U.S. cannabis law Enforcement Officers Association
During the legalization debate, voters in November 2018 were faced with choosing between two options, with Oregon offering one option (30%) and Washington offering the other (60%). The Oregon vote was overwhelming, with 64% in favour of legalization.
Oregon voters received a thick letter from Governor Kate Brown in support of their decision to do away with marijuana prohibition. “This decision will allow people to use their medicine without fear of law enforcement harassment, arrest, conviction and out-of-pocket expenses,” said Governor Brown.
Also read: The Atlantic ‘cannabis pledge’ speaks to a 2020 potential
Washington may still face resistance to its success in repealing regulation of the existing 20 illegal marijuana shops as part of the November ballot. So far, 30 states and Washington D.C. have legalized medical marijuana and 14 other states and D.C. have also legalized cannabis for recreational use.
According to cannabis public affairs experts Ana Hernandez and Jaimie Godfrey, this means there are about 20,000 cannabis dispensaries from which consumers will be able to buy and use cannabis for personal use.
The cannabis industry is considered one of the safest in the world, with one of the highest average health ratings on trustmark.com. Retailers and marijuana growers are self-regulated. Merchants are carefully vetted through a transparent, risk-free vetting process.
California voters dealt a crushing blow to the nation’s cannabis cartels with 53% in favor of Proposition 64, the 2016 Recreational Marijuana Act, which legalized medical marijuana and broader recreational use.
Below are the results of the seven surveyed states and their leading candidates for the new dispensary count: