Politics

The Next States Expected to Legalize Marijuana

November 4th 2016

The U.S. is about to get a lot greener next week.

marijuana-plantFlickr/Alex B - flickr.com

Five states are voting on measures to legalize marijuana for recreational use — Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada — and the latest polls indicate that they're all likely to pass. If that happens, nearly 25 percent of adults in America will have access to legal cannabis.

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Here are the states voting on recreational marijuana on November 8, ranked by how likely they are to pass based on the latest, statewide polls.

1. Massachusetts (+27)

A November 2 poll from the Western New England University Polling Institute found that 61 percent of likely voters support the state's legalization measure. Only 34 percent said they oppose the measure. This is a pretty stunning development given the fact that polls from this summer showed opponents outnumbering supporters by as much as ten points.

2. California (+17)

pollThe Sacramento Bee - sacbee.com

Polls have consistently found voters leaning toward legalization in California — the first state in the U.S. to legalize cannabis for medical use 20 years ago. The latest numbers from the University of California, Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies are no different. Fifty-seven percent of likely voters favor the state's legalization measure, whereas 40 percent are voting no, The Sacramento Bee reported.

3. Maine (+15)

pollPortland Press Herald - pressherald.com

The measure to legalize recreational marijuana in Maine has 53 percent support among likely voters, with 38 percent opposed, according to a recent poll from the Portland Press Herald. That's roughly consistent with the results of a May survey by the research firm Critical Insights, which had 55 percent of likely voters favoring the initiative and 41 percent opposing it.

4. Arizona (+12)

pollThe Arizona Republic - azcentral.com

Two consecutive Arizona Republic/Morrison/Cronkite News polls have found tha 50 percent of likely voters in the state are backing legal weed. Opposition to the measure ticked up two points — from 40 to 42 percent — since September, but support has held strong.

5. Nevada (+2)

pollLas Vegas Now - lasvegasnow.com

The state that's home to Las Vegas — where brothels, public intoxication, and gambling are legal — is the most skeptical about legalizing recreational marijuana. A November poll from JMC Analytics and Polling has support for the state's legalization measure at 49 percent, with 47 percent of likely voters opposed. That's a substantial drop in support from the firm's last survey, which showed 50 percent favoring the measure and 38 percent opposing it.

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