Marijuana on the Ballot this Election Day
The 2018 midterms are coming up soon, with seven measures on various state ballots—Michigan, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Utah—offering the opportunity to expand legal weed’s reach throughout the nation. One of those, Oklahoma’s State Question 788, was voted on in June and passed, making medical marijuana legal in the state (it won by nearly 57 percent of the vote).
Since marijuana legalization can be confusing on a state-by-state basis, with obscure wording and contradicting measures, we broke down what those initiatives are, where they’re happening, and what they might mean for you.
Here's a list of the actual cannabis questions that voters will see when they have a chance to make up their minds on November 6.
STATEWIDE MEASURES
COLORADO
Amendment X - Hemp Definition
Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado constitution concerning changing the industrial hemp definition from a constitutional definition to a statutory definition?
○ YES/FOR
○ NO/AGAINST
MICHIGAN
Proposal 1 - Marijuana Legalization
A proposed initiated law to authorize and legalize possession, use and cultivation of marijuana products by individuals who are at least 21 years of age and older, and commercial sales of marijuana through state-licensed retailers
This proposal would:
· Allow individuals 21 and older to purchase, possess and use marijuana and marijuana-infused edibles, and grow up to 12 marijuana plants for personal consumption.
· Impose a 10-ounce limit for marijuana kept at residences and require amounts over 2.5 ounces be secured in locked containers.
· Create a state licensing system for marijuana businesses and allow municipalities to ban or restrict them.
· Permit retail sales of marijuana and edibles subject to a 10% tax, dedicated to implementation costs, clinical trials, schools, roads, and municipalities where marijuana businesses are located.
· Change several current violations from crimes to civil infractions.
Should this proposal be adopted?
[ ] YES
[ ] NO
NORTH DAKOTA
Measure 3 - Marijuana Legalization
This initiated measure would amend the North Dakota Century Code by removing hashish, marijuana, and tetrahydrocannabinols from the list of schedule I controlled substances in section 19-03.1-05. It would create chapter 66-01, which would define the terms marijuana and marijuana paraphernalia and prohibit prosecution of any person over the age of 21 for any non-violent marijuana related activity (including growing, manufacturing, distributing, selling, or testing marijuana) or drug paraphernalia relating to any nonviolent marijuana activity, except for the sale of marijuana to a person under the age of 21. Any language in the North Dakota Century Code that conflicts with chapter 66-01, including the prohibitions on prosecution, is nullified and repealed. The measure also would add penalties for individuals under the age of twenty-one in possession of, or attempting to distribute, marijuana; and provide penalties for individuals who distribute marijuana to anyone under the age of twenty-one. It would amend the definition of drug paraphernalia in section 19-03.4-01 to apply only to non-marijuana controlled substances. It would amend section 25-03.1-45 to require the automatic expungement of the record of an individual who has a drug conviction for a controlled substance that has been legalized; create an appeals process for an individual who believes the state did not expunge a record properly; and eliminate the state's sovereign immunity for damages resulting from expungement lawsuits.
○ YES – means you approve the measure summarized above.
○ NO – means you reject the measure summarized above.
MISSOURI
Amendment 2 - Medical Cannabis
Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:
allow the use of marijuana for medical purposes, and create regulations and licensing/certification procedures for marijuana and marijuana facilities;
impose a 4 percent tax on the retail sale of marijuana; and
use funds from these taxes for health and care services for military veterans by the Missouri Veterans Commission and to administer the program to license/certify and regulate marijuana and marijuana facilities?
This proposal is estimated to generate annual taxes and fees of $18 million for state operating costs and veterans programs, and $6 million for local governments. Annual state operating costs are estimated to be $7 million.
○ YES
○ NO
Amendment 3 - Medical Cannabis
Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:
allow the use of marijuana for medical purposes, and create regulations and licensing procedures for marijuana and marijuana facilities;
impose a 15 percent tax on the retail sale of marijuana, and a tax on the wholesale sale of marijuana flowers and leaves per dry-weight ounce to licensed facilities; and
use funds from these taxes to establish and fund a state research institute to conduct research with the purpose of developing cures and treatments for cancer and other incurable diseases or medical conditions?
