While the results of last night’s presidential election leaves a nation divided, we’ve also taken a large step forward in the fight for legalization of marijuana.
Measures allowing for full or limited legalization of cannabis were up for vote in 9 states last night: California, Massachusetts and Nevada have voted to legalize recreational marijuana in their states, while Arizona rejected its measure and Maine is still too close to call this afternoon.
Florida, North Dakota and Arkansas have also all voted to legalize medical marijuana. In Montana, a measure was approved to remove limitations on medical marijuana.
This is about more than just being able to spark up at a festival, or about “associating EDM with drugs.” Nearly 100 million Americans have used marijuana, and according to government surveys, some 25 million Americans have smoked marijuana in the past year, and more than 14 million do so regularly.
People speak of marijuana as a gateway drug. Well, hopefully the legalization of marijuana becomes a gateway for the American government and its citizens to take a closer look at harm reduction, legalization and regulation in relation to other substances such as MDMA and psilocybin, which have both been show to have potentially major medical benefits.
