During the midterm elections this past Tuesday, November 8, 2022, citizens across the Maryland and Missouri area officially voted to legalize the “recreational use” of marijuana. With this move, these two regions now become the 20th and 21st states to completely decriminalize the legal distribution of cannabis. While Missouri and Maryland look to add more status to the gradual growth of marijuana sales throughout the United States, three other states – South Dakota, North Dakota, and Arkansas – were declined for legalization.
“A growing number of voters recognize that cannabis policy reform is in the best interest of public health and safety, criminal justice reform, social equity, and personal freedom,” CEO and President of the Marijuana Policy Project, Toi Hutchinson, announced in a public message. “State-level legalization victories are what’s necessary to move the needle forward at the federal level.” Kebin Sabet, President of the anti-legalization group SAM Action, also went on to add his own opinionated details regarding the recent law change: “The devil is in the details and we will remain actively involved in the new implementations because we do not need another Big Tobacco industry harming kids in the state of Missouri.”