This week's question was, In what year did the first state legalize recreational marijuana?
You answered: 2004
The correct answer is: 2012
In 2012, voters in Colorado and Washington approved ballot measures legalizing recreational marijuana.
Vermont was the first state to legalize marijuana through the legislature instead of a voter-approved ballot measure. It did so in 2018.
The following table provides information about when and how recreational marijuana became legal.
| Timeline and process of recreational marijuana legalization | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Year legalized | Process used | Vote | ||
| For | Against | ||||
| Colorado | 2012 | Initiative | 55.32% | 45.68% | |
| Washington | 2012 | Initiative | 55.7% | 44.3% | |
| Alaska | 2014 | Initiative | 53.23% | 46.77% | |
| Oregon | 2014 | Initiative | 56.11% | 43.89% | |
| Washington, D.C. | 2014 | Initiative | 70.06% | 29.94% | |
| California | 2016 | Initiative | 57.13% | 42.87% | |
| Maine | 2016 | Initiative | 50.26% | 49.74% | |
| Massachusetts | 2016 | Initiative | 53.66% | 46.34% | |
| Nevada | 2016 | Initiative | 54.47% | 45.53% | |
| Michigan | 2018 | Initiative | 55.89% | 44.11% | |
| Vermont | 2018 | Legislation | N/A | N/A | |
| Illinois | 2019 | Legislation | N/A | N/A | |
| Arizona | 2020 | Initiative | 60.03% | 39.97% | |
| Montana | 2020 | Initiative | 56.90% | 43.10% | |
| New Jersey | 2020 | Referral | 67.08% | 32.92% | |
| New York | 2021 | Legislation | N/A | N/A | |
Thanks for your response!
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