South Dakota groups file petitions to legalize marijuana
5 years, 2 months ago

South Dakota groups file petitions to legalize marijuana

Associated Press  

— South Dakota groups submitted separate signed petitions Monday that would allow residents to vote next year on whether to legalize medical marijuana and recreational marijuana. New Approach South Dakota submitted more than 30,000 signatures to put the medical marijuana initiative on the ballot. The same group tried to get medical marijuana on South Dakota’s ballot last year but fell short of enough valid signatures. Melissa Mentele, director of New Approach South Dakota and sponsor of the medical marijuana ballot initiative, said her group has asked the Legislature to approve medical marijuana for years.

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History of this topic

Nebraska judge’s ruling moves the state closer to legalizing medical marijuana
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Nebraska judge’s ruling moves the state closer to legalizing medical marijuana

Associated Press  

— Three weeks after Nebraska voters overwhelmingly approved medical marijuana the state moved a step closer to allowing it Tuesday when a judge ruled that the petitions that put the question on the ballot were valid. The decision by Lancaster County District Judge Susan Strong was a victory for advocates of medical marijuana, but opponents are likely to appeal it …

Trio of ballot failures leads marijuana backers to refocus their efforts for recreational weed
2 months ago

Trio of ballot failures leads marijuana backers to refocus their efforts for recreational weed

Associated Press  

The movement to legalize recreational marijuana has run into a wall of resistance, failing in all three states where it was on the ballot this year and leading proponents to weigh a tactical shift focused more on state legislatures and the federal government. It’s “going to be a potentially tougher hill to climb going forward to enact legalization in the …

South Dakota to Decide on Abortion Rights and Recreational Marijuana
2 months ago

South Dakota to Decide on Abortion Rights and Recreational Marijuana

Associated Press  

South Dakota will hold a vote on Tuesday to decide whether to protect abortion rights and legalize recreational marijuana. The abortion rights measure would amend the state constitution to bar restrictions on terminating a pregnancy during its first 12 weeks. The recreational marijuana measure would legalize recreational use for those 21 and older, with up to 2 ounces in a …

Voters could make recreational cannabis legal in more than half of U.S. states
2 months ago

Voters could make recreational cannabis legal in more than half of U.S. states

NPR  

Voters could make recreational cannabis legal in more than half of U.S. states toggle caption Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images Three more states are voting today on whether to legalize the recreational use of cannabis — and if more than one of the measures passes, it would mean a majority of U.S. states have recreational marijuana laws on the books. …

Florida rejects marijuana legalization measure, other states still pending
2 months ago

Florida rejects marijuana legalization measure, other states still pending

Salon  

On Nov. 5, voters in four red states will cast their ballots for legalizing cannabis and marijuana, the extracts from the plant. “It’s certainly not crazy to think you might see some other very conservative Southern states follow along, if Florida adopts it.” North Dakota: Measure 5 In North Dakota, advocates are hoping the third time's a charm in legalizing …

Nebraska will vote on pro-pot measures despite some invalid signatures
3 months, 4 weeks ago

Nebraska will vote on pro-pot measures despite some invalid signatures

Associated Press  

— Nebraska certified two ballot measures Friday to legalize medical marijuana even though the state’s Republican attorney general said their supporters may have submitted at least several thousand invalid signatures, which could keep them from becoming law. Hilgers and other Republicans oppose their state’s marijuana initiatives, and the attorney general immediately faced questions about scheduling his news conference the same …

Could America’s divide on marijuana be coming to an end?
3 months, 4 weeks ago

Could America’s divide on marijuana be coming to an end?

