Maine and Maryland have become the first US states to approve same-sex marriage by popular vote, while Washington and Colorado set up a showdown with federal authorities by legalising recreational use of marijuana.
The outcomes for those ballot measures were a milestone for persistent but often thwarted advocacy groups and activists who for decades have pressed the causes of gay rights and drug decriminalisation.
"Today the state of Washington looked at 70 years of marijuana prohibition and said it's time for a new approach," said Alison Holcomb, manager of the campaign that won passage of Initiative 502 in Washington.
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