Up to five states could approve adult-use cannabis laws on Nov. 8, which could mark a global inflection point for the civil liberty issue.
The Atlantics Rusell Berman notes California is virtually its own nation-state, and is polling in the high 50s on legalization Proposition 64.
Beyond California, slimmer majorities of voters are backing full legalization in Massachusetts, Arizona, and Maine. In Nevada, polls have been mixed, with one in September showing strong support for passage and a more recent survey suggesting voters are split.
Voters could also add new medical marijuana laws to four states – Florida, Montana, North Dakota, and Arkansas. Thirty-five states now have some form of medical marijuana law, four states and Washington DC have legalization.
Complacency has emerged as an issue among pro-pot supporters. As for opponents, Smart Approaches to Marijuana president Kevin Sabet told the Atlantic that California is much closer than were hearing about. Its a coin flip in all of the states right now.
Fueling record support for reforms, legalization has been mostly successful in the four states and Washington DC, according to recent analyses. Teen pot use stayed flat, weed arrests went way down, legal pot did not impact traffic fatalities, and taxes poured in. Even the stories of kids getting into edibles proved overblown.
Rates of marijuana poisonings among small children in Colorado increased post-legalization, although the overall numbers remain negligible: There were 47 marijuana-related poison control center calls in Colorado in 2015, up from 25 in 2013.
Colorado sold a record-breaking amount of cannabis in August 2016, with revenue totaling $126 million.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker
Full Article: The Atlantic – Marijuana Legalization At The Tipping Point
Author: David Downs
Contact: SFGate
Photo Credit: David Downs
Website: SFGate
