Saturday, November 19, 2016
Toledo Blade: The people in at least seven states decided last week to reduce restrictions on the use of marijuana, in some cases even permitting recreational use. Now the states that have decided to allow at least some medicinal use of marijuana are a majority, according to Tom Angell of Marijuana Majority. That makes it all the more important for the federal government to repeal its marijuana laws and leave the matter completely up to the states.
Recreational-marijuana initiatives passed in Nevada, Massachusetts, and the biggest state of all, California. Maine’s ballot question may have passed too. Voters in Florida, North Dakota, and Arkansas agreed to permit medical marijuana, and Montana voters loosened their medical-marijuana laws.
In all these states, federal law, which for the most part bans even medical marijuana, now contradicts state law. In those that have made the choice by referendum, federal law contradicts the directly expressed will of the people.