Every ballot initiative involving the decriminalization or legalization of marijuana passed in the 2020 election. Voters in New Jersey and Arizona chose to legalize marijuana for adult recreational use. Mississippi voted to legalize medical marijuana use, and South Dakota legalized the drug for both recreational and medical use.
Now, 15 states — along with the District of Columbia — have legalized marijuana for adult recreational use. Thirty-six states permit medical use of the drug.
About a month after the election, the Democratic-controlled House passed the ”Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act,” or the MORE Act. This bill would legalize marijuana at the federal level and implement sweeping regulations and reforms surrounding the drug.
The 2020 election and the House vote reveal something important about the shift in the marijuana debate: Marijuana may be one of the truly bipartisan issues in the United States right now.
Watch the video above to learn how public sentiment surrounding marijuana has shifted in the United States and where the laws may be headed from here.
