THE BIG STATE PUSH
Last year was huge for cannabis legalization in states across the country. New York, New Mexico, Virginia and Connecticut moved forward with adult-use initiatives, on top of states like Arizona, Montana and New Jersey, passing legislation to legalize recreational cannabis during Election Day 2020.
It’s easy to look at headlines, the ever-evolving cannabis boom, and continue on with assurance over the progress. However, it’s essential to recognize that these sweeping changes don’t happen by accident; they follow years of storied history and tireless work, with countless activists on the ground in counties across their respective states, pushing forward, sometimes even starting over from square one, to reach the light at the end of the tunnel.
Maryland, Missouri, Ohio, Arkansas and Pennsylvania are just a few of the many states that could legalize adult-use cannabis in 2022, but we caught up with three groups in another three states—Florida, Nebraska and Oklahoma—pushing toward adult- and medical-use legalization, to hear from the advocates on the story so far and the road ahead.
“IN OUR STATE, PATIENTS ARE TURNED INTO CRIMINALS IF THEY WANT TO ACCESS [MEDICINAL CANNABIS], AND I THINK THAT IS AN ABSOLUTE TRAVESTY. IT SHOULD NOT BE HOW THE CITIZENS OF NEBRASKA ARE TREATED. THEY SHOULD-CRISTA EGGERS, STATEWIDE CAMPAIGN COORDINATOR FOR NEBRASKANS FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA
