US Elections: Here’s How States Voted on Marijuana Legalization

Recreational marijuana use has not been approved in three U.S. states and will be legalized in two, according to projections by the CNN 🇧🇷 The midterm elections in the United States took place amid strong pressure to lift cannabis-related sentences.

Here’s what voters decided in Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota and South Dakota on Tuesday:

arkansas

Arkansas voters rejected a constitutional amendment that would allow cannabis possession and recreational consumption by adults, as well as sale by licensed facilities, according to a projection of the CNN 🇧🇷 If it had passed, possession of 28.3 grams of marijuana would have been legal and some tax breaks from cannabis sales would have helped fund law enforcement.

Maryland

In Maryland, voters passed a constitutional amendment that legalizes the recreational use of marijuana for people 21 years of age and older. It will take effect on July 10, 2023 and will allow possession of 42.5 grams of the substance or two plants. Possession of small amounts of marijuana is already decriminalized in Maryland. With the new amendment, people previously convicted of possession and intent to distribute marijuana can ask to have the crime removed from their records.

Missouri

Missouri voters approved a proposal to end marijuana prohibition in the state and allow personal use to people over 21, according to projections by the CNN 🇧🇷

The amendment also allows for possession of up to 85 grams and for individuals convicted of non-violent marijuana-related crimes to seek release or parole and for their records related to that crime to be cleared.

North Dakota

A vote on an amendment made at the request of citizens in North Dakota that would allow the use of marijuana in “various forms” for those over 21 years old was rejected by North Dakota voters, according to a projection by the CNN 🇧🇷 The measure would have allowed possession of up to 28.3 grams of marijuana and the drug to be tested in a facility “for the potency of the products and the presence of pesticides” and subject to random inspections.

south dakota

South Dakota residents have rejected a move to legalize cannabis in the state, according to a projection by the CNN 🇧🇷 Legalization for recreational use had been passed in South Dakota in 2020, but the results were overturned by state courts.

Under the proposed 2022 measure, possession of up to 28.3 grams of marijuana would be permitted. It would also legalize the possession of accessories used for the consumption, use and distribution of marijuana.