The stigma around cannabis is dissolving at breakneck speed
Michigan became the first state in the Midwest to approve the adult use of recreational cannabis. There are now ten states and the District of Columbia that have fully legalized the recreational consumption of the plant. Medical cannabis is legal in 33 states after Missouri and Utah approved medicinal marijuana laws. The only ballot loss on the night for advocates of the plant occurred when North Dakota voters failed to pass a measure legalizing recreational use. Possessing, selling or using marijuana remains illegal under federal law.
North Dakota’s Measure 3 required the expungement of all marijuana-related convictions. The North Dakota Association of Counties opposed the measure, saying the state is still struggling to implement the 2016 bill that legalized medical use. In Utah, politicians were prepared to permit the medical use of cannabis even if Proposition 2 failed. The Governor, key politicians, and the Mormon church were those said to be backing the initiative.
It is obvious the gateway to recreational cannabis begins with a medical program. Once governments have the framework installed and the infrastructure necessary for inspection and taxation, politicians become comfortable with cannabis because politicians want to create jobs and revenue. More than politicians it is clear voters are experiencing the therapeutic benefit, constituents insist on more access. Every state that has legalized for adult use first had a medical cannabis program.
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