Listen up, stoners, it’s time to register and vote. Lord knows the people that want to put you in a cage will be heading to the polls. If you like weed, and being left alone—you got two things to do:
- Register to vote TODAY.
- Vote either by mail or in person (although the US Postal Service recommends that if you haven’t mailed in your ballot by Tuesday, October 29, that you vote in person instead.)
Twenty-four states have already legalized cannabis—three more could join them this year. Here’s what’s at stake.
President of the United States
Recreational pot polls at 66% nationally and medical at 90%—it’s more popular than any party or politician. The Wall Street Journal noted its “rare” bipartisan status.
Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris endorsed full federal legalization in October. And she’s gotten some extra cred from country singer and cannabis icon Willie Nelson, who rallied for her during the campaign.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has endorsed Amendment 3 in his home state of Florida, as well as state-level legalization in general. “We can live with the marijuana,” he said.
Florida cannabis legalization
Florida Amendment 3 will need every cannabis-lover and then some to reach 60% percent of the vote—the required threshold to approve weed legalization in the Sunshine State.
Amendment 3 fully legalizes holding up 3 ounces of bud and 5 grams of concentrate—ending some 66,000 arrests per year and generating hundreds of millions in court savings and tax revenue. All Florida medical dispensaries could sell to adult-use consumers.
The deadline to register to vote in Florida was October 7, 2024. Even if you think you’re registered, you should double-check your voter status.
Everyone from singer Miguel to former President Trump has endorsed the measure. But far-left and far-right extremes—from Gov. Ron DeSantis to the most conspiratorial tokers—say Amendment 3 either goes too far or not far enough.
Florida’s powerful, entrenched Republicans have also made it harder to vote.
Florida’s powerful, entrenched Republicans have also made it harder to vote. In 2022, Gov. Ron DeSantis canceled all standing vote-by-mail requests.
According to the Tallahassee Democrat, the GOP-led Florida state Legislature has ripped out mail-in ballot boxes, added new voter ID rules, and deterred voter registration. For example, you must request to vote-by-mail every voting cycle, instead of once every four years.
“Voter rolls may now be purged annually, you should check your voter status every year well in time to address it before any voting deadlines.”
NOTE: The deadline to register to vote in Florida was October 7, 2024, and the deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot was Thursday, Oct. 24.
South Dakota cannabis legalization
South Dakota will vote again on legalization this November. Measure 29 legalizes 2 ounces of flower, 16 grams of hash, and 1600 milligrams of THC in edibles. You could grow up to 12 plants per household. October polling indicates Measure 29 still hasn’t connected with a majority of South Dakotans—it has 44% of the vote and needs to get to 50. Older South Dakotans especially don’t like it.
The deadline to register to vote in South Dakota was October 21. Already registered? Learn more about Measure 29 via South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws.
North Dakota cannabis legalization
North Dakota will again vote on adult-use legalization. Measure 5 legalizes 1 ounce of cannabis, 4 grams of hash, and 300 mg edibles, plus up to 6 plants in a household. You don’t have to register to vote in North Dakota.
You can check your voting info in North Dakota here.
Nebraska medical weed
Nebraska could, freakin’ finally, legalize medical cannabis with Initiative 438. A “yes” vote repeals medical weed prohibition in Nebraska, and regulates the medical cannabis trade. So far 38 US states have medical cannabis programs.
The deadline to register to vote in Nebraska was October 18.
Oregon pot unions
A union-funded measure to increase unions in the Oregon cannabis industry is on the ballot. Current law already allows unions at pot businesses. Oregon Measure 119 mandates each cannabis business sign a ‘labor peace agreement’ or lose their license. The deadline to register to vote in Oregon was Oct. 15.
Psychedelics legalization
Massachusetts psychedelics legalization
Massachusetts Question 4 would legalize psychedelics for adults 21 and up, as well as tax them, and create an Advisory Board.
You could grow “any plant, fungus, or preparation containing” DMT, mescaline, ibogaine, or psilocybin. And you could possess 1 gram of DMT, 18 grams of mescaline, 30 grams of ibogaine, 1 gram of psilocybin, and 1 gram of psilocyn. You could also grow said plants or fungus in a 12 by 12-foot area.
Massachusetts ‘shroom legalization is on track to fail with 42% support.
The deadline to register to vote in Massachusetts was Oct. 26.
State and local races
Act and vote locally to have the most impact. Local city council members and county supervisors can decide if your town permits dispensaries, or allows licensed farms.
State representatives and state senators decide how high your taxes will be, or if you can have a cannabis lounge.
NORML voter guides
NORML has a solid combined national and state voter guide— just pop in your full zip code and get a voter guide.
New Hampshire guide from Marijuana Policy Project
Furthermore, Marijuana Policy Project made a guide for New Hampshire voters who want to pick pro-reform candidates. New Hampshire is a prohibition state with no initiative process, so voters have to pick a governor and legislators to advance their rights.
More weed and psychedelics voter guides to check out
A raft of groups have gathered up election info for you to digest. Check out voter guides from:
NORML—pop in your full zip code and get a voter guide.
California NORML—Dig into California NORML’s Golden State-specific voter guide, and then get even more into the details.
Colorado weed voter guide—Colorado’s cannabis businesses have a voter guide of their own.
Americans for Safer Access—You can hold local and state candidates’ feet to the fire of reform with ASA’s “Compassionate Candidate” questionnaire.
Even better—ASA has a toolkit to help you track your candidates, get a meeting with them, and brief them on compassionate reforms they can pledge to uphold.
Ballotpedia—Ballotpedia does a bang-up job briefing voters on 2024 ballot measures.
OK, we’ll add more resources as we find them. Be sure to register and vote— because pot prohibitionists certainly will.
