California Voters Approve Measure To Legalize Recreational Marijuana

Legalization of recreational marijuana was on the ballot in five states this Election Day: California, Massachusetts, Maine, Arizona and Nevada.  

So far, California voters have approved the ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana. 

In general, the proposals for recreational pot would treat cannabis similar to alcohol. Consumption would be limited to people 21 or older and forbidden in most public spaces. Pot would be highly regulated and heavily taxed, and some states would let people grow their own. 
Three more states -- Florida, Arkansas and North Dakota -- were deciding whether to permit marijuana for medical purposes. Montana voted on whether to ease restrictions on an existing medical marijuana law. 

Florida voters approved a state constitutional amendment to legalize medical marijuana, which will broaden access to pot beyond the limited therapeutic uses approved by the legislature two years ago. North Dakota voters also approved legalizing medical marijuana. 

State-by-state polls showed most of the measures with a good chance of prevailing. But staunch opponents that included law enforcement groups and anti-drug crusaders urged the public to reject any changes. They complained that legalization would endanger children and open the door to creation of another huge industry that, like big tobacco, would be devoted to selling Americans an unhealthy drug.

If “yes” votes prevail across the board, more than 23 percent of the U.S. population will live in states where recreational pot is legal. The jurisdictions where that’s already the case -- Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Washington state and the District of Columbia -- have less than 6 percent of the population.

Check back here for live updates on each state with recreational marijuana on the ballot: 

CALIFORNIA: California voters approved a ballot measure Tuesday allowing recreational marijuana in the nation’s most populous state, handing the legalization movement its biggest victory yet. 

Voters in nine states considered proposals to expand legal access to the drug, which is still forbidden by the federal government. 

California was the first state to approve medical marijuana two decades ago. It was among five states weighing whether to permit pot for adults for recreational purposes. 

California’s vote means recreational cannabis will be legal along the entire West Coast, giving the legalization movement powerful momentum. That could spark similar efforts in other states and put pressure on federal authorities to ease longstanding rules that classify marijuana as a dangerously addictive drug with no medical benefits.

MAINE: Voters in Massachusetts and Maine get to decide Tuesday whether to make one or both New England states the first on the East Coast to legalize recreational marijuana for adults.

Both Massachusetts and Maine previously voted to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana and to authorize medical marijuana programs.

The initiatives in Massachusetts and Maine would regulate and tax marijuana in ways similar to alcohol. But there are differences in the way the two New England states would proceed under the respective measures.

In Maine, recreational marijuana would be regulated by the existing state Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. 

Maine would allow people 21 years of age or older to possess up to 2 1/2 ounces of marijuana and cultivate up to six pot plants in their homes. Massachusetts would allow an individual 21 or older to possess 1 ounce of pot outside their home and up to 10 ounces inside their homes, and to cultivate up to six plants for personal use.

Maine’s proposal calls for a flat 10 percent sales tax on retail marijuana.

MASSACHUSETTS: In Massachusetts, the licensing authority for recreational marijuana would be a new three-member Cannabis Control Commission, appointed by the state treasurer. The commission would be advised by a Cannabis Advisory Board with 15 members appointed by the governor.

The Massachusetts proposal calls for a 3.75 percent surcharge on retail sales of marijuana, on top of the state’s regular 6.25 percent sales tax. Local jurisdictions could also add up a 2 percent tax, creating a combined maximum tax of 12 percent on pot products.

ARIZONA: In Arizona, the issue of marijuana legalization has evoked uncertainty about how legalization might affect the flow of smuggled illegal drugs across the border with Mexico.

NEVADA: The law would allow possession and use by adults of up to an ounce of marijuana and impose a 15 percent excise tax on marijuana sales, with revenue earmarked for education. Businesses that have medical marijuana certification would be the first to be eligible for licenses. 

Proponents say legalizing pot could generate $20 million a year in tax money for Nevada schools. 

Opponents, including Republican U.S. Sen. Dean Heller, billionaire casino magnate and newspaper owner Sheldon Adelson and many of the state’s top elected Republicans call legalization a threat to Nevada children.