The upcoming Montana Legislature is likely to address many questions about medical marijuana, from taxes on its sale to cannabis storefronts, all while waiting to see what the Trump administration will do at the federal level.

Montana voters in November passed I-182, a citizen initiative that repealed the three-patient limit placed on medical marijuana providers, though language in the initiative initially prevented it from taking effect until June 30 — after the Legislature ends. A Dec. 7 district court ruling, however, implemented the new patient limits immediately.

Hey, Arkansas, California, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada and North Dakota, you just adopted some new marijuana laws.

So what now?

Medical marijuana advocates saw big returns Tuesday night and Wednesday morning for ballot initiative 182, which would greatly expand the use of cannabis for medical purposes.

The Associated Press reported Wednesday morning that the measure would pass. 

As of 3:30 a.m. Wednesday, voters favored the measure 238,602-183,923, with 422,525 ballots counted. The initiative was passing 56-43 percent at that time. 

The initiative got a boost from larger counties that reported partial results early. Missoula, Gallatin and Lewis and Clark counties showed strong leads for the initiative. 

A potential sea change in marijuana legislation is coming, with ballot measures in several states giving voters the opportunity to make it legal for adults.

Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada will vote on legalizing recreational marijuana, while Arkansas, Florida, Montana, and North Dakota are considering medical marijuana initiatives.

The marijuana industry could quadruple in size after the 2016 elections, according to a new study released Wednesday.

The Los Angeles-based cannabis firm MedMen projects legal pot sales in the U.S. could increase by $20.5 billion per year after voters in nine states weigh ballot measures that would legalize recreational marijuana.

"The potential of this industry is undeniable," MedMen CEO Adam Bierman said. "The question is how we make sure it is done in a safe, responsible and controlled manner."

The recreational use of marijuana has already been legalized in Colorado, Washington state, Oregon, Alaska, and Washington, D.C., and another 21 states permit medical marijuana.

With pot on the ballot in nine states, the big winner in next Tuesday's election could be America's legal cannabis industry. By 2020, legal market sales are expected to surpass $22 billion. And for states struggling with budget shortfalls, that extra revenue would be clearly welcome. 

Voters in five states — Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada — will decide whether to legalize recreational marijuana for adults. Medical marijuana is on the ballot in Arkansas, Florida, Montana, and North Dakota. 

Supporters believe the marijuana measures will pass in California and Florida, and possibly several other states, because America's attitude about pot has changed significantly in the last few years. 

Elections aside, the marijuana industry has had an incredible run over the past two decades.

Prior to the 1996 approval of a compassionate use medical cannabis law in California, marijuana was illegal in all aspects (medical and recreational), and public support for nationwide legalization stood at just 25% per Gallup. Fast-forward to today and 25 states have legalized medical cannabis, with four states, as well as Washington D.C., legalizing the purchase of recreational marijuana for adults ages 21 and up. It's worth noting that the two most recent states to legalize medical marijuana -- Pennsylvania and Ohio -- did so entirely through the legislative process. Furthermore, public support for nationwide legalization tied an all-time high in Gallup's 2015 poll at 58%.

U.S. News Updates

Arkansas

People in nine states, including California, Florida and Massachusetts, will vote Nov. 8 on ballot proposals permitting recreational or medical use of marijuana. These initiatives could give a big push to legalization, prompting the next president and Congress to overhaul the country’s failed drug laws.

This is a big moment for what was a fringe movement a few years ago. A Gallup poll released on Wednesday showed 60 percent of Americans support legalizing marijuana, up from 31 percent in 2000 and 12 percent in 1969.