Politics

Election 2020: All you need to know about cannabis legalization on the ballot

Published on September 17, 2020 · Last updated November 2, 2020
election 2020 marijuana voter guide
Adult-use cannabis legalization in the White House, or your state, and in your town, depends on your vote. (artfriday/AdobeStock, Leafly)
This page was updated on Nov. 2, 2020.

Election 2020: Legalization on the ballot

A total of 35 states now allow medical marijuana. Of those, 11 states plus Washington, D.C. have also legalized cannabis for adults 21 and older. Here’s our map of which states are legal, featured in Leafy’s 2020 Jobs Count.

Quick facts:

When is the election?

The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020.

Related
Election 2020: State polling place opening and closing times

How do I vote?

What am I voting on?

The next president of the United States. Also drug legalization measures in 7 states; 33 US Senate seats; all 435 seats in the House of Representatives; 11 state governors; thousands of state senators and representatives; and many local city and county council races.

Which 6 states are voting on legalization measures on Nov. 3?

Four states are voting on adult-use (recreational) cannabis legalization: Arizona, Montana, New Jersey, and South Dakota.

Two states are voting on medical marijuana legalization: Mississippi, and South Dakota.

Oregon voters will consider two separate drug reform measures. One would legalize the medical use of psilocybin. The other would decriminalize small amounts of all drugs.

Full voter guides to all 6 legalization states

Leafly’s news team has created a fully reported guide to each state’s legalization measures, which are updated as new information arrives. Link to a specific state below:

Legalization on 2020 state ballots

StateRec or MedicalMeasure nameAdvocatesOpponents
ArizonaRecreationalProposition 207Smart & Safe ArizonaArizonans for Health and Public Safety
MontanaRecreationalI-190 and CI-118New Approach MontanaWrong for Montana
MississippiMedicalInitiative 65
and
Initiative 65A
Mississippians for Compassionate CareNone yet
New JerseyRecreationalPublic Question 1NJ Can 2020Don't Let NJ Go To Pot
OregonLegalize the regulated medical use of psilocybinMeasure 109Yes on 109None yet
OregonDecriminalize all drugsMeasure 110Yes on 110No on Measure 110
South DakotaRecreationalAmendment ASouth Dakotans for Better Marijuana LawsNo Way on Amendment A
South DakotaMedicalIM 26South Dakotans for Better Marijuana LawsNo Way on Amendment A

The latest election news

Oct. 14 — Recent polls in New Jersey and Arizona put legalization measures in the lead with less than three weeks until election day. Leafly has the full story.

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What’s at stake, overall?

Everything for cannabis: Federal and state adult-use cannabis legalization; medical cannabis policy reform; state-level legalization; as well the state and local leaders who will implement or block reform. To give an example, about 79,000 votes in three states decided the 2016 presidential election. By contrast, 100 million eligible voters did not vote in that election.

Who should I vote for?

  • It’s up to you. Read Leafly’s guides below, and other groups’ endorsements. Ask local and state candidates where they stand on legalization, and legal stores.
  • NORML recently graded governors on cannabis policy.
  • The Cannabis Voter Project tallies how members of Congress have voted on cannabis.

Want to learn more about marijuana legalization? Check out our Legalization Resource hub.

Biden vs. Trump: Where they stand on cannabis

Joe Biden

Joe Biden was an original drug warrior in the 1990s. His position has changed since then, but not by much. He’s now in favor of ‘decriminalization,’ not legalization.

Donald Trump

In his public statements, President Trump has been characteristically vague about cannabis legalization. But his administration’s actions have made it absolutely clear that the Trump White House wants nothing to do with legalization.

Here’s a selection of our coverage:

Where the also-rans stand

presidential candidates and where they stand on marijuana legalization
About 61% of Americans support marijuana legalization, Pew Research finds. (Leafly)

Mike Bloomberg:

Pete Buttigieg:

Amy Klobuchar:

Bernie Sanders:

Elizabeth Warren:

Andrew Yang:

Support legalization by registering to vote

Voter registration form created as a partnership between Leafly, HeadCount, and the Cannabis Voter Project.

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Bruce Barcott, David Downs, and Max Savage Levenson
Bruce Barcott, David Downs, and Max Savage Levenson
Bruce Barcott is Leafly's deputy editor and the author of 'Weed the People: The Future of Legal Marijuana in America.' David Downs is Leafly's California bureau chief and the author of 'Beyond Buds' and 'The Medical Marijuana Guidebook.' Leafly contributor Max Savage Levenson also writes about music for Pitchfork and Bandcamp.
View Bruce Barcott, David Downs, and Max Savage Levenson's articles
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