Marijuana advocacy groups are hoping to get Nov. 4 referendums passed that would make recreational marijuana use legal in Alaska, Oregon and Washington, D.C.

According to EFE, recreational marijuana use is already legal in Colorado and Washington state.

Marijuana Policy Project, which aims to influence Congress and state laws to lessen the punishment for marijuana-related offenses and "increase public support for non-punitive, non-coercive marijuana policies" according to its website, and National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, which strives to "move public opinion sufficiently to legalize the responsible use of marijuana by adults, and to serve as an advocate for consumers ..." according to its website, wants to see this trend grow.

The referendums will occur on the same day as the midterm elections, EFE reports. Currently, medical marijuana is legal in Alaska, Oregon and Washington, D.C. (as well as in 20 additional states).

"[These referendums] will allow the voice of the people to be heard in place of that of the politicians," Erik Altieri, NORML communication director, said.

In order to gain support, MPP and NORML have been buying newspaper and digital ads encouraging people to vote for legal marijuana.

"The legalization and regulating of marijuana by the state will remove the product from the criminal businesses and place it in the hands of responsible companies," Altieri said.

According to Altieri, the money gained from taxing recreational marijuana could go toward education and helping addicts.

In addition, Altieri believes tax money could be used to improve the judicial system, which he said arrests and convicts black people for marijuana possession four to five times more than white citizens although the two demographics use the drug proportionately.

"Legalizing marijuana and ending the arrests is incredibly important to people of color," he said.

According to Morgan Fox, MPP spokesman, putting marijuana in the same category as other illegal drugs like cocaine and heroin on the federal level is a "big mistake" that cost taxpayers "millions and millions of dollars."

If the referendums pass, up to one ounce of marijuana and growing of up to six plants would be legal to those over 21 in Alaska.

In Oregon, up to eight ounces marijuana and growing up to four plants would be legal.

In Washington, D.C., up to two ounces of the drug and growing up to six plants would become legal.

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Follow Scharon Harding on Twitter: @ScharHar.

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