Are You Lucky Enough to Live in One of These States That May Soon Legalize Marijuana?
At long last, we are only 33 days away from one of the most important votes of our lives.
Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean the presidential election between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, although that one is also happening on November 8th. But I’m referencing the handful of ballot initiatives in a number of states to legalize recreational marijuana use, with as many as four states leaning towards the very strong possibility of high times ahead.
The Hill is citing recent surveys and polls taken over the last several weeks in Nevada, California, Maine, and Arizona indicating that voter support could spell full-blown legalization of pot.
The Public Policy Institute of California and the Field Poll reveals that upwards of 60% of voters in the Golden State are in favor of Proposition 64. California was the first state to legalize weed for purposes of medicinal use in 1996. According to The Hill, “majorities of voters in every region of the state and in every age and ethnic bracket support legalization,” heading into the November 8th election date.
Just about half of all voters in Maine and Massachusetts have said that they support the pro-recreational use ballot measures, while an Arizona Republic/Morrison/Cronkite News poll from September shows that 50% of voters in Arizona say they support the state’s Proposition 205. At this point, there appears to be a “statistical tie” between supporters and critics of pro-pot legislation in the state of Nevada.
Nevada was the first state to reach the minimum required number of signatures to qualify for the 2016 ballot initiatives, reaching the required 101,667 signatures nearly two years early. Previous polling in Arizona meanwhile has indicated split support right down the middle, and its 2010 effort to legalize medical use won by only 4,000 votes.
The founder of Marijuana Majority Tom Angell however cautions against being too excited for the potential for widespread recreational use. “While it’s good to be polling ahead right now in all the states with legalization on the ballot, the margin is a little too close for comfort in a few places, especially since the opposition hasn’t yet gone on the air with the scare-tactic-filled ads we expect from them,” he says.
Currently, recreational pot use in Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Alaska and the District of Columbia is legalized, with particular restrictions regarding public use.
[h/t The Hill]
This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.
