Since 2012, statewide elections every two years have provided legal cannabis with huge wins across the nation. The 2018 midterm election was no exception.<\/p>\n
Across America, four big statewide ballot initiatives for legal or medical cannabis dominated the conversation, while plenty was on the line for state and federal cannabis policy through races for congressional seats and governor\u2019s mansions.<\/p>\n
Here is a breakdown of last night\u2019s election results and the biggest wins and losses for the cannabis cause.<\/p>\n
The biggest win of the day was for sure Michigan\u2019s Proposal 1<\/a>. Local media called the race early in the night, declaring that the Michigan effort to legalize marijuana for adults over the age of 21 was successful. Michigan is now the first state in the Midwest to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is yet another historic election for the movement to end marijuana prohibition. Voters have once again sent a message loud and clear that it is time to legalize and regulate marijuana,\u201d Marijuana Policy Project Executive Director Steve Hawkins said in a statement<\/a>. \u201cThe victory in Michigan highlights just how widespread support is for marijuana policy reform. This issue does not only enjoy strong support on the coasts, but also in the Midwest and all throughout the country.\u201d<\/p>\n Hawkins went on to note the bigger picture of Tuesday night\u2019s results in Michigan, stating that cannabis has now been legalized for adult use in one out of every five states, which he said should inspire Congress to change federal cannabis policy.<\/p>\n Maria McFarland S\u00e1nchez-Moreno, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, noted that Michigan changes the conversation around cannabis legalization, which typically has been isolated on the West Coast and Northeast.<\/p>\n Western and northeastern states have led the way on legalizing marijuana, but the victory in Michigan powerfully demonstrates the national reach of this movement,\u201d said McFarland S\u00e1nchez-Moreno. \u201cWith such overwhelming public support for marijuana legalization, even including majorities of Republicans and older Americans, there\u2019s only so long that the federal government can continue to hold out.\u201d<\/p>\n North Dakota\u2019s Measure 3, which would have legalized adult-use cannabis in the state, looked to be in rough shape as soon as the numbers started coming in. Down the whole night, it was called with 80 percent of the vote in and over 60 percent of North Dakota voters rejecting the legalization plan.<\/p>\n David Jones of Legalize ND took to North Dakota\u2019s local radio<\/a> as the numbers came in against the effort.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the greatest thing about this measure is that we didn\u2019t rely on out-of-state money,\u201d Jones said of the losing effort. \u201cWe were a grassroots organization with grassroots support. It was done by North Dakotans, for North Dakotans, and we\u2019ll see how they decide.\u201d<\/p>\n The main opponent of the bill was Bob Wefald, chairman of North Dakotans Against the Legalization of Recreational Marijuana, who said<\/a> he would support legislation to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana in the upcoming legislative session.<\/p>\n Missouri had three different competing medical marijuana proposals on the ballot. Only one amendment prevailed, Amendment 2, which includes a 4 percent tax on cannabis that would see all proceeds go to health care services for veterans. The amendment won out over Proposition C\u2019s 2 percent tax rate and Amendment 3\u2019s 15 percent tax rate.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a patient-centered proposal that puts power in the hands of state-licensed physicians and their patients, not politicians or bureaucrats,\u201d NORML Political Director Justin Strekal said. \u201cPassage of Amendment 2 creates a robust statewide system for production and sale of medical cannabis. Of the three proposals on the ballot, we believed that Amendment 2 was the clear choice for voters, and the voters agreed.\u201d<\/p>\n While Prop 2 passed in Utah last night, the stakeholders had already come together<\/a> before the election. Now, activists will be on even better footing as they attempt to find common ground with Utah lawmakers and the Church of Latter-Day Saints in bringing safe access to Utah patients. The vote will expand Utah\u2019s recently approved program that would have provided limited access only to the terminally ill when products eventually become available.<\/p>\n The success of Amendment 4 in Florida changes the state constitution to restore voting privileges to those with non-violent felony convictions. Many of those impacted by this law will be cannabis consumers as, under Florida law, first-time possession of marijuana in amounts greater than 20 grams is classified under state law as a felony offense. That\u2019s less than three-quarters of an ounce. NORML noted the only one other state, Arizona, classifies minor marijuana offenses so punitively. It\u2019s believed 1.5 million Florida residents had their right to vote restored on Tuesday.<\/p>\n Commenting on the vote result, NORML\u2019s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said: \u201cFlorida is a national leader in annual marijuana arrests. In many cases, those arrested are charged with felony offenses for simple possession. Passage of Amendment 4 restores voting privileges to those tens of thousands of Floridians who have been stigmatized by a felony marijuana conviction, and makes it clear that the collateral consequences of a non-violent drug possession conviction should not forever bar one from participating in the democratic process.