Could America’s divide on marijuana be coming to an end?

The US is divided when it comes to state and federal marijuana policy, but recent political developments could move the country toward greater cannabis acceptance.

Both major presidential candidates have signaled support for a change in federal policy to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, and voters in several other states will get a say in legalization this fall.

Although it is still illegal under federal law, public approval of marijuana has increased significantly, and with it the number of states where it is legally sold in stores.

Possession of marijuana is a federal crime punishable by fines and jail time. Selling or growing marijuana is a more serious federal crime punishable by five years to life in prison, depending on the amount of the drug.

But many states have abolished their own penalties for marijuana.

Twenty-four states and the District of Columbia — representing 53 percent of the nation’s population — have legalized marijuana, taxing and regulating it the same way as alcohol, according to the Marijuana Policy Project, which supports legalization. Another seven states have eliminated prison sentences for possession of small amounts of marijuana. In all, 38 states and the District of Columbia have laws allowing medical use of marijuana.

The Ministry of Justice in May proposed to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I drug to a less dangerous Schedule III drug, which includes things like ketamine and some anabolic steroids. But that transition is a long process.

The Drug Enforcement Administration has made a decision a hearing on December 2 to get comments on the proposal. That means a final decision could come after President Joe Biden leaves office in January.

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, supports decriminalizing marijuana and has said it is “absurd” that marijuana is classified as a Schedule I drug, alongside heroin and LSD.

Former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, also showed support for the policy change last week. He posted on his social media platform that he would “continue to focus on research to unlock the medical applications of marijuana for a Schedule 3 drug” and said he would vote “yes” on a Florida ballot proposal to legalize recreational marijuana.

The Florida Initiative would allow recreational sales to people over 21 from existing medical marijuana dispensaries, with the possibility that the Legislature could license additional retailers. The proposal would need at least a 60% vote to pass and would take effect six months after voters approve it.

The campaign was the most expensive of nearly 160 measures on state ballots this year, drawing tens of millions of dollars in contributions, mostly from supporters, according to the election-tracking organization Ballotpedia. Opponents include the Florida Republican Party and Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has said it would diminish the quality of life by leaving the odor of marijuana in the air.

Voters in the North And South Dakota will be asked for the third time whether marijuana should be legalized for more than just medical use. The measures need a simple majority to pass.

Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen has said initiatives to legalize and regulate medical marijuana appear to be successful. enough signatures for the petition to qualify for a statewide vote. He has a Friday deadline to certify measures for the ballot.

About 70% of American adults thought marijuana should be legal in a Gallup poll Last year was the highest level recorded by the polling firm since it first asked about marijuana policy in 1969. By comparison, two decades ago, only about a third of respondents supported legalizing marijuana.

A Gallup poll last year found that young voters, a key demographic in seven states where the presidential election is uncertain, are the most supportive of marijuana.

A analysis of national survey data Published earlier this year, it found that an estimated 17.7 million people reported using marijuana daily or almost daily in 2022 — a dramatic increase from less than 1 million people in 1992. While alcohol is still more widely used, the report marked the first time that the number Americans who use marijuana almost every day more people drink than people who do it often.

As legal marijuana becomes more widespread, some state officials are cracking down on the sale of unregulated products derived from hemp, which is federally classified as distinct from marijuana. Some of those products are sold in packages that resemble regular candy or chips and contain delta-8 THCa synthesized form of CBD commonly found in hemp.

Some states have banned or restricted synthetic hemp products, including South Dakota And Wyomingwhere new laws went into effect on July 1. Authorities in Indiana have warned stores to remove delta-8 THC products that they say also contain illegal amounts of the psychoactive delta-9 THC found in marijuana.

In Missouri, where marijuana was legalized in 2022, Republican Gov. Mike Parson raised concerns about certain hemp-derived products being marketed to children and ordered a tougher approach by the state health serviceOn Tuesday, he and Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced a task force focused on unregulated psychoactive cannabis products.

“We are not the only state facing this problem and we are not the only state taking action,” Parson said.