Marijuana Wins Big: California, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada Legalize; Medical Marijuana Sweeps 4 States; Arizona Only Defeat

Marijuana Wins Big: California, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada Legalize; Medical Marijuana Sweeps 4 States; Arizona Only Defeat

3:00 AM EST: Maine appears to have approved Question 1, legalizing marijuana for adults. The measure, which had slowly been losing an early lead all evening, has pulled through with 50.6% of the vote and 87.1% of precincts reporting. Earlier, voters in nearby Massachusetts approved their legalization measure as well.

The only defeat of the evening came in Arizona, where Proposition 205, which would have legalized marijuana for adults, was defeated.

1:59AM EST:Marijuana legalization in Maine remains too close to call, maintaining a 12,000 vote lead. Elsewhere, medical marijuana is poised for a four-state sweep, and voters in three states California, Massachusetts and Nevada have approved legalizing marijuana for adults. Only Arizonas marijuana legalization measure seems headed for defeat.

1:36AM EST:Legalization supporters in Maine are still holding their breath, with Question 1 still clinging to a 50.5% lead a margin of about 12,000 votes. Meanwhile, Montana is almost certain to expand their medical marijuana law, and Arizona is likely to be the only defeat of a marijuana legalization measure this evening.

Legalization

California: approved, 55.6% in favor, with 29.8% reporting
Arizona: 52.3% against, with 71% reporting
Maine: 50.5% in favor, with 80.5% reporting
Massachusetts: approved 53.5% in favor, with90.7% reporting
Nevada: approved 53.8%in favor, with 51.4% reporting



Medical

Arkansas: approved 53.1% in favor, with 94.7% reporting
Florida:approved71.2% in favor/28.8% against
Montana: 56% in favor, with 38.6% reporting
North Dakota: approved 63.3% in favor, with 96.5% reporting


12:58 AM EST: Voters in Nevada have approved Ballot Question 2, legalizing marijuana for adults. In Maine, the lead continues to shrink, with Question 1 holding a slim 50.5% lead.

Legalization

California: approved, 55.3% in favor, with 24.3% reporting
Arizona: 52.3% against, with 68.3% reporting
Maine: 50.5% in favor, with 76.7% reporting
Massachusetts: approved 53.5% in favor, with 86.8% reporting
Nevada: approved 53.9%in favor, with45.7% reporting



Medical

Arkansas: approved 52.8% in favor, with 99.1% reporting
Florida:approved71.2% in favor/28.8% against
Montana: 56.5% in favor, with 30.9% reporting
North Dakota: approved 63.7% in favor, with 94.4% reporting


11:45 PM EST: Voters in Massachusetts have legalized marijuana, approving Question 4 with 53.4% of the vote.

11:38 PM EST: Voters in California have approved legalizing marijuana. Currently with 54.8% of the vote and 11% reporting, both the Associated Press and the Los Angeles Times are declaring a victory for Amendment 64. Meanwhile, voters in Arkansas have approved medical marijuana, with 52.2% approval and 61.8% reporting. Legalization measures in Maine and Massachusetts continue to lead, Nevadas marijuana legalization measure is now ahead, but Arizonas legalization measure looks like it is headed towards defeat.

Legalization

California: approved, 54.8% in favor, with 11% reporting
Arizona: 53.1% against, with 29.5% reporting
Maine: 50.7% in favor, with 50.3% reporting
Massachusetts: 53.3% in favor, with 64.6% reporting
Nevada: 53.8%in favor, with 1.6% reporting



Medical

Arkansas: approved 52.2% in favor, with 61.8% reporting
Florida:approved71.2% in favor/28.8% against
Montana: 57.0% in favor, with 6.7% reporting
North Dakota: approved 64% in favor, with 70.6% reporting


11:20 PM EST:Early results are coming in from California, where legalization Proposition 64 has come out strong, with a 52.9% lead (3.8% reporting.)

11:15 PM EST: Polls have now closed in all states voting on marijuana, and its nail biting time in Maine, where a comfortable early lead has shrunk to 51%. Meanwhile, voters in Arizona seem to have rejected legalization, with a consistent 53% vote against and now 29.5% reporting. Early returns from Nevada show legalization trailing out of the gate with 57.5% against, but only 1.1% reporting.

Legalization

Arizona: 53.1% against, with 29.5% reporting
Maine: 51.0% in favor, with 42.1% reporting
Massachusetts: 53.4% in favor, with 56.9% reporting
Nevada: 57.5% against, with 1.1% reporting


Medical

Arkansas: 51.1% in favor, with 34.7% reporting
Florida:approved71.2% in favor/28.8% against
Montana: 57.3% in favor, with 4.8% reporting
North Dakota: approved 64% in favor, with 70.6% reporting


10:45 PM EST: North Dakota has become the second state to legalize medical marijuana this evening, having safely won 62.5% of the vote with 59% reporting. Two down, seven to go but things arent looking good for Arizona, still losing with over 20% reporting. Dont panic yet, but Maines lead has been slowly shrinking, too.

Legalization

Arizona: 53.3% against, with 22.6% reporting
Maine: 51.3% in favor, with 33.8% reporting
Massachusetts: 52.9% in favor, with48% reporting

Medical

Arkansas: 52.1% in favor, with 47.5% reporting
Florida:approved71.2% in favor/28.8% against
Montana: 56.2% in favor, with 2.9% reporting
North Dakota: 61.4% in favor, with43.8% reporting


10:26 PM EST: The first returns are now coming in fromArizonas Proposition 205 marijuana legalization measure,which is the first marijuana proposal to stumble out of the gate tonight. The first returns have the measure losing, with only 46.7% in favor (53.5% against). Thats with 11.6% reporting.