Associated Press  

The U.S. is divided when it comes to state and federal marijuana policy, but recent political developments could move the country toward a greater acceptance of cannabis. Both major presidential candidates have signaled support for a federal policy change to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, and voters in several additional states will get a say this fall on …

Medical Marijuana Legalization In Nebraska May Appear On November Ballot
4 months, 1 week ago

Medical Marijuana Legalization In Nebraska May Appear On November Ballot

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING OMAHA, Neb. — A group seeking to legalize marijuana for medical use in Nebraska has gathered enough signatures to get the issue before voters in November, the state’s top election official said Friday. Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana announced earlier this year that it had gathered about 114,000 signatures — well more than the approximately 86,000 needed — …

Measures to legalize medical marijuana in Nebraska can appear on November ballot, official says
4 months, 1 week ago

Measures to legalize medical marijuana in Nebraska can appear on November ballot, official says

Associated Press  

— A group seeking to legalize marijuana for medical use in Nebraska has gathered enough signatures to get the issue before voters in November, the state’s top election official said Friday. Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana announced earlier this year that it had gathered about 114,000 signatures — well more than the approximately 86,000 needed — for each of two petitions: …

North Dakota voters to weigh in again on marijuana legalization
4 months, 4 weeks ago

North Dakota voters to weigh in again on marijuana legalization

Associated Press  

BISMARCK, N.D. — A ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana in North Dakota has qualified for the November election, the state’s top election official said Monday. North Dakota voters approved medical marijuana in 2016 but rejected recreational initiatives in 2018 and 2022. “The people of North Dakota soundly rejected the idea of recreational marijuana in 2018 and 2022, but here …

Group files petitions to put recreational marijuana on North Dakota’s November ballot
6 months ago

Group files petitions to put recreational marijuana on North Dakota’s November ballot

Live Mint  

BISMARCK, N.D. — Organizers of a ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana in North Dakota submitted petition signatures on Monday, likely setting up another statewide vote on the issue that voters and state lawmakers have previously defeated. The 20-page statutory measure would legalize recreational marijuana for people 21 and older to use at their homes and, if permitted, on others’ …

Group files petitions to put recreational marijuana on North Dakota’s November ballot
6 months ago

Group files petitions to put recreational marijuana on North Dakota’s November ballot

Associated Press  

BISMARCK, N.D. — Organizers of a ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana in North Dakota submitted petition signatures on Monday, likely setting up another statewide vote on the issue that voters and state lawmakers have previously defeated. The 20-page statutory measure would legalize recreational marijuana for people 21 and older to use at their homes and, if permitted, on others’ …

3rd try at approving recreational marijuana in South Dakota makes the ballot
7 months, 1 week ago

3rd try at approving recreational marijuana in South Dakota makes the ballot

Associated Press  

South Dakota voters will decide again whether to legalize recreational marijuana, an issue with a frustrating history for backers of the ballot initiative in the conservative state. Opponent Jim Kinyon, chairperson of Protecting South Dakota Kids, said the state’s voters already had a say on the issue and rejected recreational marijuana back in 2022. “How many times does the state …

Recreational marijuana backers try to overcome rocky history in South Dakota
8 months ago

Recreational marijuana backers try to overcome rocky history in South Dakota

Associated Press  

Advocates of legalizing recreational marijuana in South Dakota, a mission with a rocky history, submitted thousands of signatures to election officials on Tuesday in the hopes of once again getting the issue on the conservative state’s November ballot. Twenty-four states have legalized recreational marijuana, including as recently as November 2023 in Ohio, but “no state has as interesting or rocky …

As the US moves to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, could more states legalize it?
8 months ago

As the US moves to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, could more states legalize it?

