Voters Approve Recreational Marijuana In Maryland

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FILE – Jeremy Baldwin tags young cannabis plants at a marijuana farm operated by Greenlight, Oct. 31, 2022, in Grandview, Mo. Voters in North Dakota and Arkansas have rejected measures to legalize marijuana, while those in Maryland have approved legalization. Similar measures also were on the ballot in Missouri and South Dakota. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

AP-US-Election-2022-Marijuana, 11th Ld-Writethru

Nov 9, 2022 2:43 AM

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Voters have approved recreational marijuana in Maryland and Missouri and rejected it in Arkansas and North Dakota. The measure also is on the ballot in South Dakota. The elections are seen as a test of legalization’s support in even the most conservative parts of the country. The state voting follows moves by President Joe Biden toward decriminalizing marijuana. Biden last month announced he was pardoning thousands of Americans convicted of simple possession of marijuana under federal law. Heading into the election, recreational marijuana was legal in 19 states, and polls have shown opposition to legalization softening.