By FOCUS, A Leonine Business
As the 2024 election quickly approaches, three more states are poised to vote on legalizing marijuana in November.
In Florida, Amendment 3 seeks to fully legalize cannabis for recreational use. For the measure to pass, it must receive 60 percent of the vote, a high threshold for such initiatives. Former President Donald Trump has publicly endorsed the measure, while the state’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, has come out in opposition.
South Dakota’s Measure 29 represents the third attempt to legalize cannabis in the state. South Dakotans previously voted to legalize marijuana in 2020, but the state’s Supreme Court struck down the measure, ruling that it violated the single-subject requirement for constitutional amendments. The court found recreational marijuana, medical marijuana and hemp to each be separate subjects. In 2022, a subsequent measure to legalize cannabis was narrowly defeated, with 52 percent of voters rejecting it. This time around, the future looks uncertain, as a recent poll from the Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota showed only 42 percent of voters supporting the measure.
Nebraska, meanwhile, will decide on Initiative 438, which aims to legalize medical cannabis in the state. The initiative would align Nebraska with the 14 other states that have legalized marijuana only for medicinal purposes. Currently, 24 states and the District of Columbia have fully legalized recreational marijuana. As a result, 54 percent of Americans live in states where marijuana is legal recreationally, and 74 percent live in states where it is legal in some capacity.
While these three states consider legalization, there are also developments at the federal level regarding cannabis policy. The Drug Enforcement Agency is moving to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III substance, indicating a major shift in how the federal government handles cannabis. Additionally, Vice President Kamala Harris recently voiced support for full marijuana legalization for the first time since becoming the Democratic nominee for president. With her vocal support of legalization, Vice President Harris is staking out a stronger stance on cannabis than President Joe Biden’s more cautious approach.
As the 2024 election draws near, voters in Florida, South Dakota, and Nebraska will have the opportunity to decide on the future of cannabis policy in their states. Each measure faces unique challenges, from the high voter threshold required in Florida to South Dakota’s history of narrowly defeated efforts. At the federal level, ongoing developments such as the potential rescheduling of marijuana and Vice President Kamala Harris’s endorsement of full legalization signal broader national shifts on cannabis policy. The outcomes of these state votes, combined with evolving federal perspectives, will shape the national conversation on marijuana reform. FOCUS will continue to monitor the developments of cannabis policy at both the state and federal levels.