Nev: Protect your state’s cannabis progress this election!

To protect Nevada’s cannabis progress, we need to vote for leaders who will defend it.

Since voters legalized cannabis in 2016, Nevada has seen the real and measurable benefits of legalization. Some of the most impressive evidence has come from youth use declining and a reduction in arrests: 

• Cannabis-related arrests have plummeted 73% compared to before legalization, sparing countless Nevadans from the lasting consequences of a criminal record. 
• Youth use of cannabis has declined 29% over the past decade, showing that a regulated market can protect teens better than prohibition ever did.

Legal cannabis also allows Nevadans to have a safe, regulated option to use cannabis while paying for programs that strengthen the place they live. 

From the start of legal sales through 2025, Nevada’s communities have benefitted from the revenue generated from their legal cannabis market:

• Cannabis taxes have generated over $1.4 billion in revenue for the state. 
• Funds go directly back into Nevada’s communities, funding local governments and education. 
• In fiscal year 2025, $95.8 million in cannabis revenue was directed to the state’s K-12 education budget from sales generated by the adult-use cannabis market alone.

This progress is not guaranteed to continue. It depends on who we elect.

Nevada will decide on all four U.S. Representative and Senate seats this election, as well as half of the state senate seats and all assembly members.  

While MPP lacked the bandwidth to create a voter guide for state legislative races, we did break down Nevada’s two highest-polling candidates who will face off for the top seat in the state — Governor.

The Democratic candidate for governor is Aaron Ford, Nevada’s current Attorney General. Ford has repeatedly backed certain cannabis reforms, including cosponsoring letters urging Congress to pass the SAFE Banking Act multiple times. This year, however, the Nevada AG joined 19 other states in an amicus brief that urged the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the federal law barring cannabis users from owning firearms. 

Of course, we know now that in June of this year, the Court (in a 9-0 decision) rejected that position in United States v. Hemani. Even so, his decision to sign the brief is concerning for cannabis consumers and gun owners in Nevada.

The Republican candidate is incumbent Governor Joe Lombardo. Lombardo has signed a handful of cannabis reform bills into law. In 2023, he signed a bill that more than doubled the state’s possession limits. Also, in 2025, he signed another positive bill, which allows folks with marijuana possession convictions more than five years old to become foster parents.

Early voting has already begun and ends on Friday, October 30th. Make sure you make your support for cannabis heard this election. 

• You can find your polling location by looking up your address here. 
• View your sample ballot here. 
• Confirm your status as a voter here.

This election, vote for candidates who will protect legal cannabis and the community investments it makes possible. Let’s keep Nevada moving forward.