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States Across the U.S. Vote on Weed, Guam Legalizes Medical Marijuana

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Jonah Bennett Contributor
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On the day of midterm elections, it looks like voters in Guam have decided to legalize medical marijuana, with results from 56 of 58 precincts already in, The Washington Post reports.

“The marijuana majority is a truly global phenomenon,” Tom Angell, chairman of the Marijuana Majority, told The Daily Caller News Foundation. “People all across the world are ready to move beyond failed prohibition laws, especially when seriously ill patients are criminalized just for following their doctors’ recommendations. With these election results, U.S. territories stretching from Guam — where America’s day begins near the International Date Line — to Hawaii and Alaska have sensible laws that let patients use marijuana without fear of arrest.”

So far, the measure is leading at 56 percent to 44 percent opposed, making Guam the first U.S. territory to legalize marijuana.

“That’s great news, and a positive omen, for marijuana reform efforts across the country,” said Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, in a press release. “Guam is quite conservative politically, and home to a significant U.S. military presence, so this resounding victory is a confirmation of medical marijuana’s broad support across the political spectrum.”

But the extent of legalization in Guam is far more restrictive, at least compared to other states. Users will not be able to grow plants for themselves, instead completing the mandatory visit to a doctor in order to obtain a serious recommendation that the health benefits of cannabis for that patient outweigh the costs, given the existence of a debilitating condition.

For California, on the other hand, doctors can prescribe medical marijuana for any condition, so long as marijuana actually helps that condition. Some states take a middle-way approach, preferring to limit marijuana to specific conditions, such as epilepsy, glaucoma or cancer.

States that are set to vote on marijuana Tuesday include Alaska, Oregon and Florida, as well as the District of Columbia.

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