Uncertainty surely surrounds the US elections, but the same cannot be said regarding the cannabis ballots that took place in Arizona, South Dakota, Montana, Mississippi, and New Jersey: all of them were successful, with states legalizing recreational use or implementing a medical cannabis program. Let's now take a closer look at each of them to see what has changed.
Arizona
Medical cannabis has been legal in the state since 2011. With yesterday's successful ballot, Arizona has also legalized recreational use for adults over 21 years old. Proposition 207 will allow resident to possess up to an ounce of cannabis, and to grow up to six plants per household. If Prop 207 will eventually pass, certain cannabis-related criminal records will also be expunged.
South Dakota
South Dakota has been renowned as one of the harshest states in the US when it comes to cannabis prohibition. The state even has a so-called 'internal possession' law: if someone tests positive for cannabis, that person can be held criminally liable for possession in South Dakota, even if this was consumed in another state.
Yesterday's initiative will very likely create a scenario where there will be both a recreational and a medical program, in a single swing.
Montana
Montana had a medical cannabis program that got approved in 2004, with an expansion that was signed into 2016. Now, after yesterday's results, residents will be allowed to possess, sell cannabis, and to grow up to 4 plants per household. The conservative state has had some resistance regarding this ballot, and some associations have tried to stop it. Yet, the general consensus is that the measure will not be eventually voted down, considering also the increasingly widespread acceptance.
Mississippi
Mississippi is one of the most conservative states in the nation. Despite this, Initiative 65 made its way to November's ballot, where it got the approval of voters. This initiative allows physicians to prescribe medical cannabis for specific conditions. Polls have shown that the majority of residents approve a medical cannabis program, from both side of the political spectrum.
New Jersey
The Garden State has legalized cannabis for medical use back in 2010. Now, with New Jersey Question 1 passing, the state has also legalized the sale and possession of cannabis for adult use. Further details about the possessions limit will become clearer once Question 1 will pass by the Cannabis Regulatory Commission.