\u201d<\/p>\n The biggest event in the House was that Rep. Pete Sessions lost his seat. Sessions worked prolifically to block every piece or marijuana legislation that came across his path from making it to the House floor. His departure from Congress is a major win for activists on Capitol Hill pushing various federal reforms.<\/p>\n \u201cRepresentative Pete Sessions was the single greatest impediment in the U.S. House to the passage of common-sense, voter-supported marijuana law reform measures,\u201d NORML Political Director Justin Strekal said. \u201cHis departure opens the door for the possibility of House lawmakers in 2019 enacting a number of significant, NORML-endorsed policy changes.\u201d<\/p>\n Cannabis appears to have lost its oldest ally in Congress, as it appears that longtime California congressman Dana Rohrabacher has lost his seat in his Southern California district on the border of true Republican SoCal. While the race has yet to be officially called and Rep. Rohrabacher has not yet conceded his seat, he is currently trailing by 2,682 votes with 100 percent of precincts reporting.<\/p>\n Over the last couple years, Rohrabacher\u2019s longtime Moscow connections were a cloud over the decade of work he had done to prevent the Department of Justice<\/a> from spending money to go after state legal and compliant medical marijuana providers.<\/p>\n Gubernatorial races around the country featured more candidates voicing their support of marijuana reform than ever before. While many of the Democrats who took a pro-pot stance in their attempt to reach the pinnacle of state government failed, there were plenty of success stories too.<\/p>\n One of the marijuana industry\u2019s greatest defenders in the halls of Congress, former Rep. Jared Polis, will move over to the governor\u2019s office in Colorado. In the past, Polis has championed banking access for the industry and was among the first to lash out at the threat of crackdowns by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. In addition to possibly being the best governor on pot in America, Polis is also the first openly gay governor in America.<\/p>\n In California, long-time cannabis reformer Gavin Newsom is now the governor of the most populous state in the union. Since his earliest entry into the political arena locally in San Francisco, Newsom has been pro-reform of cannabis laws. Most recently, he led California\u2019s blue-ribbon commission on marijuana legalization prior to the Adult Use of Marijuana Act being filed. Newsom was the most visible politician in the state supporting the cannabis legalization effort in 2016 when he served as Lieutenant Governor.<\/p>\n In Illinois, the state has a new Democrat governor, J.B. Pritzker, who committed to fully legalizing marijuana back when he was on the primary trail. However, the Chicago Sun-Times<\/a> says Pritzker\u2019s plan will likely require more political wrangling and will face stiffer opposition than those cannabis measures the state has already passed, which legalized industrial hemp and gave students and opioid patients access to medical pot.<\/p>\n Advocates had a big horse in the race for New Mexico\u2019s next governor, and the folks at the Drug Policy Alliance are saying Governor-elect Michelle Lujan Grisham is a real path forward for legalization. She may very well end up being the second governor in the country to oversee the legalization of cannabis via an act of the legislature.<\/p>\n \u201cMarijuana legalization has a good chance of becoming a reality in New Mexico in the coming years with our new governor and a more supportive legislature,\u201d said the DPA\u2019s Emily Kaltenbach in a statement<\/a>. \u201cMichelle Lujan Grisham will move drug policy reform forward in New Mexico \u2014 reform that has been stalled for the last eight years during the Martinez administration.\u201d<\/p>\n Former Congressman Tim Walz is Minnesota\u2019s new governor. In the earlier going of the campaign last year, Walz said he supported creating a system of smart and enforceable regulation of marijuana sales, sales which would provide new opportunities for agriculture in the state and benefit Minnesota\u2019s economy.<\/p>\n \u201cThis system would include investments in youth education, proper testing of all marijuana products, and a regulatory structure that puts controls on growing, distribution and sales,\u201d Walz told the Southern Minnesota News last fall<\/a>. \u201cWe have an opportunity in Minnesota to replace the current failed policy with one that creates tax revenue, grows jobs, builds opportunities for Minnesotans, protects Minnesota kids, and trusts adults to make personal decisions based on their personal freedoms.\u201d<\/p>\n On Tuesday, Democrat Janet Mills won in Maine. The former Attorney General may not be waving the green flag, but she\u2019s definitely a step up from the state\u2019s previous governor, Paul LePage. LePage did everything in his power to prevent the ball moving forward on legal marijuana sales as approved by voters. Mills has committed to allowing that process to begin.<\/p>\n Democrat Gretchen Whitmer won in Michigan after she came out strong in favor of cannabis legalization. The subject of legalization was a dividing topic in Michigan\u2019s gubernatorial election, but Whitmer ended up winning by a commanding 10 percent.<\/p>\n Vermont\u2019s Phil Scott was the lone pro-cannabis Republican governor on a ballot anywhere in America. After becoming the first governor in America to legalize cannabis via the power of the pen, Scott won by 15 percent. It\u2019s worth noting, however, that it took time for Scott to come around and embrace the cannabis cause, as he vetoed Vermont\u2019s legalization bill<\/a> in 2017 and has been resistant to setting up a regulated market.