Voters in Florida and North Dakota approved medical marijuana measures on Tuesday, while their counterparts in California and Massachusetts approved recreational pot initiatives, according to projections.
The projected results bring the number of states that have legalized cannabis to 27, a number that could rise to 29 by the time all the votes are counted.
Medical marijuana measures in Arkansas and Montana remained undecided shortly before midnight Eastern time. The outcome in Maine, Arizona and Nevada, which have already legalized medical marijuana but were considering recreational use measures Tuesday, also hung in the balance.
While pot sales are now legal in more than half the country, a decades-old federal ban continues to cast a shadow over the sector's legitimacy. Most banks and credit unions remain unwilling to work with marijuana firms, many of which have been forced to operate on a cash-only basis.
Pot advocates hope that as more states legalize the drug, there will be growing pressure on Congress and the executive branch to provide stronger assurances that the marijuana business and the banks that serve it will be safe from federal interference.
The Florida measure passed with roughly 71% of the vote. It amends the state constitution to allow for medical uses of marijuana.
Meanwhile, California and Massachusetts followed in the footsteps of Oregon, Washington state, Colorado and Alaska in legalizing recreational pot.
