Get in the holidaze spirit

But while weed has now been legalized in the state of Missouri, Amendment 3 still allows municipalities to bar recreational marijuana through a public vote. It also makes smoking in public a fineable offense.

Like most other states where recreational marijuana is legal, the state will impose a 6% tax on cannabis related products to fund certain programs. There will be a lottery system for licenses and certificates.

Arkansas rejects legal cannabis

In Arkansas, more than 56% of midterm voters rejected Issue 4, which would have legalized cannabis statewide. Medical marijuana was legalized in Arkansas in 2016, so it is interesting that the measure did not pass, considering that most states will progress toward recreational legalization shortly after medical is passed.

However, the newest legalization measure faced tons of opposition statewide, with the Arkansas Family Council Action Committee pushing the “Protect Arkansas from big marijuana” angle, and it worked. The opponents claimed that recreational legalization would increase crime and substance abuse within its borders, and even had former Vice President Mike Pence show support for voting against the measure.

The measure also faced opposition from some medical cannabis advocates, who said the Arkansas proposal places too many limits on the legalization of cannabis and noted that it would only benefit a handful of dispensaries.

North Dakota vote fails again

About 55% of midterm voters in North Dakota voted against recreational legalization for the second time in four years. North Dakota’s measure would have allowed people 21 and older to legally use cannabis at home and possess or grow up to three plants. It also would have also established policies to regulate retail stores, cultivators, and other types of marijuana businesses.

One downside to this measure passing would have been the ability of employers to enforce existing policies that ban marijuana use. Hopefully in 2024 this will hit the ballot again and residents of North Dakota will lean more in favor of legalization.

South Dakota says no for the second time in four years

South Dakota’s Measure 27, which would have legalized recreational use for adults 21 and over, was rejected by 53% of its voters on election day. What’s interesting about that measure failing is that South Dakota voted to pass a legal recreational amendment in 2020, with 54% of the voters in support of it, but the measure was later overturned as part of a legal challenge by South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem. This stopped the reform from moving forward.

Noem did say that if Measure 27 was passed during the midterms that she would not be involved in any legal challenges, but conveniently, it did not pass.

At least some of the midterm opposition can be attributed to a group called Protecting South Dakota Kids. Throughout the election process, the group incorrectly argued that other states that have legalized marijuana have seen an increase in opioid fatalities due to legal cannabis.

South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws were behind the bill and wanted to “restore the will of the people,” referring to the 2020 election. Unfortunately, the group is going to have to wait until 2024 to have another shot at it.

Here’s to more legal states in the nation

cannabis, it was great to see two states act progressively and vote for recreational legalization during the midterms. With any hope, more states in 2024 will legalize what more than two-thirds of the country wants: recreational marijuana.

By the way, it’s worth pointing out that misinformation was a big player in the failed legalization measures, with opponents pulling out bogus stats to prove how “dangerous” cannabis is. That’s problematic, and if you have a crazy relative who won’t take the time to look at real legalization data from trusted sources, make sure to send them some accurate information, not only to inform them, but to prove to them the dangers of this type of propaganda.

Get in the holidaze spirit with these cheesy stoner gifts

» Cause everyone needs a little more green (and red) during these trying times, right?

Giving and receiving cannabis-related gifts has become as normal as getting those unwanted socks from your mom or that random-ass gift card your dad picked up at Walgreens on Christmas eve. And, the options for packaging your cannabis gifts have come a long way, too. There’s no longer a need to put a bag of weed in an old cracker box and wrap it with some leftover wrapping paper. In other words, if you’re giving the gift of weed (or weed-related items) this year, you can do it up right.

Take, for example, what Denver-based KushKards is doing. This company has brought cannabis gifting into modern times with their cute and clever greeting cards, and the founder and CEO have been actively working to remove the stigma often associated with recreational use.

KushKards are greeting cards with a twist, and that twist is that they’re the perfect option for your stoner pals. Their holiday line comes with cheeky messages like “Joint to the World” and “Light up the Holidays,” and each one features a slot to attach a pre-rolled joint or a one-hitter. The cards are legal to mail across the globe, too, as long as you don’t attach any cannabis inside the card. But if you aren’t mailing them, they would be a great option to stick a joint in to gift to your local friends at Friendsgiving or Christmas.

And, what’s better is that KushKards are available at over 4,000 locations within the US and Canada. They can also be purchased on their website KushKards. This should be your first stop when you need to send a “Dank You” card to your friends for helping you move or for just being an all-around great person.

But while we love the idea of cheesy