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

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

Marijuana in New York. Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images

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