Election 2016: Cannabis wins big. That’s the secondary story–after, of course, the biggest Presidential upset in American history. But it’s a pretty important secondary story.
For those of us focused on the issue of cannabis legalization, the Nov. 8 election returns came as a magnificent surprise. Five states considered adult-use legalization, four voted on medical cannabis. All but one—Arizona—approved those measures. Almost nobody saw that coming. (For complete coverage, see Leafly’s election night reporting and wrap-up here.)
These states have approved regulated legalization: California, Massachusetts, Nevada, and Maine. These states legalized medical cannabis: Florida, Arkansas, Montana, and North Dakota. Together, those states represent a total population of 75 million people.
Consider this: One in five Americans now live in a state where cannabis is legal for adults 21 and older. One in five.
In the United States, 29 states have embraced medical cannabis legalization. Eight states and the District of Columbia have enshrined regulated legalization for all adults 21 and older into law.
Overnight, the map of America changed.