Skip to main content

The context you need, when you need it

When news breaks, you need to understand what actually matters — and what to do about it. At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. But we can’t do it on our own.

We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today?

Join now

It’s official: a majority of states have legalized medical marijuana

Florida just became the 26th state to legalize pot for medicinal purposes.

On Tuesday, Florida residents voted to turn their state into the 26th to legalize medical marijuana, meaning a majority of states will now allow pot for medicinal purposes.

Florida’s measure legalizes marijuana for specific medical conditions (cancer, epilepsy, HIV, PTSD, and other similarly severe illnesses) with permission from a doctor, allows medical marijuana dispensaries, and charges the Florida Department of Health with regulation.

Arkansas and North Dakota are also voting this year on medical marijuana, while Montana is voting on whether to ease restrictions on its existing medical marijuana law.

And five states — Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada — are voting on full legalization. If all these states vote to legalize, the number of people living in a state where marijuana is legal for recreational use would quadruple.

For more on all the marijuana ballot initiatives, read Vox’s full explainer.


Watch: How medical marijuana could help combat the opioid painkiller and heroin epidemic

More in Politics

The Logoff
Trump’s DOJ wants to undo January 6 convictionsTrump’s DOJ wants to undo January 6 convictions
The Logoff

How the Trump administration is still trying to rewrite January 6 history.

By Cameron Peters
Politics
Donald Trump messed with the wrong popeDonald Trump messed with the wrong pope
Politics

Trump fought with Pope Francis before. He’s finding Pope Leo XIV to be a tougher foil.

By Christian Paz
Podcasts
A cautionary tale about tax cutsA cautionary tale about tax cuts
Podcast
Podcasts

California cut property taxes in the 1970s. It didn’t go so well.

By Miles Bryan and Noel King
Podcasts
Obama’s top Iran negotiator on Trump’s screwupsObama’s top Iran negotiator on Trump’s screwups
Podcast
Podcasts

Wendy Sherman helped Obama reach a deal with Iran. Here’s what she thinks Trump is doing wrong.

By Kelli Wessinger and Noel King
Politics
The Supreme Court could legalize moonshine, and ruin everything elseThe Supreme Court could legalize moonshine, and ruin everything else
Politics

McNutt v. DOJ could allow the justices to seize tremendous power over the US economy.

By Ian Millhiser
The Logoff
The new Hormuz blockade, briefly explainedThe new Hormuz blockade, briefly explained
The Logoff

Trump tries Iran’s playbook.

By Cameron Peters