Recreational Marijuana Legalized in Maryland and Missouri

On Election Day, Nov 8, voters in Maryland and Missouri approved their respective adult-use cannabis legalization ballot initiatives.

This marks the sixth consecutive election in which voters in multiple states approved cannabis measures at the ballot box. Heading into Election Day, 19 states had legalized cannabis for adults 21 and over. Now, there are 21 legalization states in the country.

“A growing number of voters recognize that cannabis policy reform is in the best interest of public health and safety, criminal justice reform, social equity, and personal freedom,” said Toi Hutchinson, President and CEO of the Marijuana Policy Project. “State-level legalization victories are what’s necessary to move the needle forward at the federal level. That is how we build cannabis champions in Congress who are committed to taking meaningful action to put an end to prohibition once and for all.”

In addition to Maryland and Missouri, there were ballot initiatives to legalize cannabis for adults 21 and over in three other states. The Associated Press has called defeats in Arkansas and North Dakota and it is unlikely the measure in South Dakota will pass.

The Marijuana Policy Project spearheaded the efforts in North Dakota and South Dakota and has also been instrumental in assisting the campaign in Maryland. MPP has played a central role in a majority of the state-level cannabis legalization victories over the past two decades including the campaigns in Colorado (2012); Alaska (2014); Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada (2016); Michigan and Utah (2018); and Montana and South Dakota (2020).