South Dakota will be the first state to approve medical and recreational marijuana measures at the same time, CNN projects.
Voters have approved two ballot measures to legalize recreational and medical marijuana in South Dakota. New Jersey's ballot question is also projected to pass, making it the second state to see success with a legalization ballot question in this election.
Results have not yet been determined in Arizona and Montana's ballot questions on recreational marijuana and Mississippi's medical marijuana measure.
Currently, 11 states have legalized full, adult marijuana use.
South Dakota had two measures on the ballot:
- Measure 26, which will establish a medical cannabis program and registration system for people with qualifying conditions.
- Amendment A, which will legalize cannabis for all adults and require state legislators to adopt medical cannabis and hemp laws.
By approving both measures, according to CNN's projections, South Dakota successfully leapfrogged a traditionally multi-step process.
Many states have followed a multi-year path toward full legalization, starting with decriminalization, followed by medical use and then full legalization. No other state has ever completed multiple steps at once.
South Dakota currently has tough penalties for possession of even small amounts of cannabis.
Republican Gov. Kristi Noem opposed both ballot measures, and recently appeared in an advertisement urging a "no" vote against full legalization.
