Ballot Initiatives

Oregon’s initiative to legalize the medicinal use of psilocybin has officially qualified for the November ballot.

Separate campaigns to legalize psilocybin therapy and to decriminalize all illegal drugs have teamed up in Oregon to gather signatures.

New Zealand has unveiled the cannabis legalization plan that voters will decide on later this year; the proposal would set the legal consumption age at 20, would allow for so-called ‘coffee shops,’ and would permit home grows.

A recent poll of New Jersey voters suggests that 61 percent are likely to vote in favor of cannabis legalization this November.

Florida senators are hoping a new state law — which calls on the state Supreme Court to determine whether a ballot initiative might violate the U.S. Constitution — will block a proposed initiative for the 2022 legalization of adult-use cannabis.

New Approach Montana, a cannabis legalization group, is suing the state saying they should be allowed to collect petition signatures electronically during the coronavirus crisis.

Cannabis legalization efforts in Missouri have likely stalled after a stay-at-home order was issued for the state.

Ohio officials rejected a petition to place a cannabis legalization initiative on the November ballot due to invalid signatures: only 271 of the 1,248 submitted signatures were deemed valid.

Nebraska activists including state Sen. Anna Wishart (D) are pushing again this year to put a medical cannabis legalization question on the November ballot.

Cannabis activists in Ohio have submitted summary language to officials for a petition that would legalize adult-use language in the state.

Two separate campaigns in Arkansas have started collecting signatures to put competing legalization questions on the November ballot.

Activists in Missouri have started collecting signatures to put an adult-use legalization initiative on the November ballot; the effort is backed by the same group from the state’s successful 2018 medical cannabis push.

A ballot initiative to legalize medical cannabis in Mississippi has been approved for the state’s November ballot.

A Florida group collecting signatures for an adult-use legalization ballot initiative has called off its 2020 push; meanwhile, however, an adult-use legalization bill was filed in the legislature.

South Dakota’s Secretary of State’s office has validated a ballot initiative to legalize adult-use cannabis for the 2020 November election season.

Fearing that legalization would disrupt the existing resources that medical cannabis patients rely on, activists have withdrawn their petition for adult-use cannabis in Oklahoma.

Activists in South Dakota have successfully gathered enough signatures to put a medical cannabis legalization initiative on the 2020 ballot.

Sensible Florida, one of Florida’s two campaigns pushing to put the cannabis legalization question on the 2020 ballot, has announced the suspension of their campaign.

New Jersey lawmakers have officially approved legislation that will allow voters to decide whether or not to legalize cannabis for adult use during the 2020 General Election.

Pasadena, California has won a lawsuit against its own city clerk after they approved a successful but unconstitutional ballot initiative that would have grandfathered in dispensaries who were operating before the city’s strict licensing rules took effect.

Cannabis activists in North Dakota have submitted language for a legalization ballot initiative to the secretary of state; if approved, the group will need to collect 13,452 signatures by July 6 to put the issue on the 2020 ballot.

Two separate Florida groups have filed petitions for putting a people’s initiative legalizing adult-use cannabis on the 2020 ballot; the latest group to file a petition is backed by MedMen.

Following a rejection by voters in 2018, legalization advocates in North Dakota are maneuvering for another ballot initiative in 2020; advocates say the 2018 initiative was “too vague” for voters.

Idaho advocates are gearing up to push a medical cannabis ballot initiative to voters during next year’s general election.