On Tuesday, 36 separate marijuana referendums made it onto the ballots across seven states. Amendments and proposals ranged from outright legalization, like in Michigan and North Dakota, to ironing out the definition of hemp in Colorado.

Voters in three states voted to legalize marijuana, and one voted to decriminalize it outright.

Who legalized it for recreational and medicinal use?

Michigan was the only state to pull the lever and legalize marijuana for adult use. Fifty-six percent of Michigan voters, voted yes to Proposal 1 , making it the first state in the mid-west to legalize weed.


Proposal 1 allows those who are 21 or older to purchase, possess, and use marijuana and marijuana-infused edibles. It permits the growth of up to 12 plants for personal consumption and a system in which the government can issue licenses for retail sales is forthcoming. It does however impose a 10-ounce limit for marijuana kept at residences, and requires that anything over 2.5 ounces be kept in locked containers. The legal adult use should come into effect ten days after Tuesday’s results are certified, but retail sales may be a bit off in the distance, projected closer to 2020.

Despite strong opposition from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Utah passed marijuana for medical use under Proposition 2. The proposition allows for those with certain medical conditions to use cannabis either infused in products, edible form, or in a vape pen under recommendation from a physician.

Of the three medical marijuana legalization initiatives on the ballot in Missouri, the state voted in favor of one, Amendment 2. With the passage of Amendment 2 residents of Missouri can now use marijuana for medical purposes.

Where was it decriminalized?

Ohio, the only state with decriminalization on the ballot for the entire state, voted in five out of six cities to decriminalize the substance. Decriminalization is now passed in Dayton, Fremont, Norwood, Oregon, and Windham.


Right now in the state if you are caught in possession of up to 200 grams of cannabis, it will result in a misdemeanor “punishable by a $150 to $250 fine and up to 30 days in jail, depending on the exact amount. These measures won’t affect state law, but it will help protect cannabis consumers in municipalities that approve the initiatives through local ordinances,” according to the Marijuana Moment.

What’s next?

Wisconsin may soon be the next state to legalize marijuana for adult use, after voters in 14 out of 16 counties signaled their support in an advisory referendum.

While California has long paved the way for reforming public perception and laws around marijuana, a measure on the ballot in Los Angeles to create a bank for the marijuana industry failed. North Dakota also failed to legalize marijuana in a ballot initiative, with 40 percent in favor and 60 percent against.

After Tuesday’s election, marijuana is now legal for recreational use in 10 states and Washington, D.C. and legal for medical use in 32 states. Marijuana is also now decriminalized to some extent in 14 states.