Governor Ralph DLG. Torres of the Northern Mariana Islands, a United States territory, signed into law on Friday legislation legalizing recreational and medical marijuana. This makes the Northern Mariana Islands the first US territory to legalize recreational marijuana.
As Tom Angell reports at Forbes, the legalization also makes the Northern Mariana Islands the first place in America to launch commercial marijuana sales via a bill passed in the legislature instead of via a popular vote on a ballot measure and the first place in America to adopt recreational marijuana legalization without first adopting medical marijuana legalization.
Before the year is over, there may be more recreational marijuana legalization in America, with legalization ballot measure votes in November in Michigan and North Dakota and legalization legislation moving forward with much support in New Jersey.
