The governor, like Republican politicians in other red states where support for legalization is surprisingly strong, does not seem to think it is risky to defy public opinion.
If all of the ballot initiatives succeed, pot will be legal in 25 states.
Unfortunately, so do more regulations and potential fines.
Meanwhile, Delaware's governor has blocked a more modest step, and a legalization initiative has qualified for the ballot in South Dakota.
The cultivation tax has driven up the cost of growing cannabis, fueling illegal operations and the state’s enormous black market.
Heavy regulation, high taxes, and local bans combined to cripple the legal cannabis industry, which accounts for just a third of the state's pot market.
Nearly two dozen towns that had said no to legal weed shops are reconsidering.
An emergency measure proposed by Council Chairman Phil Mendelson would have given city officials the power to fine and close the city's unregulated cannabis "gifting shops."
Though voters simultaneously approved initiatives aimed at legalizing both recreational and medical use of marijuana, Amendment A got quickly tied up in court.
Child care workers benefit from state subsidies. They’re fighting against possible cuts by encouraging regressive taxes that fuel a new drug war.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves' grudging support for medical marijuana speaks volumes about the erosion of support for prohibition.
If only they would apply that lesson to other goods and services.
The South Dakota Supreme Court ruled that the ballot initiative violated the "single subject" rule for constitutional amendments.
Legislation advances and a ballot initiative circulates in response to a constitutional amendment that was struck down by the courts.
If left unamended, the bill could have crushed much of the nascent industry.
By the court's logic, the ballot summaries for many successful legalization initiatives were "affirmatively misleading."
Kristi Noem is determined to defy the will of her constituents. The South Dakota Supreme Court will decide whether she can.
After getting a ballot initiative voided, she says she’ll also resist legislators attempting to legalize marijuana.
Voters approved it, but the governor resisted. A court came down on her side.
States where recreational use has been legalized now include about a third of the U.S. population.
Tax hikes? Drug wars? Racial Preferences? Not today.
Plus: Presidential results still unclear (but Trump declares victory in a few states anyway), California approves Proposition 22, and more...
Two states are voting to permit medical marijuana. Four are voting for legalization.
Of the 50 states, three territories, and 10 provinces that make up the United States and Canada, all but one have legalized some form of either medical or recreational cannabis.
It's not illegal for inmates to have marijuana, but it's still a felony if they try to smoke it.
It's already very hard to force issues like medical marijuana legalization to a vote there.
In states where you can legally buy pot, finding places where you can legally use it is still a challenge.
For most of the presidential candidate's political career, she was absolutely dead set against full legalization.
Nearly a quarter of the U.S. population lives in a jurisdiction where recreational use is legal.
2018 was a mixed bag, but that means there was still a lot of good news.
Your guide to marijuana in Michigan
The Detroit Free Press columnist seems oblivious to black-market competition.
Democratic control of the House, the passage of marijuana legalization referenda in three states, and the removal of Jeff Sessions presage a brighter future for legalized pot.
Two-thirds of the states have now legalized marijuana for medical or recreational use.
Amash and Massie will return. Michigan will have legal weed. No Nevada brothels will be banned. And more...
The initiative's success is especially striking given the Mormon church's opposition.
It is the first state in the Midwest to allow nonmedical use.
The initiative lost by a big margin in a state that approved medical use two years ago.
Patients with doctors' recommendations will be allowed to grow their own medicine or buy it from state-licensed dispensaries.
Ballot initiatives in Michigan, Missouri, North Dakota, and Utah will give voters a chance to loosen their cannabis laws.
Marijuana legalization is growing in popularity among Midwestern voters, and has become a wedge issue in several key races.
A bill on John Hickenlooper's desk would begin to address the problem of finding legal places to use legal marijuana.
Paul LePage's obstructionism has delayed the establishment of a legal recreational market.
D.C.'s marijuana gift economy shows that markets exist whether we want them to or not.
Paul LePage says Maine shouldn't implement a legalization initiative until it's clear how the feds will respond.
How competition and legalization will make weed better, more consistent, and more accessible than ever.
Millions of pot-seeking tourists have nowhere to enjoy their purchases.