Kyle Jaeger, writing for Marijuana Moment:
Marijuana and drug policy reform swept across the board in Tuesday’s elections, giving advocates a major boost as they push to end federal prohibition.
Five more states legalized cannabis in some form and Oregon became the first state to legalize psilocybin mushrooms for therapy and also more broadly decriminalize drug possession. Meanwhile, voters in Washington, D.C. also approved a measure to decriminalize psychedelics in the nation’s capital.
While the presidential and many congressional races are still being tallied, the reforms passed decisively, further demonstrating that Americans of all political ideologies are ready to abandon the country’s prohibitionist approach to drugs. With the addition of Arizona, Montana, New Jersey and South Dakota as adult-use marijuana states, one-third of the country’s population will live in a state where cannabis is legal after the laws take effect.
Although we’re still waiting to find out the full results from this year’s election, drug policy reform advocates already have a lot to celebrate:
Oregon decriminalized all drugs and legalized psilocybin therapy
Washington D.C. decriminalized natural psychedelics
Arizona, Montana, New Jersey, and South Dakota legalized cannabis
South Dakota and Mississippi legalized medical marijuana
Four Ohio cities decriminalized cannabis
In fact, every single drug policy ballot measure passed on Tuesday. I knew there was considerable support for drug reform going into this election but didn’t anticipate such a sweeping victory, so I have to admit that I’m pleasantly surprised by this news! It just goes to show that public opinion on drug policy is evolving in a positive direction and the momentum seems to be picking up some steam. I’m excited to see what happens in this space over the next few years, and beyond.