New Jersey enacts medical cannabis via its legislature and Arizona voters pass Proposition 203 by 4,341 votes in 2010

The year 2010 brought two major milestones for medical cannabis on opposite sides of the country: New Jersey enacted its medical marijuana law on the final full day of Governor Jon Corzine’s term in January, and on Election Day, November 2, 2010, Arizona voters approved Proposition 203 in one of the closest statewide ballot counts in U.S. history.

Arizona Proposition 203 passes by 50.13% (4,341 votes)

After trailing on election night, late mail-in ballots carried Arizona Proposition 203 (the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act) to victory by 50.13% Yes (841,348 votes) to 49.87% No (837,007 votes)—a margin of just 4,341 votes out of 1,678,355 cast:

• Possession and dispensaries: Qualifying patients registered with the Arizona Department of Health Services could purchase and possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis every two weeks from state-licensed nonprofit dispensaries.
• The 25-mile home grow rule: Patients living more than 25 miles from an operating dispensary were authorized to cultivate up to 12 cannabis plants in an enclosed, locked facility.

New Jersey (Jan 18, 2010) and the Northeast legislative wave

Following Rhode Island (which overrode a gubernatorial veto in January 2006 to become the second state legislature to legalize medical cannabis) and New Mexico (signed by Gov. Bill Richardson in April 2007), New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine signed the New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act (S.119) on January 18, 2010. Neighboring Delaware (May 2011) and Connecticut (May 2012) soon followed with legislative medical programs of their own.