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, Gov. Charlie Baker retained his governorship in Massachusetts. He hates pot and was the main spokesman against the 2016 effort to legalize marijuana. Many people point to his administration as the reason you still can\u2019t buy a bag of weed in the state two years after legalization<\/a>, in a place that already had dispensaries.<\/p>\n Five different Ohio cities voted to decriminalize marijuana Tuesday night. This included the major population center of Dayton, the sixth largest city in the state. A popular theme in the races was winning big. The decriminalization measure took home the win with 65 percent of the vote in Dayton, and a massive 71 percent<\/a> in the smaller community of Norwood.<\/p>\n Symbolic Win: Wisconsin Passes Non-Binding Support of Legalization <\/strong><\/p>\n One of the things a lot of people were keeping their eyes during the 2018 midterms was a series of non-binding ballot questions in Wisconsin. The big takeaway was everyone in the state seems down with cannabis legalization<\/a>, whether it be recreational or medical \u2014 especially in Milwaukee, where 70 percent of voters were in favor of a non-binding ballot resolution on recreational cannabis. Milwaukee is twice as large as Wisconsin\u2019s second largest city Madison. That urban voter base is going to play a massive role in passing marijuana legislation should Wisconsin lawmakers toss the ball back their way for legalization. Wisconsin doesn\u2019t have a system for statewide referendums, so only the legislature can put items on the ballot, like a constitutional change lo legalize marijuana if they wanted.<\/p>\n While the state of Massachusetts has already legalized cannabis, municipalities still have the authority to ban the plant within their borders. On Tuesday, the city of Newton, Massachusetts rejected a pair of ballot questions<\/a> that would have limited access to legal marijuana in their community. Newton voters not only rejected a plan to outright ban marijuana storefronts in town, but also rejected a plan to limit their number.<\/p>\n California saw lots of cannabis votes at the local level, be it regulations or putting champions of the cause into office. San Francisco voters approved Prop D<\/a>, adding a new 1-5 percent tax on pot businesses after the first $500,000 they gross annually. The rate will depend on the size of the business.<\/p>\n In San Bernardino County, there were numerous municipalities<\/a> trying to get in on pot taxes. Businesses in Adelanto looked to be the big winners in America\u2019s largest county, as those based in the former prison town are only getting hit with a tax of $5 per square foot and 5 percent of gross sales. In Colton, the new tax will run $25 a foot on the space, and then up to a 10 percent tax on gross sales. Not a tough decision for perspective businesses.<\/p>\n TELL US,<\/strong> what do you think is the biggest win for cannabis from the 2018 elections?<\/p>\n The post Legal Cannabis Wins Big in 2018 Midterms<\/a> appeared first on Cannabis Now<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Since 2012, statewide elections every two years have provided legal cannabis with huge wins across the nation. The 2018 midterm election was no exception. Across America, four big statewide ballot initiatives for legal or medical cannabis dominated the conversation, while plenty was on the line for state and federal cannabisContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4051,148,50,21,1349,3632,388,1051,4060,1136,717,25,179,6414,884,1576,124,596,539,2641,81,424,27],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30448"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30448"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30448\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30449,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30448\/revisions\/30449"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30448"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30448"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30448"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Loss: North Dakota Rejects Adult-Use Cannabis<\/h4>\n
Win: Missouri Passes Amendment for Medical Cannabis<\/h4>\n
Win: Utah Passes Medical Cannabis Bill, Proposition 2<\/h4>\n
Win: Florida Restores Voting Rights to Non-Violent Felons<\/h4>\n
CONGRESSIONAL RACES<\/u><\/h4>\n
Win: Prohibitionist Pete Sessions Loses His House Seat<\/h4>\n
Up-in-the-Air: Cannabis Ally Dana Rohrabacher Likely Unseated<\/h4>\n
GOVERNOR RACES <\/u><\/strong><\/h4>\n
Win: Pro-Cannabis Jared Polis Secures Colorado Governorship<\/h4>\n
Win: Cannabis Ally Gavin Newson Earns California\u2019s Governor Seat<\/h4>\n
Win: Illinois\u2019 New Governor J.B. Pritzker Has Vowed to Fully Legalize Marijuana<\/h4>\n
Win: New Mexico\u2019s New Governor Is a Cannabis Champion<\/h4>\n
Win: Minnesota\u2019s New Governor Campaigned on Legalization<\/h4>\n
Win: Maine\u2019s Anti-Pot Gov. LePage Is Unseated<\/h4>\n
Win: Michigan\u2019s Governor Approves of Legalization<\/h4>\n
Slight Win: Phil Scott Retains Seat in Vermont<\/h4>\n
Loss: Anti-Pot Charlie Baker Wins in Massachusetts<\/h4>\n
LOCAL RACES<\/u><\/h4>\n
Win: 5 Ohio Cities Decriminalize Marijuana<\/h4>\n
Win: Massachusetts City Refuses to Ban Legal Marijuana<\/h4>\n
Neutral: California Municipalities Pass New Cannabis Taxes<\/h4>\n
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\nRead More: Legal Cannabis Wins Big in 2018 Midterms<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"