LIVE BLOG: Mixed results for marijuana measures

Recap, 3:25 a.m.: Several states across the country on Tuesday voted on whether to become part of the growing trend of legalizing previously illicit drugs. In Nebraska, voters approved a proposal to allow medical marijuana for the first time. Florida residents voted down a ballot initiative that would have legalized marijuana possession and use for people age 21 and older. Races for similar initiatives in North and South Dakota were still too close to call early Wednesday.

Update, 3:20 a.m.: Nebraska voters approved an initiative allowing registered entities to manufacture, sell, deliver, and distribute marijuana for medical purposes. The measure will also allow people to use it for the same reasons. A state agency will be established to regulate the state’s incoming marijuana market.

Update, 11:45 p.m.: A ballot measure in Florida that would have legalized marijuana possession and use for people of age 21 and over failed on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press. The measure—which would also have permitted licensed entities to cultivate, manufacture, and sell marijuana—failed to garner the 60% of votes it needed to pass.

A marijuana leaf on a plant at a cannabis grow on May 20, 2019, in Gardena, California. The Associated Press / Photo by Richard Vogel, File

Several states across the country on Tuesday voted on ballot initiatives to legalize marijuana use for adults. Residents of both Dakotas, Nebraska, and Florida considered proposals that would permit the possession, use, and sale of marijuana products to varying degrees.

What are the details of the different proposals?

• Florida’s ballot measure would permit adults 21 years and older to purchase, possess, and consume marijuana products. The measure would also permit licensed entities to cultivate, manufacture, and sell marijuana.

• In Nebraska, the initiative would allow registered entities to manufacture, sell, deliver, and distribute marijuana for medical purposes. It would also allow people to use it for the same reasons. The measure would also establish a state agency for regulating the marijuana market.

• South Dakota’s measure would permit adults over 21 years of age to possess up to 2 ounces of marijuana at a time. Marijuana use would be regulated like tobacco use—adults could only smoke the substance in areas where smoking tobacco products is permitted. The state could still regulate the hemp market, and employers could still prohibit employees from using marijuana.

• Similarly, North Dakota’s proposal would permit adults age 21 and older to possess and use marijuana. It would also authorize the creation of a government entity for regulating the state’s marijuana market. The ballot measure would also explicitly override any local ordinances prohibiting the sale or use of marijuana and would protect those who use it from social and legal repercussions.

Doesn’t Massachusetts have a similar ballot measure? At the ballot box Tuesday, voters in Massachusetts considered whether to legalize and regulate the use of naturally occurring psychedelic substances, including psilocybin, more commonly known as magic mushrooms. Question 4 would allow individuals older than 21 to grow and use psychedelics in their homes. Licensed facilitators such as therapy centers could also provide the drugs. Retailers are not permitted to dispense them.

Proponents of legalization argue this class of substances has untapped potential for treating addiction, trauma, and post-traumatic stress disorder. But opponents of the measure say it expands access too quickly and discounts the drug’s significant harms. They argue greater access could also endanger children exposed to the substances in homes across the state. Psychedelics are classified as Schedule I drugs, which have no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Massachusetts would join two other states, Colorado and Oregon, in legalizing certain types of psychedelics. Almost a dozen other states are considering legislation that would remove criminal penalties around psychedelics and explore their therapeutic effects.

Dig deeper: Read Mary Jackson and Grace Snell’s report about California’s attempt to decriminalize psychedelics.