This November, voters in two states will have the chance to legalize recreational marijuana.
Today, South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws submitted approximately 30,000 signatures for their initiative to legalize recreational marijuana for individuals aged 21 and older. This count significantly exceeds the 17,508 signatures required to qualify the measure for the November 2024 presidential election ballot. Although the initiative will not be officially placed on the ballot until the state confirms that a sufficient number of these signatures are valid (from registered South Dakota voters), the group has submitted enough signatures that more than 40% would need to be invalid for the measure to fail to make the ballot.
If enacted, the initiative would permit individuals aged 21 and older to possess up to an ounce of marijuana and cultivate up to three marijuana plants at a private residence. Additionally, it would authorize a system of licensed and regulated marijuana stores to distribute marijuana and marijuana products.
The second state set to vote on marijuana legalization this November is Florida, with Amendment 3. Unlike South Dakota’s measure, Florida’s initiative has already been certified for the November ballot, following a failed challenge from AG Ashley Moody.
The initiative would allow individuals aged 21 and older to possess up to three ounces of dried marijuana flower and up to five grams of marijuana concentrates. Like the South Dakota measure, Amendment 3 would allow licensed marijuana stores to sell marijuana to anyone who’s at least 21 years old.
The campaign backing Amendment 3 has already amassed over $55 million, setting a new record for fundraising in marijuana legalization campaigns.
A third state —North Dakota— may also vote to legalize this November. The nonprofit political committee New Economic Frontier now has until July 8 to collect 15,582 signatures from registered North Dakota voters in order to put their marijuana legalization measure to a vote this November. If signatures are collected after July 8 but before July 2025, the measure would be placed on the 2025 general election ballot.
