2022 National Cannabis Voter Resource
With only weeks until election day Square Root Group, LLC is happy to share a few resources on pending state & local cannabis ballot initiatives, candidates, and the latest national polling numbers on cannabis reform. We urge you to get out and vote on or before November 8.
First – Register and Vote! Like Now, Right Now!
Even if cannabis is not on your state or local ballot this year, the slate of candidates at every level of government will make decisions on policy that will impact your life. From traffic and housing to education and civil liberties (including the employment, housing, and child custody rights of legal cannabis consumers), your vote matters. And many states have already started early voting so now is a great time to get your 2022 voting plan together.
I know…voting in elections for politicians sounds boring. But take this short quiz and you may find that you are even more motivated to vote this year than you thought.
If you answered yes to either of these questions then voting is for you! Especially if you haven’t had time to weigh in with your federal, state or local lawmakers since the last election. Now is your chance to make up for lost time and tell policy makers just what you think!
Want more great news? Registering to vote and voting is probably easier than you think. Check out vote.gov for information on how to register in your state + registration and voting deadlines.
2022 State Cannabis Ballot Initiatives
Arkansas: Natural State voters will vote on adult-use cannabis via the Arkansas Recreational Marijuana Initiative, which would allow medical retailers to serve 21+ adult-use consumers, and permit them to open 1 additional location for adult-use. 40 other adult-use licenses will be issued via lottery.
Regarding tax rates, state regulators could tax adult-use sales at 10%, which would be equal to the 10% tax already levied on medical cannabis sales. The initiative does not include language to provide for social equity licensing or permit home cultivation, and allows the roughly 500 cities and 75 counties in the state to opt-out of licensing adult-use businesses.
Maryland: In 2022 state lawmakers passed HB1 & HB 837, authorizing voters to consider Question 4, which would permit possession of cannabis flower & concentrates for adults 21+, but not a commercial supply chain or retailers. If successful, lawmakers will spend the 2023 session organizing cannabis business licensing & operating rules for the new program. Preloaded elements of the program include possession limits (1.5 oz), home cultivation (2 plants/adult), and records expungement for some past convictions.
Missouri: Show-Me State voters will vote on Amendment 3, which would permit possession and sale of up to 3 oz of cannabis and cannabis products, authorize home cultivation (6 mature plants, 6 immature plants, 6 clones and 2X that limit per household), and initiate a process for criminal records expungements for past cannabis convictions. The amendment authorizes 144 adult-use business licenses to be geographically distributed by congressional district, taxes sales at 6% and allows local governments to opt-out of business licensing.
North Dakota: Flickertail state voters will consider Measure 2, authorizing adults 21+ to purchase and possess cannabis (1 oz of flower, 4 grams of concentrate) from 18 new retailers. The measure would also license 7 cultivators, and allow home cultivation of up to 3 plants, but does not address expungement of past cannabis convictions. Adult-use sales would be taxed at a state 5% + a local 3%, and lawmakers have until late 2023 to issue rules for licensing and operating.
South Dakota: Mount Rushmore State voters will see Measure 27 on their ballots, which would authorize possession and sale of up to 1 oz of cannabis (no more than 8 grams of concentrate) for adults 21+, as well as permit home cultivation of up to 6 plants per household. The initiative leaves decision making on everything from state and local taxes on sales to the organization and operation of an adult-use commercial cannabis business marketplace up to state lawmakers when they return in 2023.
Voter Support for State Cannabis Ballot Measures Holds Strong
Support for cannabis reform has been strong for the past 5 elections, with voters passing all 6 initiatives in 2020; 3 of 4 in 2018; 8 of 9 in 2016; and 3 of 4 in 2014. Voters in 11 states and DC have passed adult-use reforms since CO and WA did in 2012, with 4 in the last 2 years.
Trends in Policy Adoption
In total voters in 18 states and DC have reformed their medical cannabis laws via initiative, and voters in 13 states and DC have approved adult-use reforms at the ballot box. Of course, voter initiatives are not the only way to advance state cannabis reforms, and some state legislatures have authorized reforms before voters forced state-wide action at the polls. Fifteen states have implemented comprehensive medical reforms via the legislative process, and eight have adopted adult-use reforms in this manner - the latest being Rhode Island in May of this year.
Support for Cannabis Growing Among Voters Across Party Lines
Meanwhile voter support for state-wide cannabis reform has increased since the last election, with a 2022 Morning Consult and Politico poll revealing that over 60% of Americans favor national legalization. Subdivided by party identification, support remains strong with 71% of Democrats, 61% of Independents and 47% of Republicans supporting legal access.
Voter Resources
General - Vote.org has you covered on everything from voter registration and early voting locations to voting by mail and finding your polling place. Want to know voter registration deadlines for your state? Washington Post has you covered with a calendar of voting registration deadlines, as well as information on key issues and the importance of voting in the 2022 midterms.
Democracy - Still think your vote doesn’t matter? Since the last election 20 states have approved laws to reduce voting participation, and the transparency of elections. Your vote terrifies some lawmakers so much they are actively working to take it from you, and your friends at the Voting Rights Lab have the scoop on which states did what.
National - Cannabis Voter Project, NORML national and Americans for Safe Access put together state-by-state voter resource guides that provide recommendations on candidates in states across the country, as well as information on candidate and office holder positions on cannabis policy and pending federal cannabis bills.
California -Your friends at California NORML put together this great list of state and local candidate recommendations, as well as summaries of pending local cannabis ballot initiatives and tax measures. And CalMatters has great coverage of non-cannabis statewide initiatives.