Drug Decriminalization Won Big in the 2020 Election

While the result of the presidential race remains unknown as of now, one thing is clear: drugs were the biggest winner last night. 

Voters in six states and D.C. approved measures that will broaden previously illegal drugs’ availability for recreational or medical use. In Oregon, voters weighed in making their state the first U.S. state to decriminalize hard drugs and establish a legal psilocybin therapy program. In five states, voters weighed in on marijuana legalization for either recreational or medical use.

MARIJUANA

• Arizona voters approved Proposition 207 by a 59.8%-40.2% vote. This legalizes marijuana use and possession for adults 21 or older and allows cultivation of marijuana for personal use.
• Mississippi voters approved Initiative 65 by a 74.0%-26.0% vote, legalizing medical marijuana for qualifying persons with debilitating medical conditions and setting conditions for the establishment of a state medical marijuana program. 
• Montana voters approved a pair of marijuana legalization ballot measures, Constitutional Initiative 118 (57.7%-42.4%) and Initiative 190 (56.6%-43.4%). Together, these initiatives legalize marijuana use by adults 21 ages or older in Montana. 
• New Jersey voters approved Public Question 1 by a 66.9%-33.1% vote. This legalizes recreational marijuana use for adults 21 and older and allows cultivation of marijuana for personal use.
• South Dakota voters approved Initiated Measure 26 by a 69.2%-30.8% vote. This authorizes the establishment of a medical marijuana program for South Dakotans with debilitating medical conditions, as certified by their physicians.

PSILOCYBIN

• Oregon voters approved Measure 109 by a 55.8%-44.2% vote, establishing a legal psilocybin therapy program for adults 21 years of age and older.
• Washington, D.C. voters approved Initiative 81 by a 76%-24% vote. This decriminalizes the use of psilocybin mushrooms (colloquially referred to as “magic mushrooms”) and other psychedelic substances.

HARD DRUGS

• Oregon voters approved Measure 110 by a 58.8%-41.2% vote. This makes Oregon the first U.S. state to decriminalize the personal non-commercial possession of controlled substances such as heroin, cocaine, or methamphetamines.

Collectively, the passage of these ballot measures seems to indicate that much of the U.S. is ready to move on from War on Drugs-era policies. Sound off in the comments: do you think these measures should have passed?

—Lorelei Yang

(Image Credit: iStockphoto.com / blueshot)