Simplifya's regulatory analyst, Bill, breaks down the states with marijuana-related initiatives after the 2018 midterm election!

Marijuana midterm results 2018

The 2018 midterm results are in and there were some big wins regarding marijuana initiatives. So what were the highlights? We can all agree that Michigan becoming the 10th state to legalize recreational marijuana is big news. In addition, Missouri and Utah became the 31st and 32nd states to legalize medical marijuana. Congrats! 

Let’s take a look at each state with more detail.

Michigan: The first Midwest state to legalize recreational marijuana

Ten years after legalizing medical marijuana, Michigan became the first state in the Midwest to legalize marijuana for recreational use. To add to that, proposal 1 received almost 56% of the vote despite massive spending from the opposition. The state will begin accepting applications for marijuana business licenses within a year. 

The Michigan recreational marijuana industry is projected to become an $800 million industry by 2024.

What does Proposal 1 do?

  • Allows individuals 21 and older to purchase, possess, and use marijuana and to grow up to 12 plants for personal use
  • Imposes a 10 ounce limit for marijuana kept at residences and requires amounts over 2.5 ounces to be secured in locked containers
  • Creates a state licensing system for marijuana businesses and allows municipalities to ban or restrict them
  • Imposes a 10% tax on retail sales of marijuana
  • Legalizes the cultivation, processing, distribution, and sale of industrial hemp

Missouri: Show-me some medical marijuana

Voters in the Show-Me State approved just one of the three medical marijuana measures on the ballot- Amendment 2. This amendment requires Missouri to start accepting applications for qualifying patients no later than June 4, 2019 and puts obligations on the state to begin accepting applications for marijuana businesses no later than August 3, 2019.

A mature medical marijuana market in Missouri is projected to generate nearly $480 million per year.

What does Amendment 2 do?

  • Amends the Missouri Constitution to allow for the use of medical marijuana
  • Requires the Department of Health and Senior Services to establish regulations and licensing procedures for medical marijuana facilities including dispensaries, cultivation sites, manufacturing sites, and testing labs
  • Imposes a 4% tax on the retail sale of marijuana
  • Allows patients to grow up to six flowering plants in their homes for personal use

Utah: Medical narrowly passes (even with Dabakis’ endorsement)

If you follow us on Linkedin, we posted a video wherein Utah senator, Jim Dabakis, had his first encounter with marijuana. Did this sway some Utah voters to vote yes on Proposition 2? I guess we’ll never know. But Proposition 2 did pass. And there are some really exciting provisions in there, like creating a state licensing system, allowing vaping and edibles, and allowing certain patients to grow plants at home. Unfortunately, lawmakers are likely to override some of these midterm results in a special legislative session. Stay tuned.

What does Proposition 2 do?

  • Allows patients to obtain medical marijuana for certain qualifying conditions
  • Prohibits patients from smoking marijuana but allows vaping and edibles
  • Allows patients to grow up to six cannabis plants for personal use as long as they live more than 100 miles from a licensed dispensary
  • Authorizes the establishment of facilities that grow, process, test, or sell medical cannabis and requires those facilities to be licensed by the state

North Dakota: It’s a no-go

North Dakota will remain a medical-only state.

This was not even close. Voters in North Dakota rejected Measure 3 by a wide margin. Measure 3 would have legalized the recreational use of marijuana in the state for people 21 years old or older and would have created an automatic expungement process for individuals with convictions for marijuana.

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