Visualizing the Evolution of Discourse in Cannabis Ballot Initiatives

Abstract

The past decade has seen numerous efforts to enact cannabis policy reform at the state level. This visualization captures discursive shifts in statewide ballot initiatives devoted to legalizing cannabis for recreational use between 2012 and 2022. The topics discussed in ballot initiatives exhibited substantial variability over time, with discussions of drug use consequences and legislative processes becoming more dominant in later years. The evolution of discourse in ballot initiatives has important implications for our understanding of the impact of language on support for policy change.