Marijuana wins when it’s on the ballot
The Biden-Boden Vote on Marijuana in Maine and Nevada isn’t a Bad Idea, but it Could Be Legal
It seems like marijuana is a third rail in American politics. Although most Democrats are ardently defenders of abortion and gay rights, many of them are less vocal about decriminalizing marijuana. It was only Thursday when President Joe Biden decided to pardon all people convicted of federal marijuana possession.
Maryland is a deep-blue state, though Arkansas and Missouri are not. Biden lost Arkansas and Missouri by 15 points and 28 points in 2020 respectively. It seems certain that the legalization measure will greatly exceed Biden’s baseline in South Dakota.
On an issue such as building a wall along the US-Mexico border, the partisan gap is closer to 80 points instead of 20 to 30 points as it is with marijuana.
It’s not the case on marijuana. Majorities of both college- and noncollege-educated Americans want marijuana to be legal, polling shows. White, black and Hispanic adults are all in favor of it.
It passed in Maine with the highest proportion of White voters and in Nevada with the lowest. Nevada is also a state with one of the highest percentages of Hispanic residents in the country. In a state with one of the highest percentages of Black voters, passage seems all but assured this year.
A “yes” vote would legalize recreational marijuana for adults ages 21 and older. Additionally, it would allow possession of 1 ounce of marijuana, and the growth of as many as six mature marijuana plants and up to six seedlings.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said in a news briefing last month he “thinks it’s a bad idea” because recreational marijuana is still illegal federally and believes “the feds need to make a decision about marijuana.”
