Marijuana legalized in more states

Nov 9, 4:23 AM EST

VOTER SUPPORT OF MARIJUANA REACHES NEW HIGH
BY PAUL ELIAS
ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Voter support for marijuana legalization reached a new high as California, Massachusetts and Nevada approved recreational pot, joining four other states and Washington, D.C., with similar laws.
Voters in Florida, North Dakota and Arkansas passed medical marijuana measures, pushing the number of states with such laws past two dozen.
The California vote makes the use and sale of recreational cannabis legal along the entire West Coast and gives legalization advocates powerful momentum. Massachusetts is the first state east of the Mississippi to allow recreational use.
The victories could spark similar efforts in other states and put pressure on federal authorities to ease longstanding rules that classify marijuana as a dangerously addictive drug with no medical benefits.
"I'm thrilled," said Northern California marijuana grower Nikki Lastreto. "I'm so excited that California can now move forward."
California was the first state to approve medical marijuana two decades ago. It was among five states weighing whether to permit pot for adults for recreational purposes. The other states were Arizona, which defeated the idea, and Maine, where the question remained undecided early Wednesday.
Montana voted to ease restrictions on an existing medical marijuana law.