Marijuana legalization measures pass in five states
Omer Serkan Bakir/iStockBy IVAN PEREIRA, ABC News
(NEW YORK) — Five states will now legalize marijuana for both recreational and medical use.
A majority of New Jersey and Arizona residents voted yes on ballot measures to make recreational marijuana legal. Voters in South Dakota approved marijuana for medical use.
Lawmakers in New Jersey will now have to draft and pass legislation for implementing the new policy. The Arizona Department of Health Services will be responsible for adopting that state’s rules.
Mississippi voters approved an initiative to establish a medical marijuana program for patients with debilitating conditions.
Voters in Montana voted for two initiatives to legalize, regulate and tax recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older, according to the Great Falls Tribune.
Eleven other states and the District of Columbia already allowed legal recreational marijuana use prior to Election Day.
South Dakota has a second ballot measure that would legalize recreational marijuana, but the votes are still being counted.
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