List of 2016 United States cannabis reform proposals

In 2016, nine U.S. states proposed cannabis reform legislation for medical marijuana and non-medical adult use.^[1][2][3] As of 2016, the state laws are still at odds with the Federal status of cannabis, which is classified as a Schedule I narcotic. The Los Angeles Times stated that if all the measures passed, nine states encompassing a quarter of the U.S. population would have legalized recreational use, and "The presence of legalization measures on the ballot in Arkansas and North Dakota — both staunchly conservative states — illustrate the power of the trend toward legalization" and Federal reforms on banking are "increasingly looking inevitable".^[4]

Proposed medical marijuana laws

• Arkansas – Arkansas Medical Cannabis Act (Issue 6, a constitutional amendment; and Issue 7, a voter initiative, both appear on the ballot)
• Florida – Amendment 2
• Montana – Montana I-182 (amends existing 2004 law)
• North Dakota – Measure 5

Proposed non-medical legalization

• Arizona – Proposition 205
• California – Adult Use of Marijuana Act
• Maine – Question 1
• Massachusetts – Massachusetts Legalization, Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Initiative
• Nevada – Question 2

References

1. "Marijuana Lights Up State Ballots", The New York Times, October 19, 2016
2. Thomas Fuller (October 24, 2016), "Election May Be a Turning Point for Legal Marijuana", The New York Times
3. Marijuana on the ballot, Ballotpedia, retrieved 2016-10-26
4. Alex Halperin (October 29, 2016), "After the election, marijuana could be legal for recreational or medical use in 29 states", The Los Angeles Times