Marijuana legalization bids rejected by voters in Arkansas, both Dakotas

Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News
·2 min read
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Voters harshed the buzz of pot users in North Dakota, South Dakota and Arkansas on Tuesday when they rejected measures to legalize recreational marijuana.

Millions of dollars flowed into all three states on both sides of the debate. In Arkansas, legal weed advocates spent $13 million, but only received 43.7% of the vote — even though medical marijuana is already legal in the state. A campaign leader promised to try again.

“Tonight, we made history by putting adult-use cannabis on the ballot for the first time,” said Robert McLarty of Responsible Growth Arkansas. “Although we fell short, we look forward to continuing this effort to build this momentum to 2024.”

South Dakota had voted to legalize marijuana in 2020, but the state’s supreme court said the measure’s wording violated state law. On Tuesday, nearly 53% of voters rejected a new ballot initiative.

Mayors in Sioux Falls and Rapid City, the state’s two biggest cities, and Gov. Kristi Noem all opposed the measure.

“We share the belief that it’s not good for teenagers to use cannabis. Where we differ is the approach,” legalization advocate Matthew Schweich told the Mitchell Daily Republic. “They want to use a policy for prohibition that is clearly an abject failure.”

In North Dakota, nearly 55% of people rejected marijuana legalization.

However, there were a couple victories for marijuana advocates. Marijuana legalization won referendums in Maryland and Missouri.

“A growing number of voters recognize that cannabis policy reform is in the best interest of public health and safety, criminal justice reform, social equity, and personal freedom,” said Toi Hutchinson, president and CEO of the Marijuana Policy Project.

The measures in both states also allow for people convicted of many marijuana-related crimes to have their records expunged.

“It just shows that this is not a partisan issue,” said John Payne, who led the Missouri campaign. “This is something that transcends partisan divides.”

Payne said he expected recreational sales to start in Missouri early next year.

With News Wire Services