You can’t win them all, and last night advocates in Oklahoma were dealt a loss.
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Yesterday’s vote on SQ 820 took place in a special election, an unusual circumstance that almost certainly impacted its chances of success. Nonetheless, we can’t let one loss define who we are as a movement. Nor can we let it slow our momentum.
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In fact, at the same time that Oklahomans were heading to the polls, lawmakers in other states were voting to advance adult-use legalization efforts:
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- In Hawaii, Senators voted 22 to 3 yesterday in favor of legislation to legalize cannabis for adults.
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- In Delaware, members of the House voted 28 to 13 in support of legalization legislation.
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- In Minnesota, a pair of bills legalizing and regulating the adult-use cannabis market have passed multiple committees and are anticipated to receive floor votes in the coming weeks. The bills have the support of Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, who publicly predicted that the state would pass legalization by May.
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In short, we may have lost one battle, but we are winning the war. Public support for legalization remains at an all-time high, and includes a majority of self-identified conservative voters. Twenty-one states have legalized cannabis for adults and additional states are poised to join them in the coming months. As the cannabis consumers’ lobby, NORML will continue to do the work that must be done to ensure that these legislative efforts cross the finish line. Will you help us?
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