United States: the 7 states that could vote in favor of cannabis this November

At the end of last year, 19 American states were in the running to legalize the medical and/or recreational use of cannabis in 2020. The coronavirus pandemic will have taken its toll on a number of popular initiatives that were unable to gather enough signatures to make it to the next vote in November. Despite the circumstances, 7 states can still pass a referendum to legalize, including 4 whose signatures have yet to be validated.

Arizona

Arizona has a good chance of legalizing cannabis. Residents of the Grand Canyon State have submitted signatures for the Smart and Safe Arizona Act, which would legalize cannabis for adult use and would apply a 16% tax on cannabis sales. Most of the revenue from legal sales would go to fund community colleges, police and fire departments, and the state's Highway User Revenue Fund.

The more than 400,000 signatures submitted, against the 238,000 required, still have to be validated before the subject can be put to the vote in November.

South Dakota

While cannabis is totally banned in South Dakota, the state could be the first to legalize medical and recreational cannabis at the same time. Measure 26 is an initiative that proposes to legalize mediccal cannabis in the state for people suffering from debilitating illnesses. In other news, constitutional amendment A would legalize the recreational use of cannabis and require the South Dakota state legislature to develop regulations for the sale of medical cannabis and hemp by April 1, 2022.

As a somewhat conservative state, going from entirely illicit to legal status in one fell swoop will be complicated. But medical access is likely to pass.

Mississippi

Traditionally conservative, the Mississippi to vote for medical cannabis in November. Initiative 65 proposes legalizing cannabis for patients with one of 20 qualifying conditions. However, flower consumption would be limited to terminally ill patients and would require increased supervision. 77% of Mississippians are in favor of legalizing cannabis for medical purposes, according to the latest polls.

Montana

Montana's Initiative 190 would legalize cannabis and apply a 20% tax on sales. It would also allow people already convicted of a cannabis offense, or those serving a sentence, to apply for a new conviction or amnesty. Until now, signatures for I-190 have been collected, verified and submitted to the Montana Secretary of State.

Nebraska

Nebraska, one of the last U.S. states without a medical cannabis program, could pass the milestone. On July 2, over 182,000 signatures were submitted to the Nebraska Secretary of State in a bid to secure a medical cannabis constitutional amendment on the November ballot. The measure would allow adults and children with the permission of a parent or legal guardian to use cannabis for serious medical conditions. According to a recent poll, 76% of Nebraskan voters were in favor of legalizing medical cannabis.

New Jersey

Medical cannabis has already been legal in New Jersey since 2010. The state narrowly missed legalizing adult-use last year and proposed this year a constitutional amendment by legislative means, a referendum whose text is carried by the legislator rather than by citizens. 62% of the population is in favor of the measure. The text therefore has every chance of passing. If approved, New Jersey would approach $1 billion in annual sales by 2025.