These US states, including California, Massachusetts and Nevada just legalised weed

AMERICANS depressed about Donald Trump’s victory have been reminded that three of the most populous states have legalised marijuana use.

Swami Chaitanya lights a "grower's joint" marijuana cigarette at his home near Laytonville, California. Picture: AP

AMERICANS depressed about Donald Trump’s victory have been reminded that three of the most populous states have legalised marijuana use.

Politico projects that propositions to make marijuana legal in California, Massachusetts and Nevada will pass based on the votes already counted.

Maine and Montana also look like they will follow suit but not enough of the vote has been counted in those states to be able to call the result.

Arizona also had marijuana legalisation on the ballot, but the measure appears to have failed.

Meanwhile, Florida, Arkansas and North Dakota have voted to approve medical marijuana laws.

Dominic Ripoli, left, and Bella Yousif smoke marijuana at a rally in favour of California’s prop. 64 measure to legalise marijuana. Picture: AP

As the sixth largest economy in the world in terms of gross domestic product, California is expected to bring in as much as $US1 billion per year as it gets set to tax marijuana sales.

Nearly 56 per cent of voters in California voted for the measure with 44 per cent opposed, according to results reported from more than 90 per cent of precincts.

Recreational marijuana was first approved in 2012 by Washington state and Colorado, and later by voters in Oregon, Alaska and the District of Columbia.

Before Tuesday, 25 states had already legalised cannabis in some way, whether for medical or recreational uses, or both.

DEATH PENALTY

Connie Johnson (C), urges Arturo Delgado to vote "no" on a referendum that would enshrine the death penalty in Oklahoma's state constitution before the state voted in favour of the measure. Picture: AFP

California rejected abolishing the death penalty and narrowly passed a proposition to speed up executions.

Nebraska voted to restore the death penalty, a year after it abolished the measure. More than 60 per cent of voters chose to repeal the earlier legislation that had eliminated the death penalty.

Oklahoma decided to enshrine the death penalty in the state’s constitution.

GUN CONTROL

Protesters hold up signs and flags to support gun control. Picture: AFP

There was a split decision on gun control measures that were on the ballot in some states.

In Nevada, universal background checks for private firearms sales were approved but voters in Maine narrowly rejected a similar proposal.

The measure was defeated in Maine by 51.0 per cent of votes to 48.9 per cent, or about 12,700 ballots, the Bangor Daily News reported. Nevada voters approved a similar proposal by 50.5 per cent to 49.6 per cent, state election officials said.

Gun control supporters won victories in two other states. Washington state voters easily approved a measure giving judges the power to keep dangerous individuals, such as accused domestic abusers, from possessing guns. In California, residents backed a referendum that bans large-capacity ammunition magazines and requires some people to undergo background checks in order to buy ammunition.

The US Constitution’s Second Amendment protects the right to bear arms, and gun rights advocates fiercely contest any attempt to restrict it.