Associated Press  

As the U.S. government moves toward reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug, there may be little immediate impact in the dozen states that have not already legalized cannabis for widespread medical or recreational use by adults. Following two previous failed attempts, a Nebraska group is gathering signatures to get two measures onto this year’s ballot: one to legalize medical …

Recreational marijuana backers can gather signatures for North Dakota ballot initiative
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Recreational marijuana backers can gather signatures for North Dakota ballot initiative

Associated Press  

BISMARCK, N.D. — A North Dakota ballot initiative group can gather signatures to put a proposal legalizing recreational marijuana to a statewide vote in the fall, the state’s top election official said Thursday, in the latest legalization effort in the conservative state. “We spend too many resources, we spend too much money, we criminalize behavior that’s more benign than alcohol …

Wisconsin governor who called for marijuana legalization says he’ll back limited GOP proposal
1 year ago

Wisconsin governor who called for marijuana legalization says he’ll back limited GOP proposal

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, who has pushed for full legalization of recreational marijuana, said Wednesday that he is open to a more limited medical marijuana legalization being promoted by Republicans. Vos said the proposal would be limited and modeled after the medical marijuana law that had been in place in neighboring Minnesota before it moved to full …

A Republican proposal to legalize medical marijuana in Wisconsin is coming soon
1 year ago

A Republican proposal to legalize medical marijuana in Wisconsin is coming soon

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin Republicans plan to unveil a proposal soon to legalize medical marijuana in the state and could vote on it sometime in 2024, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said. Vos, in an interview Wednesday, said the proposal will be limited and modeled after the medical marijuana law that had been in place in neighboring Minnesota before it moved …

A marijuana legalization question will be on Ohio’s fall ballot after lawmakers failed to act on it
1 year, 4 months ago

A marijuana legalization question will be on Ohio’s fall ballot after lawmakers failed to act on it

Associated Press  

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A proposal to legalize recreational adult use of marijuana in Ohio was cleared Wednesday to appear on statewide ballots this fall after the Republican-led state Legislature failed to act on it. Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose determined that the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol had submitted 127,772 valid signatures, more than the 124,046 needed to …

Minnesota lights up! Lawmakers make the land of 10,000 lakes 23rd state to legalize ‘recreational marijuana’
1 year, 7 months ago

Minnesota lights up! Lawmakers make the land of 10,000 lakes 23rd state to legalize ‘recreational marijuana’

Hindustan Times  

In a groundbreaking move, Minnesota has joined the ranks of states embracing the legalization of recreational marijuana. Senators in the state passed a bill over the weekend, making Minnesota the 23rd state to allow adults over the age of 21 to partake in the use of cannabis for recreational purposes. House and Senate cannabis bill authors Rep. Zack Stephenson and …

What’s next for marijuana legalization after Oklahoma vote?
1 year, 10 months ago

What’s next for marijuana legalization after Oklahoma vote?

Associated Press  

In just over a decade since voters approved state constitutional amendments to make recreational marijuana legal in Colorado and Washington, 19 other states have followed suit. But voters in Oklahoma, where faith leaders, law enforcement and most of the state’s GOP leaders campaigned against legalization, on Tuesday rejected a ballot measure that would have legalized it. Kevin Stitt and much …

After election, marijuana advocates look to next states
2 years, 1 month ago

After election, marijuana advocates look to next states

Associated Press  

— Law-abiding marijuana enthusiasts could find themselves in a bit of a predicament following voter approval of a recreational cannabis initiative in Missouri. Maryland residents will have to wait even longer — until the middle of next year — before a recreational marijuana measure approved this past week can take effect. After Democratic victories in last week’s legislative and gubernatorial …

Voters approve recreational marijuana in Maryland, Missouri
2 years, 2 months ago

Voters approve recreational marijuana in Maryland, Missouri

Associated Press  

— Voters approved recreational marijuana in Maryland and Missouri but rejected it in three other states, signaling support gradually growing for legalization even in conservative parts of the country. “State-level legalization victories are what’s necessary to move the needle forward at the federal level.” The state voting follows moves by President Joe Biden toward decriminalizing marijuana. “Now they know that …

Voters approve recreational marijuana in Maryland, Missouri
2 years, 2 months ago

Voters approve recreational marijuana in Maryland, Missouri

Associated Press  

— Voters approved recreational marijuana in Maryland and Missouri but rejected it in two other states, signaling support gradually growing for legalization even in conservative parts of the country. “State-level legalization victories are what’s necessary to move the needle forward at the federal level.” The state voting follows moves by President Joe Biden toward decriminalizing marijuana. “It’s pretty clear North …

