Voters will soon be deciding if recreational or medical marijuana is right for their state.

This could be a transformative year in more ways than one. Not only are voters heading to the polls in six months to decide who should become the next President of the United States of America, but voters in quite a few states could be heading to their respective state polls to decide whether or not to expand the use of medical or recreational marijuana within their state.

Orlando leaders have voted in favor of decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana.

The City Council voted 4-3 for the measure Monday afternoon. The ordinance is set to take effect Oct. 1.

The change means anyone found with up to 20 grams of marijuana will face a civil infraction rather than a criminal one. Twenty grams of pot is about 30 to 40 joints.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer says the change shows understanding and mercy.

"What we're saying is to someone who has made a youthful mistake for the first time and they have no other background of any sort and are not associated with any crimes we're probably going to be able to give them a second chance," Dyer said.

Orlando City Council members will vote Monday in the push to decriminalize marijuana.

Supporters for the change said the punishment should fit the crime, and they're pushing to reduce the offense for carrying 20 grams or less from a criminal misdemeanor to a city code violation.

"This will give our officers an option so that that person's life won't be ruined by a criminal record," said Chief John Mina of the Orlando Police Department.

Mayor Buddy Dyer announced the plan last week; instead of being arrested, the first violation would mean a $50 fine.

Currently, possessing less than 20 grams of pot is a criminal misdemeanor and carries a punishment of up to a year in jail and a fine up to $1,000.

Those were the words of 43-year old Timothy Dillon, as he lay bleeding on the ground after being shot by police, following a five-hour long standoff where he threatened to shoot the officers, goading them to kill him “Let’s get this over with.” Instead of getting it over with and killing him, as Dillon had hoped in an attempted ‘suicide by cop,’ deputies administered first aid and saved his life, allowing him to “still hold [his] wife, hug [his] da

Everyone knows who defeated medical marijuana in Florida two years ago: casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, who single-handedly pumped in millions to pay for scare ads that helped barely keep the amendment below 60 percent approval. But few remember that it was a St. Petersburg-based developer who created the anti-pot group that took Adelson's money. 

Now that developer — GOP fundraiser Mel Sembler — is vowing to defeat the new medical marijuana initiative that'll be on this fall's ballot. Sembler has promised to raise at least $10 million to beat the proposal.

Two years ago, Florida voters rejected a push to legalize medical marijuana. Well, they did and they didn’t. A sizeable majority of voters — 58 percent — agreed to legalize. But back in 2006, the state changed the rules on constitutional amendments, increasing the percentage required for passage from a simple majority to 60 percent. By failing to reach that supermajority, 2014’s medical marijuana amendment failed. 

A marijuana ordinance passed its first reading Monday in a 4 to 3 vote. 

Leaders will return for a second vote on May 9.

It was a packed house at Orlando City Hall on Monday as leaders discussed the ordinance that will decriminalize small amounts of marijuana.

Some residents spoke out with major concerns about how marijuana offenses will be handled in Orlando in the future.

“We feel it’s a gateway drug. We feel it leads to young people trying other things,” said opponent Jim Millar.

Others were worried about how the proposed rules would be enforced.

“It is a false sense of protection, especially for people of color in Districts 5 and 6,” said opponent Cynthia Harris.

Orlando officials now are showing some lenience when it comes to the possession of marijuana, and it may help further the current effort of establishing a medical marijuana industry in Florida.

City commissioners on April 18 will vote on a measure that would decriminalize the possession of 20 grams or less of marijuana. Instead of making an arrest, officers can issue fines beginning at $50, according to city of Orlando documents. Fines would increase, and a possible court hearing would be mandated, for repeat offenders.

Americans are more supportive of marijuana legalization than ever before, and that support has led to 23 states passing medical marijuana laws and another four states legalizing recreational marijuana use. In November, voters in states including California, Florida, Massachusetts, and Nevada could weigh in on the issue too. With advocates ramping up their efforts to win support for marijuana legalization in these states, let's take a closer look.

From Maine to Miami, supporters of the cannabis movement are going to pass a torch symbolically shaped as a joint to garner support and show a united front in the fight to legalize marijuana.

It’s organized by the East Coast Cannabis Coalition (ECCC) and the so-called Unity Cypher begins its journey in Portland, Maine on April 14th, making  stops in NH, CT, NY, NJ, PA, DE, ME, DC, VA, NC, SC, GA, and FL. Along the way, organizers promise an appearance (and great photo op) at the United National General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) in New York City on April 19 and the National Cannabis Festival in Washington D.C. on April 23.