Recreational & Medical Marijuana Measures Pass In Several States
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Hillary Clinton didn't win on election night, but marijuana did....and it won big.
Recreational marijuana use is now legal in California, Massachusetts, and Nevada.
Massachusetts is the first state east of the Mississippi to legalize pot.
In California, adults older than 21 can legally possess up to an ounce of marijuana and grow six plants. It was legally approved for medicinal use two decades ago.
Voter also approved medicinal marijuana proposals in Florida, Montana, North Dakota, and Arkansas pushing the number of states with such laws past two dozen.
Montana voted to ease restrictions on an existing medical marijuana law.
A marijuana measure was defeated in Arizona.
In general, the proposals for recreational pot would treat cannabis similar to alcohol. Consumption would be limited to people 21 or older and forbidden in most public spaces. Pot would be highly regulated and heavily taxed, and some states would let people grow their own.
Marijuana had already been approved for recreational use in Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Washington state and the District of Columbia.
According to national polls, a solid majority of Americans support legalization.
Collectively, it's the closest the U.S. has ever come to national referendum on marijuana.
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