The 2020 general election will be remembered as one of the most important elections in modern American history, but one aspect of the election that has been overlooked by much of the general public are the major strides in marijuana legalization that were taken in certain parts of the country.

There were six main states in which marijuana legalization was on the ballot, and in every one of these states, the issue was heavily supported by voters on both sides of the political spectrum. Arizona, Montana, New Jersey, and South Dakota all received unanimous mandates legalizing recreational marijuana.

In addition, Mississippi and South Dakota also approved the use of medical marijuana. Now, only 15 states in the U.S. ban marijuana in all forms, so it seems as though it’s only a matter of time until marijuana is legalized across the nation, whether it be through state laws or national legislation.

In Ohio, marijuana is decriminalized, but recreational marijuana is still not fully legalized. What this basically means is that if an Ohio citizen is caught with less than 100 grams of marijuana, they will be fined $150, but will not be arrested. 

Marijuana legalization has been slowly creeping across the country since Washington and Colorado became the first states to approve recreational marijuana laws. The general public’s perception of marijuana has steadily improved as well, as an article by Pew Research indicates that slightly over two-thirds of the American electorate support marijuana legalization.