California – Approved recreational cannabis.
Massachusetts – Approved recreational cannabis.
Nevada – Approved recreational cannabis.
Florida – Approved medical cannabis.
North Dakota – Approved medical cannabis.
Arkansas – Approved medical cannabis (Issue 6 only).
Arizona – Rejected recreational cannabis.
Maine – Approved recreational cannabis.
Montana – Approved medical cannabis (to ease restriction).

California, Massachusetts, Nevada and Maine voters have approved cannabis for recreational use.

The vote means that cannabis will become legal for use in the next month, and cannabis shops can open in 2018.

California (56%)

California was one of the first states legalizing medical cannabis in 1996. Approval by California (39 million people), will put nearly a fifth of all Americans in jurisdictions where recreational marijuana is legal. State recently overtook the UK to have the fifth largest economy in the world and is expected to have a recreational marijuana market greater than Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Alaska combined, said Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance.

Massachusetts (54%)

On Tuesday Massachusetts has approved recreational cannabis, allowing people to possess up to 1.0 ounce of marijuana and have six plants in their home. A 3.75 percent excite tax would go to regulations and the state’s general fund.
In 2008, Massachusetts voters approved a ballot measure that replaced criminal penalties for the possession of one ounce or less of weed with a system of civil penalties. That law is usually described as decriminalization. In 2012, Massachusetts voters approved an initiative making marijuana legal for medical use.

Nevada (54%)

Nevada voters have approved Question 2, the ballot measure to legalize recreational cannabis.
Dispensaries will be allocated by county size, with 80 to Clark County, 20 to Washoe County, four to Carson City and two to the other 14 counties. A ban on home growing will be put in place in a 25-mile halo around all dispensaries, essentially blocking most of the population from cultivating their own cannabis.

Maine (50%)

In Maine on November 8, voters chose yes on Question 1. Passage of the question in Maine makes it legal for adults 21 and older to possess 2.5 ounces of marijuana. The state will then develop rules to regulate retail sales of cannabis, taxed at 10 percent. The law takes effect 30 days after Gov. Paul LePage certifies the election results.
The retail industry will be regulated by the legalization-opposing governor’s agriculture department, whose commissioner has called it a “major departure” from the agency’s normal work.

Florida, Arkansas, North Dakota and Montana voters have approved cannabis for medical use.

Florida (71%)

Florida will become the first state in the South with a full-scale medical cannabis program. The new amendment states that patients with illnesses of the “same kind or class as or comparable to” serious illnesses, such as cancer, HIV, post-traumatic stress disorder, Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy would be eligible to access medical marijuana.

North Dakota (64%)

Measure 5 allows the use of marijuana for treatment of specified “debilitating medical conditions” and others added by the North Dakota Department of Health. It authorizes production and distribution of medical marijuana by state-registered, nonprofit “compassion centers.” The initiative allows patients located more than 40 miles from the nearest licensed supplier to grow up to eight plants in “an enclosed, locked facility.”

Arkansas (53%)

Measure allows patients with a variety of medical conditions and doctors to access medical cannabis dispensaries. Patients are not allowed to grow their own.

Arkansas Issue No. 6: A proposed constitutional amendment that would allow an independent commission to award licenses for up to eight grow facilities and up to 40 for-profit dispensaries statewide. Home growing is not allowed.

Montana (57%)

Measure means that providers of the drug will not be limited to the number of patients they can serve. The previous restriction imposed a limit of three.


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