An election measure in South Dakota, if passed, would legalize the possession, consumption and distribution of an ounce of cannabis for people over the age of 21. If this sounds familiar, it`s because the state has gone down this road before. Most states that have legalized recreational marijuana have done so through citizen-initiated voting measures, a tactic progressive activists also have in mind to keep legal abortion in red states. Currently, 19 states, two territories and D.C. have welcomed marijuana legalization over the past decade, while medical cannabis is legal in 37 states, three territories and the district, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Colorado and Washington approved recreational marijuana measures for adults in 2012. Alaska, Oregon and the District of Columbia followed in the fall of 2014. In 2015, Ohio voters rejected an election measure focused on the commercial production and sale of recreational marijuana. On November 8, 2016, voters in four states, California, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada, approved adult recreational marijuana, while voters in Arizona rejected it. In 2018, Michigan voters approved „Proposition 1“ by a margin of 56% to 44% to legalize, regulate and tax marijuana in the state. In 2018, Vermont became the first state to legalize adult marijuana through the legislative process (rather than through a voting initiative).
The Vermont law went into effect on July 1, 2018. In May 2019, the Illinois General Assembly passed the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act, House Bill 1438, and the governor signed the law into law in June. Recently, New Jersey (AB 21) legalized some personal uses, while marijuana was removed from Schedule I. Aside from full legalization, which may not have enough support to overcome Senate filibuster rules, there has been bipartisan support from this Congress for a bill that would grant federal protection to banks working with marijuana companies in states that have taken measures to legalize drugs. Efforts are also underway in the U.S. Congress to pass comprehensive cannabis reform at the federal level. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill in April 2022 that would legalize cannabis in the U.S. However, it seems unlikely that the bill will pass in the U.S. Senate. In 2013, President Barack Obama directed the Justice Department to contact state authorities in jurisdictions that had legalized marijuana „based on assurances that those states will implement a sufficiently stringent regulatory system.“ South Dakota residents call for better marijuana laws to support legalization: Under federal law, marijuana is still an illegal Schedule I substance. Here`s what you need to know about marijuana legalization in the U.S., including states that have passed laws, what`s happening at the federal level, and what Americans think about cannabis legalization.
For more information, check out the hottest cannabis accessories. California, which legalized medical marijuana in 1996, was the first state to treat marijuana legalization as a state right. Here is the long list of U.S. states, districts, and territories that have legalized marijuana for medical or recreational use: In late August 2013, the U.S. Department of Justice announced an update to its marijuana enforcement policy. The statement states that while cannabis remains illegal at the federal level, the USDOJ expects states like Colorado and Washington „to make strong law enforcement efforts. and postpone the right to challenge their legalization laws at that time. The Ministry also reserves the right to challenge states at any time if they deem it necessary. It`s clear that among all the candidates, all Democrats, and all Republicans, no one public stance on cannabis was the most popular strategy in the 2022 congressional primaries. However, among the candidates who opted for a clear position on cannabis, Republicans were more opposed to legalization than in favor, and the reverse is true for Democratic primary candidates who took a stand on cannabis.
Yet just a decade ago, recreational marijuana was illegal nationwide, and the efforts of cannabis advocates have not been without setbacks since then. More recently, voters rejected voting measures to legalize adult marijuana in North Dakota in 2018 and Arizona in 2016, though the latter changed his position and voted for the initiative the following election year. Senate leaders on Thursday are introducing a bill to repeal federal marijuana prohibitions more than 50 years after Congress made the drug illegal. In November, voters will decide whether recreational marijuana can be used legally in five states: Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota and South Dakota. While marijuana legalization has spread rapidly in the United States over the past decade, Capitol Hill hasn`t grown as fast. Nineteen states now allow anyone at least the age of 21 to possess and use the drug, and 37 states have medical marijuana programs in place. National polls have consistently shown that about two-thirds of Americans support marijuana legalization, and support is even higher among younger voters. Gallup`s research also found that nearly half (46%) of U.S. adults say they have tried marijuana even though it`s registered as a Schedule I controlled substance by the federal government, and 68% think it should be legalized. In 2020, Virginia adopted SJR 67 – Virginia began its journey to join other states in legalizing recreational cannabis. The resolution begins a study calling for recommendations for the implementation of legalization by July 1, 2022. Cannabis reform has gained popularity among voters, activists, and state legislators.
Cannabis is now legal for medical purposes in 38 states and DC and for adults in 19 states and DC. Despite this progress in state-level reforms and broader debate across the country, Congress has failed to pass a major bill on the issue, and many voters and activists are questioning why. There is an opposition effort organized by the group Protecting South Dakota Kids, with its president Jim Kinyon saying that legalizing marijuana for adults will inevitably lead to better access for young people. The Committee is also concerned about the effect of drugs on mental and physical health. And even if a bill were passed somehow, it`s unclear whether President Joe Biden would sign it. He has repeatedly said that he does not support the legalization of weeds at the federal level. But, as is the case with issues such as interracial marriage protection or access to birth control, bipartisan popular support doesn`t always lead to legislative progress, even though several states will consider their own changes to marijuana laws this fall. On the campaign trail, some Democratic candidates, such as Senate candidate John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, embraced the issue of legalization and may have motivated voters on the sidelines in his swing state, but many others downplayed it to focus on issues such as the economy, public safety, and abortion rights.
Recently, Michigan (HR 151) asked the U.S. Congress to clarify its position on the legality of marijuana under the Federal Controlled Substances Act. Several bills introduced to state legislators in 2018 focused on the federal government`s role in marijuana policy. California passed a resolution calling on Congress to pass legislation that would allow financial institutions to provide services to the cannabis industry. Bills or resolutions were introduced in Alaska in 2018, with California, Georgia, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania asking Congress to change or allow the state to exercise authority over marijuana policy. The NCSL sent a letter to Congress in 2018 in support of a recent bill to protect state sovereignty over marijuana regulation. The NCSL also sent a letter supporting language prohibiting the DOJ from using legal remedies to take enforcement action against states with legal medical marijuana laws. The NCSL Committee on Law, Criminal Justice and Public Safety also recently passed a policy resolution on cannabis. As Table 4 shows, Democrats in perfectly legal states are the most supportive of cannabis reform, with more than a third of candidates expressing support for the primaries. The same was not true for Republican candidates. Republicans in states where cannabis is legal were less likely to support cannabis reform than in purely medical and non-legal states.
Moreover, it wasn`t an artifact of fewer Republicans running in fully legal states — there were more candidates in GOP primaries in legal states than in purely medical or non-legal states. „What happened recently in Washington reflects what people in this country want to see,“ said Eddie Armstrong, a former state lawmaker who heads the Responsible Growth group Arkansas, which advocates for legalization.
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