Guam just legalized medical marijuana

Medical marijuana stands to win in the US territory of Guam with 56 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results reported by Guam Pacific Daily News. The decision makes Guam the first US territory to approve medical marijuana.

Medical marijuana always appeared to have majority support in Guam. A previous survey conducted by Ron McNinch from the University of Guam found 62 percent of Guam voters favored the measure.

But since Guam is a US territory and not a state, the measure originally ran through some legal hurdles before the Supreme Court of Guam ruled in favor of the initiative and the local election board agreed to put it on the ballot. Unlike a typical ballot initiative, it was not taken to the election board through petitioning; instead, the Guam legislature unilaterally put it on the ballot.

Three states, the District of Columbia, and several cities are also voting on marijuana policy during the 2014 midterm elections. Make sure to check out Vox’s in-depth guide to the marijuana midterms here.