Ballot measures to legalize and regulate marijuana for adult use will be decided by voters in five states in Tuesday’s midterm election: Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
The measure in Maryland was referred to the ballot by the Legislature, while the other four were placed on the ballot via citizen initiative. See below for links to more information about the 2022 ballot measures.
Leaders of cannabis policy and public affairs firm VS Strategies are available to provide commentary and analysis on a wide range of cannabis-related issues leading up to and following Election Day. VSS team members played leading roles in passing and implementing Colorado’s adult-use legalization initiative, and they have worked at the forefront of similar policy changes across the country, providing guidance to governments, advocacy organizations, businesses, and trade associations. See below for more information about VSS and firm leaders.
Cannabis is legal for adult use in 19 states, D.C., and two U.S. territories, and an additional 18 states have legalized cannabis for medical use. See below for a map of the 2022 cannabis ballot measures and the states where cannabis is currently legal for adult use.
Statement from Mason Tvert, partner at VS Strategies:
“This could be yet another truly momentous election for cannabis policy reform. There is a growing sentiment that it is time to legalize and regulate cannabis for adult use, and this election demonstrates it is not just on the coasts and in the southwest. The erosion of support for prohibition is spreading from state to state, much like it did at the end of alcohol prohibition.
“Passage of these measures could have significant implications for federal cannabis policy reform. Every time a state legalizes cannabis, its congressional delegation becomes more engaged on the issue, with many coming around to supporting change at the federal level. Regardless of the outcome, this election is a big step forward for sensible cannabis policy. Every time a cannabis-related measure is up for a vote, it generates public dialogue; and the more people hear and talk about cannabis, the more likely they are to support ending its prohibition.”
2022 Cannabis Ballot Measures
North Dakota – Statutory Measure 2
South Dakota – Initiated Measure 27
About VS Strategies
VS Strategies (VSS) is a Denver-based national policy and public affairs firm specializing in cannabis and drug policy. It is the consulting affiliate of leading national cannabis law firm Vicente Sederberg LLP. VSS assists public and private sector clients with a wide variety of cannabis policy matters at every level of government. Since its founding in 2014, VSS has played a key role in several major cannabis policy developments in Colorado and other states, as well as building support for cannabis policy reform in Congress. For more information, visit https://vsstrategies.com/.
Firm Leaders
Mason Tvert is a partner at VS Strategies. He previously served as director of communications for the nation’s largest marijuana policy organization, the Marijuana Policy Project, where he co-directed the historic 2012 Colorado legalization initiative, Amendment 64, and worked on several other state and local campaigns, including the successful legalization initiatives in Alaska, Nevada, Maine, and Massachusetts. Mason also coordinated communications efforts that contributed to the adoption of medical cannabis laws and decriminalization policies in several state legislatures around the country. He is co-author of the book, “Marijuana is Safer: So why are we driving people to drink?”, and he appears frequently in the news providing commentary and analysis on cannabis policy and politics.
Jordan Wellington is a partner at VS Strategies who has played a key role in drafting cannabis legislation and regulations in Colorado and other states. He regularly advises government officials, businesses, and organizations from around the U.S. and across the globe on the responsible regulation of cannabis. Jordan was a legislative staffer in theColorado House of Representatives, where he shepherded legislation through the General Assembly to implement the state’s voter-approved legalization law, Amendment 64. He was then hired as a senior regulatory analyst for the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division in the state Department of Revenue, where he organized the division’s stakeholder engagement process and drafted many of the state regulations governing retail and medical cannabis. Jordan has served on several cannabis-related advisory boards and working groups in the public and private sectors, and he has co-authored white papers regarding cannabis packaging, labeling, and testing policies.
