If 2012 was cannabis legalization’s breakthrough election, 2016 may prove to be the movement’s tipping point. When Colorado and Washington state voted to allow the adult use of cannabis in 2012, 12 million Americans gained the freedom to purchase and consume. If all five adult-use ballot measures pass in 2016, a total of 76 million people — nearly one-quarter of the U.S. population — will live in states with legal, regulated adult-use cannabis. On the medical side, Florida, Arkansas, and North Dakota would add 24 million residents to the roughly 160 million Americans already living in 25 states with legal medical cannabis.
Leafly’s political staff will continually update this page with the latest poll numbers, financial contributions, and election data. Follow our campaign features and expanded coverage at Leafly Politics.
States In Play: November 2016
Adult Use Legalization
Medical Use Legalization
National Polling
The Pew Research Center’s poll on legalization continues to be the best source of data on America’s rapidly changing views on cannabis. Rule of thumb: The younger the voter, the more likely they are to support adult-use legalization.
Source: Pew Research Center
State-By-State Polling
Legalization campaigns are a lot like presidential campaigns: People tend to watch the national polling figures, but what really matters are the state-by-state polls. Good piece on this recently by Nate Silver at FiveThirtyEight, by the way — well worth reading. The Pew national poll is great for taking the nation’s overall temperature, but the legalization movement marches forward one state at a time. (Polls on state-level cannabis support aren’t taken at regular intervals, so the time-axes are a little funky.)
Follow The Money
Money doesn’t always change everything, but in politics it matters an awful lot. Here’s the latest data on contributions for and against legalization campaigns. Keep in mind that there’s often a lag of anywhere between several weeks and several months in the public disclosure of contributions due to each state’s campaign financing rules.
Arizona
PACs For Legalization (Initiative 205)
PACs Against Legalization (Initiative 205)
Donors For Legalization (Initiative 205)
Donors Against Legalization (Initiative 205)
RELATED STORY
Why Did Fentanyl Maker Insys Give $500K to Defeat Legalization?
California
PACs For Legalization (Prop. 64)
PACs Against Legalization (Prop. 64)
Top Donors For Legalization (Prop. 64)
Top Donors Against Legalization (Prop. 64)
Massachusetts
PACS For Legalization (Question 4)
PACs Against Legalization (Question 4)
Voter Registration Deadlines
Most election coverage focuses on the sprint to November 8. But there’s a hidden campaign going on right now: the race to register voters. In Nevada, more than half a million eligible voters remain unregistered. In Florida, there are 2.75 million. Most states allow voters to register until early to mid October. Remember: You can’t win it if you ain’t in it.
