More Marijuana Initiatives this November than Any Other Issue

More Marijuana Initiatives this November than Any Other Issue

This November, there are a total of 10 marijuana initiatives on state ballots across the U.S. This is twice as many ballot initiatives as the next two leading social issues by number of ballot measures. Minimum wage and healthcare reform measures each have five ballot measures. Though there are only nine states voting on marijuana reform this November, Arkansas has two competing marijuana initiatives (if both initiatives receive more than 50% of votes, the one with the greatest number of votes will be implemented), putting the total at 10 initiatives. This makes marijuana reform by far the leading social issue this voting cycle.

According to 2015 population estimates, marijuana reform results will affect roughly 82 million people. The 82 million breaks down to 57 million people across five states who will be affected by adult use marijuana initiative results and 25 million people across four states who will be affected my medical marijuana initiative results. This breakdown of even 57 million people affected by adult use marijuana initiatives compares with the next most impactful initiative issue by affected populations of healthcare, which will affect 55 million people across five states.

It is important to note that the number of marijuana initiatives is only the leading issue when considering social issue initiatives, excluding public finance and budgetary issues. These public finance and budgetary issues appear on state ballots every voting cycle and deal with topics such adjusting tax rates and government spending on education or infrastructure.