South Dakota, North Dakota vote down recreational marijuana

Nov. 6, 2024 

Horticulturist Justin Sheffield inspects cannabis plants in a grow room at the Beleaf Medical Growing Facility in Earth City, Mo., on Feb. 7, 2023. South Dakota and North Dakota voted down ballot measures that would have legalized recreational marijuana on Tuesday. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo

Nov. 6 (UPI) -- Voters in South Dakota and North Dakota rejected a ballot measure meant to legalize recreational marijuana.

As election results continued to come in on Wednesday morning, CNN, NBC News and South Dakota news station KELOLand News reported that South Dakota's Measure 29 and North Dakota's Initiated Measure 5 failed.

Measure 29 is a ballot measure to legalize the possession, growing and distribution of marijuana for recreational purposes.

"No" votes held a 56% edge as of 12:30 p.m. EST, according to South Dakota's official election results site. Of the 393,387 votes counted, 270,331 opposed the measure.

Voters passed an amendment to legalize recreational marijuana in 2020, but it was challenged by Republican Gov. Kristi Noem. The governor won her case in the state supreme court, overriding the decision by voters.

North Dakota's ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana use failed, making it the third time an attempt to legalize marijuana has failed in the state in the last six years.

The North Dakota Secretary of State's website reported that 52.55% of voters said "No" to the initiative. All 385 precincts have fully reported and 190,189 of 361,936 votes opposed the measure.

A ballot measure on recreational marijuana use also failed in Florida. Amendment Three would have allowed adults 21 and older to possess up to 3 ounces, or about 8.5 grams, of marijuana for recreational use.

Voters in Nebraska approved the legalization of medical marijuana, passing two initiatives on the subject.

Initiative 437 removes and prohibits penalties for possessing up to 5 ounces of cannabis for medical purposes. The initiative received 70.74% of votes in favor, tallying 614,236 votes out of 868,315, according to the state's official election results.

Initiative 438 will establish the Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission to regulate medical marijuana in the state. That measure passed with 66.95% support, or 578,375 of 863,948 votes.