At least eight states will have new governors in 2023: Arizona, Arkansas, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Oregon and Pennsylvania.
Overall, 36 gubernatorial seats are being contested on Nov. 8 ballots, with the winner of each race gaining executive power to advance and pursue new and revised state policies and programs, including medical and adult-use cannabis.
From executive orders to budget proposals and vetoes, current and former governors have already steered, blocked or impacted cannabis legalization efforts in some fashion since California voters first approved Proposition 215 for a medical program in 1996, and since Colorado and Washington voters first passed adult-use ballot measures in 2012.
While legalization in any form is what’s at stake in states like Idaho, Kansas and Nebraska, which have some of the most restrictive cannabis policies in the nation, government officials in states like California and Oregon continue to seek new strategies and regulations to combat illicit activities and help struggling businesses in mature markets.
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