Voters in Oregon , Alaska and Washington , D.C. have voted to approve sweeping pro-marijuana legalization , according to a CNN projections . The three wins have pro-legalization activists enthused and many are already looking towards 2016 , when ballot initiatives in states such as California , Massachusetts , Maine , Nevada and Arizona are likely to be put to voters . In Oregon , the law legalizes personal possession , manufacture and sale of marijuana for people 21 years of age and older . Mimicking similar plans in Washington State and Colorado , the Oregon law will also create a commercial regulatory system for the production , distribution and sale of marijuana . Alaska 's law is similar to Oregon and would tax and regulate the production , sale and use of marijuana , making the use legal for people over 21 years old . Washington , D.C. 's proposal , while scaled back compared to the others , allows for a person over 21 years old to posses up to two ounces of marijuana for personal use and grow up to six cannabis plants in their home . It also allows people to transfer up to one ounce of marijuana to another person , but not sell it . The issue is not fully resolved for the District of Columbia , however . Because of its unique status as a district , not a state , Congress has the authority to overrule D.C. laws and some lawmakers have signaled that they would likely work to overrule the popular vote . Pro-marijuana activists heralded the victories as `` huge '' on Tuesday . ' I like weed , and I 'm a good person ' : Pot smokers fight stereotypes . `` It 's always an uphill battle to win a marijuana legalization initiative in a year like this , when young people are so much less likely to vote , which makes today 's victory all the sweeter , '' said Ethan Nadelmann , executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance said about Oregon . `` The pace of reform is accelerating , other states are sure to follow , and even Congress is poised to wake from its slumber . '' Wins in Washington , D.C. also have activists hoping for federal recognition . `` With marijuana legal in the federal government 's backyard , '' said Tom Angell , chairman of Marijuana Majority , `` it 's going to be increasingly difficult for national politicians to continue ignoring the growing majority of voters who want to end prohibition . '' Not all news was positive , however , for marijuana activists on Tuesday , however . Voters in Florida gave the thumbs down to medical marijuana in the the Sunshine State earlier in the night , according to a CNN projection . The measure - which is one of many on ballots in 2014 - would have legalized the use of medical marijuana in Florida and would have tasked the state 's Department of Health with regulating it . Because the measure would have altered Florida 's constitution , supporters needed 60 % for the question to pass . Only 57 % of voters voted yes , compared to 43 % who voted no with 91 % of vote reporting . Marijuana has been a surging issue of late . In 2013 , according to Gallup , more Americans supported legalization than those who opposed it . Just 14 years earlier , those who opposed it had over a 2-to-1 advantage . A 2014 Pew Research poll found that 54 % of Americans supported making marijuana legal . Ever since voters in Colorado and Washington allowed the sale of legalized marijuana in 2014 ( after voters decided to legalize years before ) , the push for more marijuana legalization has become a popular nationwide effort . The laws in Oregon and Alaska are similar to what Colorado and Washington State passed and would allow recreational sale and taxation of the drug . Both votes are expected to be close , with polls mixed on the results .
Voters in Oregon , Alaska and Washington , Alaska approved marijuana legalization on people 21 years of age . The Oregon and Alaska measures legalizes personal possession , manufacture and sale of Oregon for people 21 years of age and older . Florida voters rejected a proposal on medical marijuana in Alaska , according to a Marijuana Majority projection . Because the law was a constitutional amendment , it needed 60 % approval .