Legalization

Arizona: 53.5% against, with 11.6% reporting
Maine: 52.1% in favor, with 23.6% reporting
Massachusetts: 53.1% in favor, with40.6% reporting

Medical

Arkansas: 50.9% in favor, with 22.1% reporting
Florida (approved): 71.2% in favor, with 97.9% reporting
Montana: 53.8% in favor, with .1% reporting
North Dakota: 61.4% in favor, with43.8% reporting


10:20 PM EST: The first returns are now coming in from Montana, where vote tallies out of the gate favor medical marijuana expansion I-281,Montana Medical Marijuana Initiative. Currently I-281 has 53.8% of the votein the earliest returns, just .1%.

Legalization

Maine: 52.1% in favor, with 23.6% reporting
Massachusetts: 52.7% in favor, with36.1% reporting

Medical

Arkansas: 50.9% in favor, with 22.1% reporting
Florida (approved): 71.2% in favor, with 97.9% reporting
Montana: 53.8% in favor, with .1% reporting
North Dakota: 61.4% in favor, with43.8% reporting


10:00 PM EST: Polls wont close in California for another hour, but polls in all other states voting on marijuana related referendums have now closed. Results from Arizona, Montana and Nevada should start coming in soon. NorthDakota could very soon become the second state to approve a medical marijuana initiative tonight,as their lead continues to climb. Currently, North Dakotas Measure 5 holds a commanding 60.6% of the vote, with 28.2% of precincts reporting in.

Arkansas: 50.9% in favor, with 15.7% reporting
Florida (approved): 71.2% in favor, with 97.9% reporting
Maine: 52.2% in favor, with 18% reporting
Massachusetts: 52.6% in favor, with24.9% reporting
North Dakota: 60.6% in favor, with 28.2% reporting



9:45 PM EST:As more votes are counted in the Northeast, legalization in Massachusetts has gained a little breathing room. With 20% of precincts reporting, Question 4 now has a 52.5% approval. It had been hovering around 51% most of the evening. Marijuana related ballot questions in other states maintain similar leads as they have all evening as more precincts report in.

Arkansas: 51.0% in favor, with 10.4% reporting
Florida (approved): 71.2% in favor, with 92.5% reporting
Maine: 52.4% in favor, with 12.6% reporting
Massachusetts: 52.5% in favor, with20% reporting
North Dakota: 56.0% in favor, with10.9% reporting



9:15 PM EST: Polls in Arkansas, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts and South Dakota have all closed. Florida has approved medical marijuana Amendment 2. Legalization measures in Maine and Massachusetts, as well as medical marijuana initiatives in Arkansas and South Dakota, are all out to early leads:

Arkansas: 51.3% in favor, with .2% reporting
Florida: 71.1% in favor, with 76.5% reporting (approved)
Maine: 53.4% in favor, with 4.6% reporting
Massachusetts: 50.8% in favor, with 8.1% reporting
North Dakota: 52.7% in favor, with 2.1% reporting



9:01 PM EST: Polls have been closed in North Dakota since 8:00, and were now seeing some results on Measure 5,The North Dakota Compassionate Care Act, which is out to a 56.2% lead with .2% of precincts reporting.

Massachusetts legalization Question 4 still remains very close, currently clinging to a 51% lead with 4.5% reporting.

8:51 PM EST: Polls closed in Maine at 8:00 PM EST, and the first results on Question 1, which would legalize marijuana for adults, have the measure jumping out ahead with a 52.5% lead. These are early results, with less than 1% of precincts reporting.

8:45 PM EST:Polls in Arkansas closed at 8:30 PM EST. Early results have Issue 6, the Medical Cannabis Act, jumping out to an early lead. Results are just starting to trickle in, and with less than 1% of polls reporting, the proposal is ahead with 53.6% of the vote.

In Massachusetts, Question 4 is maintaining a slim lead. With 1.4% of the vote counted, the legalization proposal has 50.6% of the vote.

8:35 PM EST

FLORIDA AMENDMENT 2 PASSES

With 67.1% of the vote counted, Florida looks to have secured more than the necessary 60% of the vote needed to pass, and has been called by the Associated Press as a victory for medical marijuana. Currently, the measure has garnered over 70% of the vote.

Thats one down, eight to go.

8:30 PM EST:The race to legalize marijuana inMassachusettscould be close, as early resultshave been bouncing back and forth. As of 8:30 pm, with .2% reporting, Question 4 is narrowly leading with 51.1% of the vote.

8:20 PM EST: Polls in Massachusetts closed at 8:00 PM EST. As of 8:20 PM, with counting just getting underway, Question 4, which would legalize marijuana in the Bay State, is leading with 61.2% of the vote.

8:15 PM EST:Polls in Floridaclosed at 7:00 PM, and an hour later the state looks poised to pass Amendment 2, which will authorize a more comprehensive statewide medical marijuana than the restrictive measure previously passed by the state legislature. As of 8:10 PM EST, the measure has earned 70.4% of the vote, with 39.8% reporting. The measure needs60% of the vote to pass.

Nine states are voting on marijuana this election. The following summary of each proposal below appears courtesy of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML):

Name: Arizona Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act
Ballot Number: Proposition 205
Proponents: The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol (Marijuana Policy Project)
Summary: Permits adults who are not participating in the states medical cannabis program to legally grow (up to six plants, including all of the harvest from those plants) and to possess personal use quantities of cannabis (up to one ounce of flower and/or up to five grams of concentrates) while also licensing commercial cannabis production and retail sales. The law imposes a 15 percent tax on commercial marijuana sales, much of which is earmarked for school construction. Under the law, regulators must adopt rules governing the commercial production and retail sales of marijuana by September 1, 20


Read the full text of the measure here.

Name: Adult Use of Marijuana Act
Ballot ...

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