In Election Day results, pro-marijuana forces notched big wins as voters in New Jersey, Arizona, Montana, and South Dakota approved ballot measures to legalize adult-use recreational marijuana. New Jersey is considered crucial to opening the cannabis market in the Northeast, and the win there and in other states came about after millions of dollars were spent by cannabis companies to convince voters that pot is not only safe but also a potential source of revenue to rebuilt corona-ravaged state economies, without considering the associated increase in healthcare costs.
Meanwhile, in Oregon, voters approved a measure to decriminalize the possession of all illegal drugs, such as heroin and cocaine, as well as the use of the hallucinogen psilocybin in mental-health treatment. Both are the first of their kind in the U.S., and represent the next frontier in the relaxation of drug laws beyond marijuana. The decriminalization measure includes a provision to divert tax revenues from pot sales to expand and provide drug treatment for individuals instead of incarceration, although how and to what extent this would be done is still unclear. Before the vote, the American Psychiatry Association criticized the ballot measure on using hallucinogens, saying there’s not enough scientific evidence on the safety and efficacy of the treatment to warrant widespread use at this time.