Voters in Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota and South Dakota Tuesday voted on recreational marijuana legalization measures. Maryland and Missouri approved the measures while Arkansas, North Dakota and South Dakota disapproved of the measures.

Maryland Question 4, on the ballot as a constitutional amendment, was approved by a vote of 65.54 percent to 34.46 percent. The Maryland Constitution will now authorize individuals over 21 to use and possess marijuana. It also allows for the use, distribution, possession, regulation and taxation of marijuana within the state.

Missouri Amendment 3 was approved by a vote of 53.11 percent to 46.89 percent. The initiative now legalizes the purchase, possession, consumption, use, delivery, manufacturing and sale of marijuana for recreational use for adults over 21 years of age. The measure also adds a 6 percent sales tax on the sale of marijuana and enables individuals convicted of non-violent marijuana-related offenses to petition to be released from incarceration and have their record expunged.

Voters in Arkansas, North Dakota and South Dakota also took to the polls to vote on the legalization initiatives. The measures were unsuccessful in all three states; 43.74 percent of Arkansas voters, 54.95 percent of North Dakota voters and 52.84 of South Dakota voters disapproved of the initiative.

As of November 8, 19 states and Washington DC have now legalized the possession and personal use of marijuana for recreational use. States that have legalized marijuana initially decriminalized possession of a small amount. Broadly speaking, marijuana “legalization” means passing laws that allow the buying, selling and possession of marijuana, usually with restrictions on the age of the consumer and the amount purchased. Decriminalization, on the other hand, typically means that violating certain marijuana laws can still result in fines or other penalties but not criminal charges or jail time.