Missouri voters on Tuesday decided to legalize medical marijuana and to use revenues from the 4 percent tax to fund healthcare services for military veterans.
The version that was approved beat out an alternative proposal to fund veterans’ healthcare with a 2 percent sales tax, or fund biomedical research through a 15 percent sales tax.
Missouri joined Utah in approving the legalization of medical marijuana Tuesday. Voters in Michigan legalized recreational use, but North Dakota failed to legalize marijuana for recreational use.
Utah and Missouri are the twenty-second and twenty-third states to legalize marijuana for medical use, and Michigan is the tenth state to legalize for recreational and medical purposes.
Marijuana ballot initiatives have been on the rise over the last decade, and have found more support among conservatives. Former House Speaker John Boehner recently announced he supports the legalization of medical marijuana and joined the board of a cannabis company.
