Medical marijuana activists just won a surprise victory in North Dakota - that northwestern hotbed for progressive politics. State voters just approved the medical marijuana legalization initiative (Measure 5) by a wide margin, according to Politico. As of 11 pm ET, the yes vote led by nearly a two-to-one margin.

That means patients with HIV, Crohn's, PTSD, cancer or other qualifying conditions will soon be able to legally access medical marijuana.

Arizona's ballot measure to legalize marijuana trailed in early election results, and final unofficial tallies showed voters saying "no" to Proposition 205.

The race — which pitted business interests against the legal medical-marijuana industry backed by a pro-legalization group, the Washington, D.C.-based Marijuana Policy Project — echoed the 2010 effort to legalize medical marijuana, which narrowly prevailed. The tally of complete results was likely to take several days.

Republicans gathered at a downtown Phoenix hotel cheered the early results that showed Proposition 205 down.

Voters on Tuesday approved Proposition 64, making California the most populous state in the nation to legalize the recreational use of marijuana.

The approval of the ballot measure creates the largest market for marijuana products in the U.S. It comes six years after California voters narrowly rejected a similar measure. Activists said passage would be an important moment in a fight for marijuana legalization across the U.S.

“We are very excited that citizens of California voted to end the failed policy of marijuana prohibition," said Nate Bradley, executive director of the California Cannabis Industry Assn. "Proposition 64 will allow California to take its rightful place as the center of cannabis innovation, research and development.” 

Nevadans voted Tuesday to legalize recreational marijuana for adults ages 21 and over. The passing of Question 2, by a margin of six points according to early polling results, allows for the legal purchase of up to 1 ounce of marijuana or up to one-eighth ounce of marijuana concentrates such as wax, carbon dioxide oil and shatter.

Under the law, recreational users will also be allowed to buy marijuana paraphernalia such as bongs and glass pipes. Those living outside a 25-mile radius of the closest Nevada marijuana dispensary will be permitted to cultivate up to six marijuana plants at home for personal use, as long as it’s away from public view.

Massachusetts has joined a handful of states in allowing recreational marijuana.

As of Dec. 15, it will be legal for adults, age 21 and older, to grow and use marijuana at home. And weed could be for sale in stores by Jan. 1, 2018, now that voters have approved a ballot question making cannabis legal for recreational use.

With 65 percent of precincts reporting, the Question 4 vote was 53 percent in favor and 47 percent opposed.

The landmark change will be managed by a new three-member Cannabis Control Commission, to be appointed by state Treasurer Deb Goldberg. A 15-member advisory board appointed by Gov. Charlie Baker will make recommendations about the best ways to regulate legal marijuana.

It was a big night for the marijuana legalization movement around the country, with 3 of 5 states, including Massachusetts, approving ballot measures and Maine poised to follow suit.

The vote remained extremely close all night, but at about 3 a.m., supporters of the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol declared victory.

The Yes on One campaign held an edge of between one and two percentage points all night long. And in the wee hours of the morning, with a few more precincts still to be counted, political director Alysia Melnick offered this assessment.

Florida voters easily passed a constitutional amendment to approve the use of medical marijuana Tuesday. A number of Southern states, including Florida, have in recent years passed limited, CBD-only medical marijuana laws, but passage of Amendment 2 means the South has its first full-blown medical marijuana law.

With returns 90% complete at 8 p.m. on election night, Amendment 2 was winning with 71% of the vote. Under Florida law, constitutional amendments not need a simple majority but 60% of the vote.

A “pottech” company called Wurk has raised $1 million in seed funding to help cannabis businesses such as dispensaries or growers to comply with all the different regulations coming into play around the burgeoning, legal cannabis industry.

The seed deal closed before various ballots are voted on today in the U.S., that could make the sale and use of marijuana legal for adults in a broad number of new markets.

Wurk CEO Keegan Peterson said his company’s software-as-a-service helps cannabis businesses do everything from background checks of potential new hires, to managing employees’ schedules, benefits, training, and making sure they get paid on time.

Betsy Ross stitched the first American flag using hemp and actor Woody Harrelson was once threatened with jail time for growing the crop.

Today, retailers from Whole Foods Market Inc. WFM, -0.17%   to Wal-Mart Stores Inc. WMT, +0.01%   sell bags of shelled organic hemp seed for snacking, BMW stuffs some of its car seats with hemp, a hemp derivatives exchange has launched and an advocacy group, GrowHempColorado, wants to tap cryptocurrency for hemp transactions.

Eaze fulfills a simple function: Push button, get pot. 

The average order is around $10 and cannabis can be delivered in as little as 15 minutes, said Eaze CEO Keith McCarty. 

But unlike its customers — marijuana dispensaries — Eaze is a tech company and one of a growing number of cannabis tech start-ups using data to offer products and services to the pot industry.