Voters in five states decide whether to legalize marijuana
2 years, 2 months ago

Voters in five states decide whether to legalize marijuana

Firstpost  

The proposals are on the ballot in Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota and South Dakota and follow moves by President Joe Biden toward decriminalizing marijuana Arkansas: Voters in five states are deciding on Election Day whether to approve recreational marijuana, a move that could signal a major shift toward legalization in even the most conservative parts of the country. The …

Marijuana legalization on the ballot in these states: Here’s what voters decided
2 years, 2 months ago

Marijuana legalization on the ballot in these states: Here’s what voters decided

CNN  

Washington CNN — Ballot measures to legalize recreational marijuana use will fail in three states and pass in two, CNN projects, as momentum has grown nationwide to push for lifting penalties once associated with cannabis. Here’s what voters decided in Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota and South Dakota on Tuesday: Arkansas Arkansas voters on Tuesday will reject a constitutional amendment …

US midterms: Legalising marijuana on the ballot in five states
2 years, 2 months ago

US midterms: Legalising marijuana on the ballot in five states

Al Jazeera  

Voters in Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, North and South Dakota deciding whether to OK recreational marijuana measures. Voters in five US states are deciding on election day whether to approve recreational cannabis, a move that could signal a major shift towards legalisation in even the most conservative parts of the country. The initiative has drawn the criticism of traditional legalisation opponents …

Medical marijuana firms lead donors for legal weed campaigns
2 years, 2 months ago

Medical marijuana firms lead donors for legal weed campaigns

Associated Press  

— The call went out from leaders in the medical marijuana industry: Money was needed for a Missouri ballot initiative to legalize recreational cannabis for adults. All told, marijuana legalization campaigns have raised about $23 million in five states — Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota and South Dakota. “This is something that is a positive for the industry, but it’s …

EXPLAINED: Which US States Put Marijuana On The Ballot in 2022?
2 years, 2 months ago

EXPLAINED: Which US States Put Marijuana On The Ballot in 2022?

News 18  

Recreational marijuana could be legal in half the country if the handful of states with cannabis measures on ballots this November pass them. Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota and South Dakota have measures on their ballots this fall for voters to consider legalizing recreational marijuana. The Arkansas Supreme Court cleared the way in September for voters to consider whether people …

EXPLAINER: Which states put marijuana on the ballot in 2022?
2 years, 2 months ago

EXPLAINER: Which states put marijuana on the ballot in 2022?

Associated Press  

Recreational marijuana could be legal in half the country if the handful of states with cannabis measures on ballots this November pass them. Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota and South Dakota have measures on their ballots this fall for voters to consider legalizing recreational marijuana. — The Arkansas Supreme Court cleared the way in September for voters to consider whether …

Will South Dakota OK pot again after 1st measure reversed?
2 years, 2 months ago

Will South Dakota OK pot again after 1st measure reversed?

Associated Press  

— When it comes to marijuana, South Dakota has been a leader among its Great Plains neighbors: one of the first to legalize recreational use, the first to approve both medical and recreational forms on the same ballot and the only one to have its recreational measure reversed. In South Dakota, Schweich’s campaign is using the messages that won over …

Oklahoma governor sets March election for marijuana question
2 years, 2 months ago

Oklahoma governor sets March election for marijuana question

Associated Press  

OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt on Tuesday set a statewide election for March 7 for voters to decide whether to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, a question Democrats had hoped would be on the November ballot to help energize liberal voters. Marijuana sales would be subjected to a 15% excise tax on top of the standard sales …

State: Medical marijuana would see decline if pot legalized
2 years, 3 months ago

