Cannabis

In What States Is Weed Legal Right Now?

Published

1 year ago

March 7, 2023

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Despite federal restrictions on cannabis, many states have made significant strides in legalizing and regulating the plant for medical and recreational purposes.

While not all Americans have access to cannabis, 41 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia have established medical marijuana programs, with 23 of those states fully legalizing cannabis for adult use or decriminalizing it.

As of November 2022, here is a comprehensive and up-to-date list of the legality of cannabis and its products throughout the United States.

legal marijuana — Photo by Dmitriy83/Getty Images

Alabama: Approved a medical marijuana program in 2021, but as of June 2022, there were no doctors certified to issue prescriptions, no licensed dispensaries, and no legal farming of cannabis products.

Alaska: Legalized medical marijuana in 1998, and since 2015, it has been legal to possess and sell cannabis in the state.

Arizona: legal medical marijuana since 2010, and recreational marijuana will become legal once a legalization measure overwhelmingly passed in the 2020 elections is certified.

Arkansas: Only allows medical marijuana, and cultivation is not legal.

California: The first state to legalize medical marijuana in 1996, and the sale of recreational marijuana was approved by voters in 2016.

Colorado: Legalized recreational cannabis in 2012, and it is also legal to privately grow up to six marijuana plants in the state.

Connecticut: Legalized recreational cannabis on July 1, 2021, and allows home cultivation beginning on July 1, 2023.

Delaware: Decriminalized marijuana in 2015 and legalized medical marijuana in 2011, but only a bill to legalize recreational marijuana sales cleared its first legislative hurdle in 2019.

Florida: Allows medical marijuana but not recreational, and Georgia only allows low-THC oil as part of its limited medical program.

Hawaii: Decriminalized recreational marijuana in 2019 and legalized medical marijuana.

Illinois: Legalized both medical and recreational cannabis, with the state legislature passing the law rather than a ballot initiative.

Iowa: Limited medical cannabis program with only processed cannabis products allowed for sale, while

marijuana legalization — Photo by RODNAE Productions via Pexels

Louisiana: Approved medical marijuana, but only allows certain forms of cannabis for purchase. Maine legalized recreational cannabis in 2016, but retail stores have yet to open.

Maryland: Recently became the 20th state to legalize recreational cannabis, with the program set to go into effect in July 2023, while medical marijuana has been legal in the state since 2014.

Massachusetts: Legal for both medical and recreational use; no reciprocity with other states; adults can grow up to 12 plants.

Michigan: Legal for both medical and recreational use; reciprocity with other states; adults can privately grow up to 12 plants.

Minnesota: Legal for medical use only; possession of small amounts is decriminalized; no reciprocity with other states; no home cultivation allowed.

Mississippi: Legal for medical use only; no operational program yet; limited reciprocity with other states; recreational use is illegal; possession of small amounts is decriminalized for first offense only.

Missouri: Legal for both medical and recreational use; no reciprocity with other states; sales for recreational use expected to start in December 2022.

Montana: Legal for both medical and recreational use; no reciprocity with other states; residents can grow up to four plants at home.

Nevada: Legal for both medical and recreational use; reciprocity with other states; medical patients can grow up to 12 plants.

New Hampshire: Legal for medical use only; possession of small amounts is decriminalized; reciprocity with other states; cultivation is illegal.

New Jersey: Legal for both medical and recreational use; no reciprocity with other states.

New Mexico: Legal for both medical and recreational use; reciprocity with other states; home cultivation is allowed for up to six mature plants.

New York: Legal for both medical and recreational use; no reciprocity with other states; public consumption allowed in some places.

North Dakota: Decriminalized marijuana possession and approved medical marijuana, while Ohio and

Pennsylvania: Approved medical marijuana and decriminalized possession.

Oklahoma: Approved medical marijuana and allows patients to grow their plants.

Oregon: Legalized legalized both medical and recreational marijuana and allows residents to grow their plants.

Rhode Island: Legalized both medical and recreational marijuana, and retail sales are expected to begin soon.

South Dakota: Approved medical marijuana but recreational use remains illegal after a challenge from the Governor.

Texas: Limited medical programs and possession are illegal except for those with medical permits.

Utah: Approved medical marijuana and decriminalized recreational use.

Vermont: Legalized both medical and recreational marijuana and allows residents to cultivate their plants

Virginia: Allows both medical and recreational cannabis use, with a possession limit of up to 1 ounce for adults.

Washington: One of the first states to legalize recreational cannabis, with medical cannabis also legal.

West Virginia: Medical cannabis is legal, but recreational use is not.

Washington DC: Allows medical cannabis and possession of up to 2 ounces of recreational cannabis, but the sale of recreational cannabis is still illegal.

Conclusion

As we have seen, the legal status of cannabis varies greatly across different states in the US. While some states have fully legalized both the medical and recreational use of cannabis, others only allow medical use, and some still have strict prohibition laws. However, the tide is turning, with more and more states moving towards legalization in some form.

As attitudes towards cannabis continue to shift and more research is conducted on its potential benefits and drawbacks, it will be interesting to see how these laws evolve in the future. Whatever happens, cannabis will continue to be a hotly debated topic in the US and around the world for many years to come.

This article originally appeared on Cannabis.net and has been reposted with permission.

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Cannabis

Can Marijuana Give A Break From All The Drama

Published

1 day ago

May 17, 2024

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It is a summer of political news, students protests, family gathering and just every day drama – can marijuana help with a temporary break?

This summer will be filled with ongoing political news as the presidential election is in the fall. Add oversees wars and campus protests and conversations with some people could be fraught with drama. And summer is the time of family gatherings, birthdays, weddings or a 4th of July picnic, it can be stressful. Can marijuana give a break from all the drama. The answer is heck yes! And you will feel better than overindulging in booze.

While taking a break, breathing, or going for a walk can help, sometimes you get overwhelmed. