Ballot Initiatives

President Trump is reportedly concerned that cannabis legalization initiatives in multiple states, including swing state Arizona, could dramatically improve Democrats’ voter turnout in the 2020 election.

Recent polling suggests that 66 percent of New Jersey voters support cannabis legalization; pollsters also logged majority support for social-use consumption lounges and for writing social equity provisions into the state’s future industry.

A ballot initiative to legalize cannabis for adult use in Montana has been approved by state officials to appear on the state’s General Election ballot in November.

Arizona’s Secretary of State confirmed this week that the state’s campaign for a cannabis legalization ballot initiative had submitted enough valid signatures to appear the November ballot.

Arizona’s ballot initiative to legalize adult-use cannabis has survived a legal challenge by opponents and is expected to move forward to the official signature verification stage.

Arizona Gov. Doug Rucey said the state’s ballot initiative to legalize cannabis is “a bad idea based on false promises” and that he will vote against the measure.

A poll of New Jersey voters found that 68% of respondents plan to vote in favor of legalizing cannabis for adult use this November.

Anti-cannabis activists in Arizona are suing to prevent the state’s voter initiative to legalize adult-use cannabis from appearing on the November ballot, arguing that the petition summary didn’t give voters the full picture.

Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana have submitted over 182,000 signatures in support of a statewide legalization ballot initiative; the campaign only needs 121,000 of those signatures to be validated to secure the initiative’s spot on the ballot.

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.