State: Medical marijuana would see decline if pot legalized

Associated Press  

BISMARCK, N.D. — Legalizing recreational pot in North Dakota could cut the number of people who are registered to use the drug as medicine by at least 80%, due to access to bigger quantities and more varied products, a health official said Monday. The state has issued more than 8,200 identification cards to qualifying patients since North Dakota voters approved …

Lawsuit on recreational pot in Missouri nears end
2 years, 4 months ago

Lawsuit on recreational pot in Missouri nears end

Associated Press  

— Lawyers for a Missouri woman suing to block a recreational marijuana ballot measure panned the top state election official’s involvement and claimed the proposal is unconstitutionally broad during Thursday court arguments. This year the Secretary of State’s Office also reviewed signatures following complaints from the pro-recreational-marijuana campaign, Legal Missouri 2022, that some voters were wrongly discounted as unregistered by …

Split appeals panel rejects Nebraska marijuana injunction
2 years, 4 months ago

Split appeals panel rejects Nebraska marijuana injunction

Associated Press  

— The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday rejected a request to temporarily block part of Nebraska’s ballot initiative petition process sought by a group trying to legalize medical marijuana in the state. Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana and the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska sued, arguing that the requirement violates free speech and equal protection rights by …

What’s different about 2022 ND marijuana vote? Money
2 years, 4 months ago

What’s different about 2022 ND marijuana vote? Money

Associated Press  

BISMARCK, N.D. — The main group working to legalize recreational marijuana in North Dakota has more than a half-million dollars to press its case, far more than the mostly shoe-leather effort they relied on four years ago. The North Dakota Petroleum Council will not contribute to fight the pot legalization effort that will appear on the November general election ballot, …

Nebraska medical marijuana effort falls short on signatures
2 years, 4 months ago

Nebraska medical marijuana effort falls short on signatures

Associated Press  

— Proposals to legalize medical marijuana in Nebraska will not appear on the November general election ballot after the efforts failed to collect enough signatures, the state’s top elections official said Monday. Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen said in a news release that the Medical Cannabis Patient Protections Initiative and the Medical Cannabis Regulation Initiative failed to meet signature …

Missouri voters set to weigh in on recreational marijuana
2 years, 5 months ago

Missouri voters set to weigh in on recreational marijuana

Associated Press  

— A campaign to legalize recreational marijuana in Missouri gathered enough signatures to make it on the November ballot, Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft announced Tuesday. Efforts to allow recreational marijuana use have failed to pass Missouri’s Republican-led Legislature for years, prompting advocates to go to voters for approval instead. Local NAACP chapters, the American Civil Liberties Union of …

Arkansas officials OK signatures for marijuana initiative
2 years, 5 months ago

Arkansas officials OK signatures for marijuana initiative

Associated Press  

— Supporters of a recreational marijuana initiative have turned in the required number of valid signatures, moving the measure closer to appearing on Arkansas’ ballot this fall, election officials said Friday. A spokesman for the secretary of state’s office said supporters of the proposed constitutional amendment had reached the 89,151 valid signatures from registered voters needed to qualify for the …

Signatures gathered to place pot legalization before voters
2 years, 5 months ago

Signatures gathered to place pot legalization before voters

Associated Press  

BISMARCK, N.D. — A group that wants to legalize recreational marijuana in North Dakota turned in more that 25,000 signatures to the secretary of state Monday in an effort to place the matter before voters in November. The group, New Approach North Dakota, needed 15,582 signatures to get the measure on the ballot for the general election. “We think that …

Group seeking statewide vote on legal pot submits signatures
2 years, 6 months ago

Group seeking statewide vote on legal pot submits signatures

Associated Press  

OKLAHOMA CITY — A group seeking a statewide vote on whether to fully legalize adult use of marijuana in Oklahoma submitted boxes of signatures on Tuesday with hopes of getting the question on the November ballot. Campaign advisor Ryan Kiesel, an attorney and former Democratic state lawmaker, said the extra signatures and the additional time should ensure the question makes …

