Marijuana Vote in California May Herald End of Prohibition Era
- California, Nevada among five states with legalization ballots
- Golden State voter approval could trigger a wave across U.S.
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U.S. voters next month in five states, including bellwether California, are poised to expand the legal use of recreational marijuana to almost a quarter of the American population, a move that could prove to be one of the most consequential shifts in U.S drug policy since the 1930s.
Passage in California, where polls show it has wide support, would make pot legal along the entire West Coast and give momentum to efforts to lift the ban nationwide. The state, the most populous in the U.S. with 39 million residents, was the first to allow medical marijuana two decades ago. In all, nine states will consider marijuana-related ballot measures on Nov. 8, which could more than double the $7 billion market for pot products by 2020.