This proposal is estimated to generate annual taxes and fees of $66 million. State governmental entities estimate initial implementation costs of $186,000 and increased annual operating costs of $500,000.
○ YES
○ NO
Proposition C - Medical Cannabis
Do you want to amend Missouri law to:
remove state prohibitions on personal use and possession of medical cannabis (marijuana) with a written certification by a physician who treats a patient diagnosed with a qualifying medical condition;
remove state prohibitions on growth, possession, production, and sale of medical marijuana by licensed and regulated facilities, and a facility's licensed owners and employees;
impose a 2% tax on the retail sale of medical marijuana; and
use funds from this tax for veterans' services, drug treatment, early childhood education, and for public safety in cities with a medical marijuana facility?
State government entities estimate initial and one-time costs of $2.6 million, annual costs of $10 million, and annual revenues of at least $10 million. Local government entities estimate no annual costs and are expected to have at least $152,000 in annual revenues.
○ YES
○ NO
UTAH
Proposition 2 - Medical Cannabis
Shall a law be enacted to:
• establish a state-controlled process that allows persons with certain illnesses to acquire and use medical cannabis and, in certain limited circumstances, to grow up to six cannabis plants for personal medical use;
• authorize the establishment of facilities that grow, process, test, or sell medical cannabis and require those facilities to be licensed by the state; and
• establish state controls on those licensed facilities, including:
o electronic systems that track cannabis inventory and purchases; and
o requirements and limitations on the packaging and advertising of cannabis and on the types of products allowed?
☐ FOR
☐ AGAINST
LOCAL MEASURES
OHIO - Marijuana Decriminalization
Dayton:
Shall the Dayton Revised Code of General Ordinances be amended to decriminalize specific misdemeanor marijuana and hashish offenses?
○ YES
○ NO
Fremont:
Shall the proposed Sensible Marihuana Ordinance which lowers the penalty for misdemeanor marijuana offenses to the lowest penalty allowed by state law be adopted?
○ YES
○ NO
Garrettsville:
Shall the proposed ordinance to lower the penalties for misdemeanor marihuana offenses to the lowest penalties allowed by state law be adopted?
○ YES
○ NO
Norwood:
Shall the proposed ordinance adding Section 513.15 Marijuana Laws and Penalties to the City of Norwood Municipal Code, which would lower the penalty for misdemeanor marijuana offenses to the lowest penalty allowed by state law, be adopted?
○ YES
○ NO
Oregon:
Shall the proposed Sensible Marihuana Ordinance which lowers the penalty for misdemeanor marijuana offenses to the lowest penalty allowed by state law be adopted?
○ YES
○ NO
Windham:
Shall the proposed ordinance to lower the penalties for misdemeanor marihuana offenses to the lowest penalties allowed by state law be adopted?
○ YES
○ NO
WISCONSIN - Marijuana Advisory Questions
Brown County:
Should cannabis be legalized in Wisconsin for medicinal purposes, and regulated in the same manner as other prescription drugs?
○ YES
○ NO
Clark County:
Should the State of Wisconsin legalize the use of marijuana for medical purposes and regulate its use in the same manner as other prescription drugs?
○ YES
○ NO
Dane County:
Should marijuana be legalized, taxed and regulated in the same manner as alcohol for adults 21 years of age or older?
○ YES
○ NO
Eau Claire County:
Should cannabis:
__ (a) Be legal for adult, 21years of age and older, recreational or medical use, taxed and regulated like alcohol, with the proceeds from the taxes used for education, healthcare, and infrastructure in Wisconsin?
