"The biggest takeaway is that we can probably run competitive campaigns on either issue [medical or recreational] in any state. It’s just a question of what are the strongest opportunities to make the greatest positive impact given the resources available," said Matthew Schweich, MPP's deputy director.

"The longer Maryland delays moving forward with legalization, the longer the state is going to continue to subject its residents to the harms of prohibition and miss out on a much-needed new source of jobs and revenue," said Olivia Naugle, MPP's legislative analyst.

"Perhaps once a MORE Act or another legalization measure passes, the makeup of the Court will have a big impact on its treatment should it face challenges, but it is hard to know how that might play out," said Chris Lindsey, MPP's director of government relations.

Steven Hawkins, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project, a national organization focused on legalizing cannabis, said the potential range of taxes would either make New Jersey the state with the lowest marijuana taxes — or the highest. At 15 percent, South Dakota’s tax rate is the lowest of any of the 11 states where recreational sales are already legal, while Washington State is the highest with a 37 percent base tax.

"We’re at 15 (states that have legalized adult use) now, and it’s not outside the realm of possibility that we can be at 25 states," said Steve Hawkins, MPP's executive director.

"It is great news that Governor Northam has embraced legalization. We hope that he and the General Assembly will pass a thoughtful and equitable cannabis law next year,” said Olivia Naugle, MPP's legislative analyst.

"With 68 percent support nationwide and successful voter initiatives passed in conservative states like South Dakota and Montana, there’s no good reason why Rhode Island shouldn’t be able to pass legalization in 2021," said Jared Moffat, MPP's campaigns coordinator.

"The Biden Administration can work with Congress, and this isn’t a heavy lift, to give assurance that law enforcement will not go after businesses in states that have legalized cannabis," said Steve Hawkins, MPP's executive director.

"The federal government really just needs to stop becoming a hindrance. This is not a bipartisan issue, the culture war on cannabis is over," said Chris Lindsey, MPP's director of government relations.

"We've waged a war against this plant for a century and by any reasonable metric, that war has been an abject failure," said Matthew Schweich, deputy director of the Marijuana Policy Project, which favors legalization. "All it's done is incarcerate millions of Americans, it has perpetuated racism in this country, and perhaps the worst injustice of all is that it's deprived us of medical marijuana research."