signal public unease about condoning the use of an intoxicating substance that isn't tobacco or alcohol. Defeats would suggest that opponents' longstanding criticisms of the legal marijuana industry are making inroads among voters.
As campaigning shifts into high gear in the fall, here's a rundown of where marijuana will be on the ballot in November — and how those contests are shaping up. – washingtonpost.com
So what states are talking pot at the polls right now? Which ones are going for medical or recreational approval for the good weed? Here are the states mentioned by the Washington Post and the first paragraphs of each mention.
California — Recreational marijuana
A "yes" on weed in the world's sixth-largest economy would loom large in the marijuana debate, making marijuana legal along the entire West Coast.
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Nevada — Recreational marijuana
While home to only 2.8 million people, legal weed in Nevada could have outsize national impact due to Las Vegas's draw as a tourism destination — 40 million visitors per year.
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Arizona — Recreational marijuana
Arizona is the third act of the marijuana legalization trilogy playing out in the West this November. It's also the state giving marijuana proponents their toughest fight — a July poll found that only 39 percent of likely voters support the measure, while 53 percent oppose.
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Massachusetts — Recreational marijuana
Massachusetts, on the other hand, is one of the deepest blue states in the nation, but voters there don't seem to be warming up to the legalization measure on their ballot this fall. Just 41 percent said they'd vote for it in July, down from the mid-to-high-50s a few months earlier.
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Maine — Recreational marijuana
Marijuana appears to be on stronger footing in nearby Maine. Polls conducted there earlier this year suggest the state's legalization measure currently enjoys upwards of 50 percent support.
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Florida — Medical marijuana
On the medical marijuana side of the ledger, Florida is the biggest fight. Supporters and opponents have poured close to $10 million into the contest there. It would make Florida the first state in the South with a robust medical marijuana law.
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Arkansas — Medical marijuana
Arkansas is also making a play to be the first southern state allowing medical marijuana. The effort recently received a boost when the state Democratic party put a call for medical marijuana into their party platform.
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North Dakota — Medical marijuana
In something of a surprise move, a medical marijuana measure recently qualified for the ballot in North Dakota. How this one will play out is anyone's guess. It appears the last polling on medical pot in the state was done in 2014, when 47 percent of voters approved of medical pot and 41 percent opposed it.
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Montana — Medical marijuana
Wait, doesn't Montana already have medical marijuana? Well, yes and no. Voters approved medical pot in 2004, but since then, state lawmakers have been working to undermine that measure. In 2011, they passed legislation that, among other things, prevented medical dispensaries from charging for their services beyond the cost of recouping a licensing fee. In the year following the law, the number of medical marijuana providers plummeted by 90 percent.
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For all the facts about each state, head over to the washingtonpost.com.
And yes, we know Jill Stein is running as well.
Jill Stein, the Green Party's presidential nominee, thinks we should "treat substance abuse as a health problem, not a criminal offense."
Yet she also says "we wouldn't remove all laws against all drug use." Still, Stein goes further than Clinton, saying we should "end the failed war on drugs," "replace drug prohibition with harm reduction," and "legalize marijuana/hemp." – reason.com
Will voting on marijuana get you out to vote even if the presidential race doesn't?
What are the other major issues in your state that will get you to the polls?
h/t: washingtonpost.com
Hell yes, I’m voting for
Hell yes, I'm voting for legalization. #CannabisIsMedicine and it should be available to everyone.