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Added on the 05/02/2019 13:24:08 - Copyright : Wochit
South Dakota has voted to legalize both medical and recreational marijuana. According to Business Insider, it's the first time a state has voted to legalize both types of access to cannabis at the same time. Medical marijuana cards will be issued to patients with debilitating, chronic conditions--subject to a healthcare provider's recommendation. Recreational cannabis sales will be taxed at 15%. The proceeds will be used to cover the program's costs and to fund public schools and the state's general fund. Residents of the highly conservative state will be allowed to possess up to 1 ounce of cannabis for recreational use.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo intends to move forward with marijuana legalization. Cuomo will push for it during the state's 2021 legislative session. Business Insider reports the governor announced his intentions in his daily press briefing on Wednesday. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought New York a $15 billion deficit. Legalizing marijuana is one way the state government intends to bring in additional tax revenue. "Too many people have been imprisoned, incarcerated, and punished. It's exaggerated the injustice of the justice system."
It's very simple: if you smoke tobacco or cannabis, vape, or chew tobacco, you will pay more for life insurance. The US Surgeon General says 16 million Americans have a smoking-related disease. Smoking-attributable healthcare spending costs over $170 billion per year. According to Business Insider, life insurance premiums are based on your health risk for insurance providers. The effect of nicotine on health is well documented, so smokers are seen as a higher risk for life insurance companies. For example, a twenty-year, $500,000 term policy for a 35-year-old male would cost $27.50 a month if he is a non-smoker, but $102.08 a month if he smokes! If you plan to quit smoking or are in the process of quitting, annual renewable term life insurance is better than a traditional term life insurance policy. Another option for smokers is no medical exam life insurance.
It's still unknown whether President Donald Trump or former Vice President Joe Biden will win the 2020 race for the US presidency. But according to Gizmodo, one clear winner has emerged in another fight: the drug legalization movement. In both red and blue cities and states, people voted to legalize or decriminalize cannabis, psilocybin mushrooms, and, in Oregon, all illicit drugs entirely. New Jersey, Arizona, South Dakota, and Montana all passed ballot measures to legalize cannabis for recreational use. Voting to legalize cannabis and other drugs appeared to have nothing to do with whether a state voted for Trump or Biden--or its governor's party. and GOP governors of Arizona and South Dakota discouraged residents from voting to legalize cannabis. It didn't work.
Mississippi voters went to the polls and legalized medical cannabis on Tuesday. The initiative permits doctors to recommend medical cannabis to patients with certain qualifying conditions. Mississippi is one of the first conservative states to legalize the plant for medical purposes. According to Business Insider, the decision marks a shift in attitudes towards the drug. Other conservative states like Oklahoma, Missouri, and Arkansas also have medical marijuana programs. Mississippi will tax medical cannabis sales at a rate of 7%, on par with the current state's sales tax rate.