# What states will next legalize marijuana and what states will be the last?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-will-next-legalize-marijuana-and-what-states-will-be-the-last/678494
**Category:** Great Debates
**Created:** [January 11, 2014, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-will-next-legalize-marijuana-and-what-states-will-be-the-last/678494 "2014-01-11T04:49:44Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)
#### Post date: [January 11, 2014, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-will-next-legalize-marijuana-and-what-states-will-be-the-last/678494/1 "2014-01-11T04:49:44Z")
Just what the thread title says: What states will legalize it next and who’ll keep illegal the longest?
Of course, this topic assumes that there won’t be a militantly anti-drug administration elected in 2016 that will use federal law to crack down on the various wayward states that legalized pot.
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### Author:  [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)
#### Post date: [January 11, 2014, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-will-next-legalize-marijuana-and-what-states-will-be-the-last/678494/2 "2014-01-11T04:57:12Z")
Alaska looks next. I wouldn’t be surprised if Maine falls in line soon (Portland legalized it, but that’s a city ordinance, not a state one).
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [January 11, 2014, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-will-next-legalize-marijuana-and-what-states-will-be-the-last/678494/3 "2014-01-11T05:05:09Z")
Most of the New England states are contemplating it. So’s Hawaii, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington.
Last state? Probably Utah. They’re still debating the legalization of coffee.
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### Author:  [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)
#### Post date: [January 11, 2014, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-will-next-legalize-marijuana-and-what-states-will-be-the-last/678494/4 "2014-01-11T05:16:15Z")
I’d say, that with some overflow, it’ll be the Western states, followed by the Northeast, the Midwest, and the South. That’s the way progress happens in this country. Utah may be the last Western state to do it, but it’ll be before Alabama or Arkansas or Mississippi. The Mountain West is very Libertarian.
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### Author:  [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)
#### Post date: [January 11, 2014, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-will-next-legalize-marijuana-and-what-states-will-be-the-last/678494/5 "2014-01-11T06:00:14Z")
Texas might be the last state to legalize. Local law enforcement has too much to lose.
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### Author:  [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)
#### Post date: [January 11, 2014, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-will-next-legalize-marijuana-and-what-states-will-be-the-last/678494/6 "2014-01-11T06:36:21Z")
I’m betting that plenty of Nevada state officials and politicians are watching Colorado very closely right now. Can you imagine how much of a draw it would be to be able to get drunk AND high in Las Vegas? Our tourism dollars would increase dramatically, is my bet, and I’m betting that the people who stand to make money from it are ready and waiting to pounce if it’s gonna be profitable and socially manageable.
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### Author:  [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)
#### Post date: [January 11, 2014, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-will-next-legalize-marijuana-and-what-states-will-be-the-last/678494/7 "2014-01-11T06:40:12Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#):
>
> I’d say, that with some overflow, it’ll be the Western states, followed by the Northeast, the Midwest, and the South. That’s the way progress happens in this country. Utah may be the last Western state to do it, but it’ll be before Alabama or Arkansas or Mississippi. The Mountain West is very Libertarian.
Not so sure this will fallow as prior trends go – I think most north-eastern states are at that point. I mean, really, who really gives a hoot & holler about a joint in NYC? Or Michigan/NJ/Illinois for that matter.
Money – illegal as is – might be the only impediment.
> [@Darth\_Nader](#):
>
> Texas might be the last state to legalize. Local law enforcement has too much to lose.
That, I agree with. Ten gallon hats and guns – but then there’s always Austin.
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### Author:  [@Inbred\_Mm\_domesticus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inbred_Mm_domesticus)
#### Post date: [January 11, 2014, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-will-next-legalize-marijuana-and-what-states-will-be-the-last/678494/8 "2014-01-11T07:33:50Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#):
>
> I’d say, that with some overflow, it’ll be the Western states, followed by the Northeast, the Midwest, and the South. That’s the way progress happens in this country. Utah may be the last Western state to do it, but it’ll be before Alabama or Arkansas or Mississippi. The Mountain West is very Libertarian.
Although I do not disagree with your prediction in regards to marijuana or the reason for it at all, the northeast has been the leader in other circumstances such as with gay marriage.
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### Author:  [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)
#### Post date: [January 11, 2014, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-will-next-legalize-marijuana-and-what-states-will-be-the-last/678494/9 "2014-01-11T10:00:48Z")
It’s only a matter of reaching a tipping point. What will the states still in prohibition do when there will be plenty of head shops selling legal marijuana just across the border, and it starts coming in from all angles?
Once the west and east coast legalize, the rest of the states will cave like a house of cards.
