| Midterm elections are right around the corner. Several of this year's ballot initiatives faced extended litigation by opponents. In Oklahoma, the Supreme Court ruled, 9-0, in September not to place an adult-use initiative on the ballot this year due to election officials delaying the process of certifying signatures. However, Oklahoma voters have another shot at legalizing cannabis next year, as "Gov. Kevin Stitt declared a special election will be set for March 7, 2023, at which point voters will finally confront State Question 820," Cannabis Business Times reported. In Arkansas, it would have been up to justices in the Supreme Court to determine if votes should be counted, despite voters approving the measure. However, the court rejected those efforts in September—leaving legalization's fate in the hands of voters. On Aug. 9, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft approved Legal Missouri 2022's initiative petition. Shortly after, a Missouri resident, with support from Protect Our Kids, filed a lawsuit Aug. 19 to take the adult-use measure off the November ballot. "The Missouri suit claimed the group behind the legalization initiative, Legal Missouri 2022, had not gathered enough valid voter signatures to put the measure on the ballot and that the measure violates Missouri law and the state's constitution," CBT reported. Despite litigation by opponents, polling shows wide support for legalization in Arkansas, Maryland, and Missouri, but polling in South Dakota and North Dakota shows a lessening of public support. If voters approve cannabis legalization measures in all five states, nearly half of U.S. states (24) would have legalized adult-use cannabis. -Andriana Ruscitto, Associate Editor | 