Voters go to the polls tomorrow in a bitterly contested presidential election, and in four states they will also decide on ballot measures to legalize recreational marijuana. Currently, 11 states allow adult-use marijuana, but Arizona, New Jersey, Montana and South Dakota could be added to the list. Passage appears likely in New Jersey and Arizona as well as in traditionally conservative Montana, backed by state leaders and pro-pot lobbyists who have convinced many voters that the drug is not only safe but perhaps even health-promoting—despite sound scientific research showing it poses considerable risks to public health.
Medical marijuana is also on the ballot in Mississippi and South Dakota. In a last ditch effort to sway the vote against marijuana legalization, critics in Arizona launched attack ads focusing on the potential harm to young people, and the dangers of impaired driving and workplace accidents. But in New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy is using the final hours of the campaign to stump for legalization, saying it would bring both economic and social-justice benefits, while ignoring the potential for increased indirect healthcare and law enforcement costs.
Meanwhile, voters in Oregon will decide on a ballot measure that would allow psilocybin mushrooms to be used for medical purposes, an initiative criticized by the American Psychiatric Association. They are also voting on a measure that would decriminalize low-level possession of illicit drugs such as heroin, and divert revenues from marijuana sales to expand drug treatment. Activists regard both initiatives as key to ending the country’s war on drugs, and thereby promoting criminal justice reform.