Voters could legalize recreational weed in most US states: NPR

Cannabis, commonly known as marijuana, is on display at a store in Cherokee, North Carolina on November 2nd. On Election Day, legalizing recreational cannabis use will be on the ballot in three states.

Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP via Getty Images

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Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP via Getty Images

Voters in three states will decide on Election Day whether to legalize recreational marijuana use — and if more than one of the measures passes, it would mean the majority of U.S. states have recreational marijuana laws.

The measures are on the ballot more than a decade after a Pew poll found that for the first time a majority of Americans supported legalizing marijuana use. Earlier this year, the Pew Research Center reported that 88% of U.S. adults believed marijuana should be legal for medical or recreational use.

The three states are:

Florida

Amendment 3 would allow anyone age 21 or older to possess or purchase marijuana for their own recreational use.

“Florida’s state economists estimate that legal sales of recreational marijuana could generate up to $430 million per year in local and state tax revenue if voters approve Amendment 3 on the November ballot,” member station WLRN reports.

“According to recent polls, a bipartisan majority of Florida voters support Amendment 3, but it is unclear whether it will meet the 60 percent threshold needed for approval,” the station adds.

North Dakota

Legislative Measure No. 5 “would permit the production, processing and sale of cannabis, as well as the possession and consumption of various forms of cannabis by persons 21 years of age and older.” The state law would override all local ordinances.

“The estimated fiscal impact of this action includes revenues of $10,227,600, expenses of $8,324,275, and an unspecified amount of additional costs related to behavioral, health and social impacts for the 2025-2027 biennium “ says the 2024 vote.

Medical marijuana is legal in North Dakota, but voters have rejected recreational cannabis twice (2018 and 2022).

South Dakota

Introduced Measure 29 would allow people over 21 to use cannabis recreationally in a state that voted to legalize medical marijuana in 2020. Like their neighbors to the north, this is the third time South Dakotans will have to decide whether to legalize cannabis. Voters approved legalizing pot in 2020 — but the change was thrown out in court after the measure was found to violate the state's single-subject requirement.

This time, the measure lacks language on marijuana sales and regulation and other topics that were included in the previous amendment.

“Counties could reduce incarceration costs by $581,556 each year,” states a guide from the attorney general’s office.

Recent polls suggest voters may oppose legalization, Jonathan Ellis of the independent news outlet The Dakota Scout told South Dakota Public Broadcasting.

“They’re 51% no versus 44% yes,” Ellis said in late October. “These figures have changed compared to a previous survey conducted in August and September. An internal survey I was privy to resulted in her passing. But that was before there was a really harsh negative campaign against it. So I would argue that the campaign against marijuana legalization is working for opponents.”

Experts are calling on governments to align laws – and regulations

Cannabis is also on the ballot in Nebraska, where the initiative, Measure 437, would remove penalties for “the use, possession and acquisition” of up to 5 ounces of cannabis for medical purposes. It requires a written recommendation from a doctor.

The increasing acceptance and advocacy of marijuana as a medical or recreational drug means that large numbers of Americans – and their state governments – disagree with the federal government's long-standing declaration that cannabis is illegal.

As more people in the U.S. report regular marijuana use in recent years, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine said in September that federal and state governments must address the gaps in policy, regulation and standardization, warning against the Lack of clarity and reliable information poses a risk to the public.

Earlier this year, the Biden administration proposed a reclassification of marijuana, a change that would redefine it from a Schedule I controlled substance to a Schedule III controlled substance, a category that recognizes medical benefits. In addition to the impact on potential markets and consumers, the federal move would boost cannabis research.