Voters in the 2024 election dealt a rebuke to drug legalization efforts in four states, a major political development that will shape the future of both marijuana and psychedelic drug policy across the country.
Measures to legalize recreational marijuana failed in Florida, North Dakota, and South Dakota, despite record spending from the cannabis industry already operating in those jurisdictions.
Support for the Florida constitutional amendment, Amendment 3 , to legalize recreational marijuana only received 55.9% of the vote as of 9:49 a.m. Wednesday, according to the Associated Press. A 60% supermajority threshold was necessary to amend the Florida constitution.
The “No” vote to the marijuana legalization efforts in both North Dakota and South Dakota received outright majorities.
North Dakota’s Measure 5 was voted down 52.5%-47.5% with 99% of the vote counted as of 4:08 a.m. Wednesday. The “No” vote for South Dakota’s Measure 29 received 56.3% of the vote compared to 43.7% in favor with 90.3% of the ballots counted, also as of Wednesday morning.