Medical pot proposal gets bipartisan support in NC Senate
2 years, 7 months ago

Medical pot proposal gets bipartisan support in NC Senate

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — Marijuana would be legalized for medical use in North Carolina with a physician’s prescription and purchased through dozens of tightly regulated dispensaries in a measure receiving initial approval Thursday in the Senate. The legislation, which received strong bipartisan support, could help people facing more than a dozen different “debilitating medical conditions” in which their doctor declares the …

Medical pot bill resurfaces in NC Senate, heading to floor
2 years, 7 months ago

Medical pot bill resurfaces in NC Senate, heading to floor

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — Legislation authorizing marijuana for medical use in North Carolina and developing a system to grow, sell and regulate cannabis was recommended by a state Senate committee Wednesday, nine months after it last surfaced. The measure, which now heads to the Senate floor for the first of two required votes Thursday, would allow patients with at least one …

Recreational pot validated for ballot in South Dakota
2 years, 7 months ago

Recreational pot validated for ballot in South Dakota

Associated Press  

— South Dakota voters are set to vote again on whether they want recreational marijuana legalized for adults after the secretary of state on Wednesday validated the initiated measure for the November ballot. Secretary of State Steve Barnett announced that a random sample of petition signatures showed that South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws, the group campaigning to legalize pot, …

2nd Medicaid expansion group submits petition for ballot
2 years, 8 months ago

2nd Medicaid expansion group submits petition for ballot

Associated Press  

— A second group attempting to expand Medicaid eligibility in South Dakota submitted petition signatures to the secretary of state Tuesday in a bid to place a proposed law on the November ballot and create a rival to a proposed constitutional amendment. State law requires initiated measures to submit nearly 17,000 signatures from South Dakota registered voters, and the secretary …

SD pot legalization campaign submits signatures for ballot
2 years, 8 months ago

SD pot legalization campaign submits signatures for ballot

Associated Press  

— Advocates for legalizing recreational marijuana in South Dakota on Tuesday submitted petition signatures to the secretary of state, saying they were confident they had collected enough to place the initiative on the November ballot. South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws, the organization that launched the campaign, has scrambled in recent days to gather the nearly 17,000 signatures of registered …

North Dakota OKs marijuana legalization petition format
2 years, 8 months ago

North Dakota OKs marijuana legalization petition format

Associated Press  

BISMARCK, N.D. — North Dakota Secretary of State Al Jaeger has approved the formatting of a petition for a proposed ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana in the state. The sponsoring committee behind the petition must obtain 15,582 valid signatures by July 11 for the measure to be placed on November’s ballot. If supporters miss that deadline but obtain the …

Bills to expand access to medical marijuana advance
2 years, 8 months ago

Bills to expand access to medical marijuana advance

Associated Press  

— Legislation aimed at expanding patient access to medical marijuana in Louisiana was advanced Tuesday by a state House committee. Rep. Joe Marino, an independent from Gretna, won approval of a bill that would expand the number of licenses from 10 to 25 with 30% of the new licenses set aside for minorities and women. Republican Speaker Pro Tempore Tanner …

Legalizing medical marijuana gets first public hearing
2 years, 8 months ago

Legalizing medical marijuana gets first public hearing

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — A Republican-authored bill to legalize medical marijuana in Wisconsin will be getting its first public hearing next week, achieving one goal of backers and the latest sign of progress for those who want to loosen the state’s laws. But the April 20 Senate committee hearing on the medical marijuana bill will give supporters their highest profile chance …

Medical marijuana bill heads to South Carolina House floor
2 years, 9 months ago

Medical marijuana bill heads to South Carolina House floor

Associated Press  

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A bill allowing limited use of medical marijuana in South Carolina is heading to the House floor — the furthest the proposal has made it during the eight years its passionate supporters have been pushing for it. The bill’s sponsor said if it passes, South Carolina’s law would be one of the most conservative of the nearly …

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