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Even as Federico Rodriguez stood in the polling booth at the Silver Spring civic building in Maryland, he was 鈥渒ind of torn鈥� on which way he leaned on question four on the state ballot. The fourth question asks if marijuana should be legalized in Maryland for recreational use for people 21 and older on or after July 1, 2023.

鈥淓ven while I was casting my vote on that particular issue, I was still having doubts. So, I think I鈥檓 not the only one,鈥� said the Silver Spring resident.

Rodriguez said that what finally helped in his decision were the experiences of his family members who benefited from medical marijuana.

But he isn鈥檛 wholly convinced yet.

鈥淎t the same time, there鈥檚 the issue of security and increasing crime,鈥� he said. 鈥淪ometimes it鈥檚 linked to the use of drugs, and marijuana is a drug. So, I have to keep that in mind when I was thinking about how to vote.鈥�

Paul Heithoff agreed. While he acknowledged that marijuana isn鈥檛 as 鈥渉armful鈥� as other drugs, he said that legalization in the state should also come with better market regulation.

If 鈥渢hey can get it right, that鈥檇 be fantastic,鈥� Heithoff said. 鈥淏ut certain states, I feel like they鈥檙e going to take it as a cash cow.鈥�

Heithoff, a law enforcement officer, and his partner, Cheryl Chun, who works in the healthcare space, can鈥檛 smoke marijuana nevertheless due to professional reasons, they said. Instead, Chun would like to see more cannabis-infused edibles made legal in the state.

Jennifer Manguera, alongside her daughter, Amina Manguera, said legalization in the state 鈥渨as kind of like closing the barn door after the horse got out.鈥�

But like other residents of Montgomery County, it鈥檚 a welcome change for them and their hope for criminal justice and prison reform.

鈥淒o I personally want to walk through clouds of marijuana smoke? No,鈥� said Jennifer Manguera. 鈥淏ut it is there. So, I don鈥檛 think that it should be illegal and have the stigma of the arrests.鈥�

Sam Shaffer, who identified herself as an independent who tended to lean Democrat, said that the legalization of marijuana is an inevitable path that not just the state but the country is on.

鈥淚 think that it should be legal,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 don’t think that by making it illegal it necessarily helps anyone.鈥�

Besides Maryland, four others states鈥撯�揂rkansas, Missouri, North Dakota and South Dakota鈥撯�揳cross the country have the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes as measures on their ballots. If passed, they would join 19 other states and the District of Columbia with legal recreational cannabis use.

(Reporting done from the polls in Silver Spring, Maryland, for the Washington Post)