![opoyicentral](https://opoyi.com/wp-content/themes/opoyitheme/images/opoyi_6k77dlSYd.jpg)
US midterms 2022: Maryland approves recreational marijuana, Arkansas and North Dakota reject
- Maryland has approved recreational marijuana in the state
- Arkansas and North Dakota rejected the measure to legalize marijuana
- Missouri and South Dakota are yet to determine whether to take the shift toward legalization
Voters in Maryland decided on Election Day to approve recreational marijuana, making it the 20th state to take the step.
Question 4 asked voters: “Do you favor the legalization of the use of cannabis by an individual who is at least 21 years of age on or after July 1, 2023, in the State of Maryland?”
Four other states – Arkansas, Missouri, North Dakota and South Dakota – were in line to take a shift toward legalization in even the most conservative parts of the country. However, North Dakota and Arkansas rejected the measure to legalize marijuana.
Also Read | US midterms 2022: Shooting survivor Craig Greenberg wins Louisville mayor
Last month, President Joe Biden took measures toward decriminalizing marijuana by pardoning thousands of Americans convicted of simple possession of marijuana under federal law.
Recreational marijuana was legal in 19 states. All of the states with recreational marijuana on the ballot, except for Maryland, voted for Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election.
Maryland has already legalized medical marijuana and decriminalized small amounts in the past. The state legalized medicinal marijuana in 2013.
According to VoteCast, about 6 in 10 voters support legalizing the recreational use of marijuana nationwide.
Now in Maryland, an adult aged 21 and older, will be able to possess up to 1.5 ounces of marijuana. The measure goes into effect next summer. People caught with larger amounts could face civil fines.
About $23 million in the five states have been raised in legalization campaigns, with the vast majority in Arkansas and Missouri.
Companies holding medical marijuana licenses comprise of more than 85% of contributions, according to an Associated Press analysis.
Melody Finley, a Republican in Little Rock, Arkansas, said she voted for the state’s legalization measure.
“If you can buy alcohol, you can buy that, too,” Finley, 47, a dance instructor, said.
Also Read | US midterms 2022: In Georgia, Republican Brian Kemp wins rematch, Stacey Abrams concedes
Rick Huffman, a voter in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on Tuesday voted against that state’s legalization proposal.
“I’ve got a kid that’s a teenager now,” he said, according to AP. “So I think it’ll eventually happen, but maybe I’ll wait until my kids grow up.”
States where recreational marijuana is legal: Colorado, Washington, Alaska, Oregon, Washington, D.C., California, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Michigan, Vermont, Guam, Illinois, Arizona, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, New Mexico, Connecticut and Rhode Island.
Related Articles
ADVERTISEMENT