Not to be outdone by California, several other states opted to pass favorable legislation laws in favor of recreational and medical marijuana usage on Election Day.
The Northeastern state of Maine isn’t widely recognized for its progressive attitudes, but in the wee hours of the morning today (November 9), their Question 1 proposition barely squeaked with a win to approve the recreational use of weed for anyone who wanted to roll up. There is no age limit.
According to the Bangor Daily News, the ballot was so highly contested that the opposition is already thinking recount, as there is reportedly a narrow margin of some 4,000-odd votes that separate the yay or nay columns.
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“It’s very disappointing that Maine has passed a law that is going to make lawful possession under age 21,” Scott Gagnon, the leader of the resistance told the press. He also revealed he and his team don’t plan to concede until the fat lady sings and asks for the joint to be passed to the left-hand side.
Yes on One campaign declares victory, talks next steps now that Mainers have legalized marijuana @Wgmepic.twitter.com/Dhz5yF87j9
— Marissa Bodnar (@MarissaWGME) November 9, 2016
Massachusetts joined Maine as the other East Coast state to get down with the blowdown.
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With yesterday’s votes, legal marijuana is also making significant inroads in the Northeast. “Marijuana legalization has arrived on the East Coast,” Tom Angell of Marijuana Majority told the Washington Post via email. “What Colorado and other states have already done is generating revenue, creating jobs and reducing crime, so it’s not surprising that voters in more places are eager to end prohibition.”
On the West Coast, Nevada voters elected to allow anyone over 21 to possess as much as one ounce of marijuana or one-eighth of an ounce of concentrate, the Reno Gazette-Journal reports. Much like California, the new law will impose a 15 percent tax amongst dispensaries and is said to generate an estimated $20 million for the state’s school system.
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Roll Up: Voters are making easy for Wiz Khalifa to go on tour these days.
Elsewhere, Florida, North Dakota and Arkansas made strides towards their recreational legalization by approving medical marijuana initiatives via Amendment 2, Measure 5 and Issue 6, respectively.
Not to be left out of the conversation, Montana voted to cut restrictions and extend provisions on their existing medical marijuana regulations, says the Independent Record.
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This definitely isn’t what environmentalists mean when they say to “Go Green” but whatever’s clever.
