The 2020 US Presidential election took place last night, and the results have yet to be decided. American voters chose a new leader and voted on measures put forward by each state. This 2020 US election brought a record turnout; thus, US lawmakers got a better idea of what the American people actually want. So, they asked about weed. While we may not yet know who is President yet, we do know one thing; America is becoming a lot more comfortable with cannabis.
Cannabis legalization was on the ballot in five states, including Arizona, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, and South Dakota. In the US, cannabis is illegal at a federal level but citizens can vote on regulations within the state. These measures will come into effect when the 2020 US election results become official on November 30th, 2020. Here is what happened in each state.
Arizona — Proposition 207 for Cannabis Legalization
Election results: Recreational cannabis legalized.
Thanks to Proposition 207, it will be legal to:
- possess up to an ounce of cannabis for adults over the age of 21
- Grow up to six household plants
A new measure was approved that will grant Arizona the ability to expunge previous felony cannabis charges from a person’s criminal record. The state will get a 16% sales tax on all recreational sales.
Mississippi — Ballot Measure 1, Initiative 65 & Initiative 65A in regards to Cannabis Legalization
2020 US Election Results: Medical Cannabis legal for terminally ill
In Mississippi, voters had to choose between initiative 65 and 65A. Both of these initiatives are specific to medicinal cannabis but 65a was significantly more restrictive. It came down to choosing between giving the doctors the ability to prescribe medical cannabis to any condition or just the terminally ill. Unfortunately, Mississippi chose the latter option.
Montana — I-190 & Constitutional Initiative 118
Election Results: Recreational cannabis legalized.
Montana voted in favor of recreational cannabis, allowing State residents to:
- Legally purchase cannabis if they are over the age of 21
- Possess up to an ounce of cannabis
- Grow up to four household plants and four seedlings
- Request a resentencing or record expungement if they have been previously convicted of a low-level, cannabis crime
New Jersey — Question 1
Election Results: Recreational cannabis legalized.
Medical cannabis has been legally accessible in the state of New Jersey since 2010. Thanks to last night’s election, adults over the age of 21 can purchase and possess legal recreational cannabis. However, the possession limits have yet to be determined.
Smart Business – Question 1 established an extremely low tax rate for the sale of legal cannabis. Why? The state of New Jersey recognizes that an extremely high tax rate will deter sales. Instead, they voted on a 6.625% tax rate for legal sales, and local governments can tax an additional 2 percent on top of that.
South Dakota — Constitutional Amendment A & Measure 26
Election Results: Medical and recreational cannabis legalized.
It’s the first time in US history that both recreational and medical cannabis has been on the same voter ballot.
Medical cannabis measures:
- Medical patients can possess up to three ounces of cannabis and grow up to three plants at the same time.
- Pediatric cannabis patients can have a caregiver legally designated. This is for the purpose of administering their cannabis.
Recreational cannabis measures:
- Anyone over the age of 21 can possess up to an ounce of cannabis or 8 grams of cannabis concentrate.
- You can grow up to three plants if your town does not have a dispensary.
- Local government still have the power to ban/regulate dispensaries
2020 has been a rough year for the United States and many are hoping that this election will be the start of a new chapter. Good or bad, at least there will be more weed available!