__ (b) Be legal for medical purposes only and available only by prescription through a medical dispensary?
__ (c) Remain a criminally illegal drug as provided under current law?
Forest County:
Should the State of Wisconsin allow individuals with debilitating medical conditions to use and safely access marijuana for medical purposes, if those individuals have a written recommendation from a licensed Wisconsin physician?
○ YES
○ NO
Kenosha County:
Should the State of Wisconsin allow individuals with debilitating medical conditions to use and safely access marijuana for medical purposes, if those individuals have a written recommendation from a licensed Wisconsin physician?
○ YES
○ NO
La Crosse County:
Should the State of Wisconsin legalize the use of marijuana by adults 21 years or older, to be taxed and regulated in the same manner that alcohol is regulated in the State of Wisconsin, with proceeds from taxes used for education, healthcare, and infrastructure?
○ YES
○ NO
Langlade County:
Should the State of Wisconsin allow individuals with debilitating medical conditions to use and safely access marijuana for medical purposes, if those individuals have a written recommendation from a licensed Wisconsin physician?
○ YES
○ NO
Lincoln County:
Should the State of Wisconsin allow individuals with debilitating medical conditions to use and safely access marijuana for medical purposes, if those individuals have a written recommendation from a licensed Wisconsin physician?
○ YES
○ NO
Marathon County:
Should the State of Wisconsin allow individuals with debilitating medical conditions to use and safely access marijuana for medical purposes, if those individuals have a written recommendation from a licensed Wisconsin physician?
○ YES
○ NO
Marquette County:
Shall the County of Marquette, Wisconsin, adopt the following resolution? Resolved, that "We the People" of Marquette County, Wisconsin, support the right of its citizens to acquire, possess and use medical cannabis upon the recommendation of a licensed physician, and; Be It Further Resolved, that we strongly support a statewide referendum requesting Wisconsin to join with thirty-two (32) other states that have already approved the use of medical cannabis for the treatment of chronic pain, several debilitating diseases and disabling symptoms.
○ YES
○ NO
Milwaukee County:
Do you favor allowing adults 21 years of age and older to engage in the personal use of marijuana, while also regulating commercial marijuana-related activities, and imposing a tax on the sale of marijuana?
○ YES
○ NO
Portage County:
Should the State of Wisconsin allow individuals with debilitating medical conditions to use and safely access marijuana for medical [treatment] purposes, if those individuals have a written [treatment] recommendation from a licensed Wisconsin physician?
○ YES
○ NO
Racine County:
Should marijuana be legalized for medicinal use?
○ YES
○ NO
Should marijuana be legalized, taxed, and regulated in the same manner as alcohol for adults 21 years of age or older?
○ YES
○ NO
Should proceeds from marijuana taxes be used to fund education, health care, and infrastructure?
○ YES
○ NO
Rock County:
Should cannabis be legalized for adult use, taxed and regulated like alcohol, with the proceeds from the Taxes used for education, healthcare, and infrastructure?
○ YES
○ NO
Sauk County:
Should the state of Wisconsin legalize medical marijuana so that people with debilitating medical conditions may access medical marijuana if they have a prescription from a licenses Wisconsin physician?
○ YES
○ NO
City of Racine:
Should cannabis be legalized for adult recreational use in Wisconsin?
○ YES
○ NO
Should cannabis be legalized for medical use in Wisconsin?
○ YES
○ NO
Should cannabis sales be taxed and the revenue from such taxes be used for public education, health care, and infrastructure in Wisconsin?
○ YES
○ NO
Should cannabis be decriminalized in the State of Wisconsin?
○ YES
○ NO
City of Waukesha: Should cannabis be legalized in Wisconsin for medicinal purposes, and regulated in the same manner as other prescription drugs?
○ YES
○ NO
OTHER MEASURES
Voters in a number of counties and municipalities in states with some form of legalization will have a chance to decide on local measuressetting marijuana tax rates or to allow or ban commercial cannabis activity. There are far too many of these measures to compile here, so you should use your state or county elections website to take a look at your sample ballot before you head to the polls.