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

The activity to legalize recreational marijuana has tally into a wall of resistance, failing successful each 3 states wherever it was on nan ballot this year and starring proponents to measurement a tactical displacement focused much connected authorities legislatures and nan national government.

Over nan past twelve years, nan number of states legalizing marijuana usage by adults roseate quickly from zero to 24, moreover arsenic it remains forbidden nether national law. But nary caller states joined that database Tuesday, arsenic initiatives went down in Florida, North Dakota and South Dakota.

It’s “going to beryllium a perchance tougher elevation to climb going guardant to enact legalization successful nan different 26 states,” Paul Armentano, lawman head of nan marijuana defense statement NORML, said Wednesday.

That’s because galore of nan remaining states don’t let national ballot initiatives, meaning nan way to legalization must walk done authorities legislatures that person been resistant.

Voters connected Tuesday did o.k. aesculapian marijuana successful Nebraska, which would go nan 39th authorities to let it. But nan measurement still faces a ineligible challenge.

Ballot container struggles for recreational marijuana travel contempt a imaginable softening of marijuana policies astatine nan national level. The U.S. Justice Department has proposed to reclassify it from a Schedule I supplier to a little vulnerable Schedule III drug, and President-elect Donald Trump has signaled support for nan change.

About 6 successful 10 voters crossed nan state said they favour legalizing recreational usage nationwide, according to AP VoteCast, a study of much than 120,000 U.S. voters. Support for nationalist legalization was somewhat little successful immoderate of nan states wherever ballot measures mislaid Tuesday.

In Florida nan projected legalization of recreational marijuana received support from a mostly of voters, which would person been capable to walk successful astir places. But it fell short of nan 60% supermajority required for law amendments successful nan state.

The run was among nan costliest of nan much than 140 measures connected authorities ballots this November. Supporters raised $153 cardinal done nan extremity of October, coming almost wholly from Florida’s largest aesculapian marijuana operator, Trulieve.

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis helped lead opposition, utilizing authorities resources to tally ads raising concerns astir marijuana. Jessica Spencer, nan defense head for nan guidance campaign, praised DeSantis’ “conviction, courageousness and fearlessness” against “Big Weed.”

The pricey Florida run was a crisp opposition to nan lightly funded ones successful North and South Dakota. It besides highlighted a caller inclination successful which marijuana legalization efforts person been heavy financed by existing aesculapian marijuana providers who guidelines to use from description .

“We’ve reached nan constituent wherever there’s fundamentally very small philanthropic backing for cannabis betterment initiatives,” said Matthew Schweich, executive head of nan Marijuana Policy Project and leader of nan unsuccessful South Dakota campaign.

This twelvemonth marked nan 3rd effort for recreational marijuana initiatives successful nan Dakotas. Voters approved a South Dakota measurement successful 2020 that was later struck down successful court, and voters rejected different 1 successful 2022. North Dakotans voted against recreational marijuana successful 2018 and 2022, some times by larger margins than this year.

“The existent mobility is wherever should we moreover effort this anymore, because we’re not a well-funded governmental movement,” Schweich said.

Citing nan adjacent loss, a group backing nan North Dakota inaugural urged authorities lawmakers to see passing their ain type of cannabis legalization.

“This speech is acold from over,” New Economic Frontier said successful a connection while pledging to “continue moving toward applicable solutions.”

One authorities wherever marijuana advocates are hoping for occurrence is New Hampshire. The Republican-led House and Senate location each passed bills this twelvemonth that would person legalized recreational marijuana, but they grounded to work together connected a last version.

In immoderate Democratic-led states, marijuana advocates person pushed for legalization while emphasizing societal justness and equity arguments, noting that disproportionate enforcement of supplier laws has resulted successful minorities facing incarceration astatine a higher complaint than achromatic group contempt akin rates of cannabis use.

But erstwhile focusing connected Republican-led states, Armentano said, advocates whitethorn request to accent nan imaginable for marijuana legalization to output costs savings and free up constabulary and prosecutors to attraction connected different crimes.

“I deliberation that location is going to beryllium immoderate pivoting successful strategies going forward,” Armentano said. “Potentially location could beryllium immoderate shifting successful nan measurement this rumor has been framed.”

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Associated Press writer Hannah Fingerhut successful Washington contributed to this report.