Marijuana Legalization and Drug Policy Ballot Initiatives 2020

As public opinion on drug policy has evolved, changes to drug policy have been put on state ballots more frequently in recent years.  This is especially true when it comes to marijuana legalization, with most of the states that have legalized marijuana doing so by popular vote.

Reason Foundation’s work on drug policy has highlighted the problems with prohibition and the War on Drugs and alternative means of dealing with real external impacts of drug abuse. We have also focused on understanding what has, and has not, worked in the creation and regulation of legalized medical and recreational marijuana markets.

This year voters in states across the country will weigh-in on several ballot measures pertaining to drug policy. In the District of Columbia, voters will decide on an advisory measure to de-emphasize enforcement of possession and sale of psychedelic plants. Voters in Oregon will decide if some drugs should be decriminalized and addressed with harm reduction policies instead. Arizona, Montana, New Jersey and South Dakota voters will decide on legalizing adult recreational marijuana markets, and voters in Mississippi and South Dakota will decide on authorizing medical marijuana markets.

• Arizona Ballot Initiative Analysis: Proposition 207 — Legalizes, regulates and taxes recreational marijuana.
• Montana Ballot Initiative Analysis: Amendment Cl-118 and Initiative I-190— Legalizes the possession and use of marijuana.
• Mississippi Ballot Initiative Analysis: Initiative 65 and Alternative 65A — Legalizes medical marijuana.
• Montana Ballot Initiative Analysis: Amendment Cl-118 and Initiative I-190— Legalizes the possession and use of marijuana.
• New Jersey Ballot Initiative Analysis: Public Question 1 — Legalizes the possession and use of marijuana.
• Oregon Ballot Initiative Analysis: Measure 110 — Decriminalizes possession of certain drugs and establishes a drug addiction treatment and recovery program funded by the state’s marijuana tax revenue.
• South Dakota Amendment A — Legalizes, regulates and taxes recreational marijuana.
• South Dakota Measure 26 — Legalizes medical marijuana in the state.
• Washington D.C. Ballot Initiative Analysis: Initiative 81 —  Decriminalizes the use of psychedelic plants.

Voters’ Guides to 2020 Ballot Initiatives on Other Policy Topics