"The licensing system is based on a scored, point-based system that seems to require property and local approvals at the time of application. Requiring property at the time of applications — despite the fact that most applicants will presumably never get a license — requires deep pockets and is detrimental to equity goals," said Karen O'Keefe, MPP's director of state policies.

"With each bordering state enacting this policy, it’s going to make it harder and harder for lawmakers in Albany to ignore this issue. And the choice is clear, be pragmatic or hand over millions of dollars of tax revenue to other states," said Matthew Schweich, MPP's deputy director.

"The alternative is New York and Pennsylvania are senselessly donating millions of dollars to the Garden State," said Matthew Schweich, MPP's deputy director.

"There's a sense of inevitability in every state in the Northeast about legalization," said Matt Simon, MPP's New England political director.

"New Jersey becomes a critical state in that Mid-Atlantic, Northeast corridor. It's a large population state, yes, but I think it's the key to what happens in the rest of those states in the coming year. There has been a slow start in that section of the country. But with New Jersey passing this ballot initiative, I think that will change," said Steve Hawkins, MPP's executive director.

"We had five successful ballot initiatives and three of those passed in states that voted for Donald Trump. This is not a Red State/Blue State issue," said Steve Hawkins, MPP's executive director.

"The reason there's a conversation in Congress is because of all of the victories that have already occurred at the state level," said Matthew Schweich, MPP's deputy director.

"The pressure on Congress to regularize banking for the cannabis industry is now being felt across the country. One-third of the national population now lives in jurisdictions that have fully [medicinal and recreational] legalized cannabis," said Steve Hawkins, MPP's executive director.

"South Dakota is the most conservative state yet to legalize marijuana and it passed both medical and recreational on the same ballot, something that's never been done before," said Matthew Schweich, MPP's deputy director.

"There is no ballot initiative process [in Tennessee] and lawmakers in the state haven’t listened to voters. Almost half of the states in the country have processes where citizens can collect signatures and put issues on the ballot," said Karen O'Keefe, MPP's director of state policies.