A handful of states are making strides to legalize marijuana for recreational use in 2023. They are introducing either legislation or ballot initiatives to expand its usage beyond medical purposes.
The latest effort to legalize cannabis failed in Oklahoma after voters rejected a ballot proposal that would let people 21 years or older possess cannabis. The vote ran counter to a trend across other states that shows voter initiatives typically being successful.
OKLAHOMA VOTES DOWN RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA
So far, 21 states, Washington, D.C., and Guam have fully legalized marijuana for recreational and medical use. Sixteen states permit medical usage only, and three states (Idaho, Nebraska, and Kansas) do not allow any public usage.
Here are the states gearing up to address legalizing recreational marijuana in the following months and their approaches to the topic.
Minnesota: Legislation
Minnesota voters elected enough Democrats to the Senate and secured the governor’s office again, allowing them to gain the trifecta for the first time in 10 years. Now, with the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party in control, a bipartisan legislative push to legalize adults’ use of marijuana may finally gain enough traction to become law.
So far, the marijuana legalization bill has cleared several House and Senate committees, and lawmakers are hoping for a better response in the legislative chambers than in prior years. Last May, the Minnesota House passed the bill, but it was blocked by a Republican majority in the Senate.
Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN), who won reelection in 2022, said he would sign a marijuana legalization bill into law this year if it made it to his desk, according to MJBizDaily, a cannabis business news outlet.
According to the Minnesota House, 53% of voters approve of legalizing recreational marijuana, and 36% do not. Eleven percent of voters are unsure.
Ohio: Legislation or ballot initiative
Ohio voters may get a chance to decide whether their state legalizes marijuana, depending on what happens in the state legislature.
A proposal was submitted to the GOP-controlled legislature that would legalize possession of up to 15 grams of concentrate or 2.5 ounces of cannabis. However, if the legislature does not act by April, supporters would need to collect around 124,000 voter signatures to get the measure on the ballot in November, per Bloomberg.
Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH) has gone back and forth on marijuana.
DeWine said in January 2022 that he thinks recreational marijuana would “add an additional problem” to situations caused by other substances, such as driving under the influence. He said he would oppose the bill if it came to his desk but would consider a proposal that loosened rules for medical marijuana, per the Sandusky Review.
One year later, DeWine signed a criminal justice reform bill that would alter criminal expungement policies. Under the legislation, cities can mass-expunge records for people charged with certain drug-related convictions, including marijuana possession of up to 200 grams. The bill would also protect people from getting charged for possessing cannabis paraphernalia.
The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol hoped to get the initiative on the ballot in November 2022, but it was not on the ballot due to the timeline for voter signature submission. The coalition filed a lawsuit in April 2022 challenging the decision and ultimately settled with the secretary of state and legislative leaders, who agreed to bring the measure before voters in 2023.
Pennsylvania: Legislation
Thanks to a special election in February, Pennsylvania Democrats took control of the House for the first time in 12 years. Now they may have a chance to move marijuana legislation up to the governor’s office.
In the state, marijuana legislation carries weight across the aisle, but it has stalled in previous years. Democratic state Sen. Sharif Street and Republican state Sen. Dan Laughlin introduced a legalization proposal in October 2021, but it proved to be an unsuccessful first run. The bill was picked up during the February 2022 General Assembly, but it again failed to pass. Both senators vowed to introduce the bill again in 2023.
Both former Gov. Tom Wolf (D-PA) and Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), who served as lieutenant governor under Wolf, supported legalizing marijuana. Fetterman visited all 67 counties for a listening tour on legalization back in 2019.
Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) did not offer any policy positions relating to marijuana on the campaign trail or during his inauguration speech. An ABC 27 News analysis of his Twitter feed determined that he tweeted about marijuana 24 times since declaring his candidacy in 2021.
On Feb. 22, 2022, he said he supports legal marijuana use and the expungement of criminal records relating to the drug.
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“1. Legalize recreational marijuana. 2. Expunge the records of those serving time for non-violent marijuana offenses. 3. Boost our economy,” Shapiro tweeted. “It’s that simple.”
In Pennsylvania, 6 out of 10 registered voters supported legalizing marijuana in 2022.