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### Author:  [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)
#### Post date: [January 11, 2014, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-will-next-legalize-marijuana-and-what-states-will-be-the-last/678494/10 "2014-01-11T12:59:34Z")
Indiana, Texas, and Mississippi will be the last 3. Gut feeling, as well, Illinois will be one of the last. This will be approx. 200 years from now.
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### Author:  [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)
#### Post date: [January 11, 2014, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-will-next-legalize-marijuana-and-what-states-will-be-the-last/678494/11 "2014-01-11T13:40:48Z")
No one has mentioned California as being next.
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### Author:  [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)
#### Post date: [January 11, 2014, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-will-next-legalize-marijuana-and-what-states-will-be-the-last/678494/12 "2014-01-11T13:43:18Z")
They don’t smoke marijuana in Muskogee.
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### Author:  [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)
#### Post date: [January 11, 2014, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-will-next-legalize-marijuana-and-what-states-will-be-the-last/678494/13 "2014-01-11T13:46:42Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#):
>
> No one has mentioned California as being next.
Like it would make a difference in the first place.
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### Author:  [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)
#### Post date: [January 11, 2014, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-will-next-legalize-marijuana-and-what-states-will-be-the-last/678494/14 "2014-01-11T13:47:43Z")
I’m leaning towards Oregon and Washington being next. The most effective arguments will be 1) look at all the tax revenue coming in and B) look at all the money we’re saving by not chasing down, arresting, trying, and incarcerating MJ smokers/sellers. And it’ll take a while for the metrics for B to show up.
I wonder what arguments against legalization the Christian Very Conservatives will come up with.
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### Author:  [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)
#### Post date: [January 11, 2014, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-will-next-legalize-marijuana-and-what-states-will-be-the-last/678494/15 "2014-01-11T13:51:43Z")
[Alaska is close to being the next](http://edition.cnn.com/2014/01/09/us/alaska-recreational-marijuana-push/index.html?hpt=hp_t2).
And from the link: **“Pro-recreational marijuana Initiatives are expected in various states in 2016, including Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts, Montana and Nevada, according to Mason Tvert of the Marijuana Policy Project.”**
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### Author:  [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)
#### Post date: [January 11, 2014, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-will-next-legalize-marijuana-and-what-states-will-be-the-last/678494/16 "2014-01-11T16:27:23Z")
I just saw (yesterday) an infographic from the Wall Street Journal (I think) that detailed how much money states make from asset forfeiture due to drug related crimes and it is substantial.
In short, many states see this as a revenue stream and in tight times not something they want to give up.
To the OP I think a good start on who will be the last states will be the states who profit the most from the drug war. The ones who profit the least may be easier to move to legalization.
That may not be completely reliable (makeup of the legislators matters more I think) but betting it is as good a guide/guess as you are likely to get.
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### Author:  [@Razncain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Razncain)
#### Post date: [January 11, 2014, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-will-next-legalize-marijuana-and-what-states-will-be-the-last/678494/17 "2014-01-11T16:33:10Z")
> [@Darth\_Nader](#):
>
> Texas might be the last state to legalize. Local law enforcement has too much to lose.
Yeah, definitely TX being the last state to do so, if it ever did.
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### Author:  [@skdo23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skdo23)
#### Post date: [January 11, 2014, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-will-next-legalize-marijuana-and-what-states-will-be-the-last/678494/18 "2014-01-11T16:50:17Z")
Legalization seems to be on the tip of everyone’s tongue in Vermont these days.
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### Author:  [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)
#### Post date: [January 11, 2014, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-will-next-legalize-marijuana-and-what-states-will-be-the-last/678494/19 "2014-01-11T18:52:20Z")
Did you all miss that WA citizens passed a measure to legalize pot on the same election day that CO did?
WA has been slower to implement the law that passed, but it’s already happening.
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### Author:  [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)
#### Post date: [January 11, 2014, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-states-will-next-legalize-marijuana-and-what-states-will-be-the-last/678494/20 "2014-01-11T20:54:14Z")
Alaska had decriminalized marijuana in the past, so I’d bet them most likely to be next.
To everyone who says Texas would be the last state to legalize it: Have you been to Oklahoma? It’s like a whole state of rural Texas, only with slightly dumber alcohol laws. I think that Oklahoma, Arkansas and Mississippi would probably be the last three to legalize it. Tennessee and Alabama would also probably be after Texas in legalizing it.
Now, Texas would probably adopt the dumbest laws about it, from looking at our track record with alcohol laws. We’d probably allow for legalization on a county-by-county basis, and legally divide the supply chain into producers, distributors and sellers, and not allow them to be owned by the same people.
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