Voters in Alaska, Oregon and Washington D.C. Given Opportunity to Legalize Cannabis this November

Voters in Alaska, Oregon and Washington D.C. Given Opportunity to Legalize Cannabis this November

In a little over three months, voters in Alaska and Oregon, as well as voters in the nation’s capital (Washington D.C.), will have the opportunity to legalize cannabis through citizen’s initiatives which will be up for a vote on November 4th.

In Alaska, voters will be given the chance to approve Ballot Measure 2. Similar to Colorado’s Amendment 64, this proposal would legalize the possession, use and state-licensed distribution of cannabis, and would do so as a constitutional amendment. The initiative was introduced by the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Alaska, and is being funded in part by the Marijuana Policy Project.

In Oregon, an initiative from the group New Approach Oregon has recently been officially placed on this November’s ballot. The initiative would legalize the possession of up to 8 ounces of cannabis, the private cultivation of up to 4 cannabis plants, and cannabis retail outlets which would be regulated by the Oregon Liquor Commission.

In Washington D.C., although D.C. Cannabis Campaign’s initiative to legalize cannabis has had more than twice the required amount of signatures submitted to put it to a vote this November, the district has yet to officially certify the initiative, though they’re expected to do so soon. The initiative would legalize the possession and use of up to an ounce of cannabis, going a step further than the district’s recently-enacted law making the possession of an ounce of cannabis a simple $25 ticket.

Given the significance of another state legalizing cannabis (or the nations capital doing so), even one of these initiatives passing will be a huge victory that will continue (and speed up) the momentum of the cannabis reform movement. All three, however, are on track to be approved, as polling in all three areas (Oregon – Alaska – D.C.) shows majority support for cannabis legalization.

– TheJointBlog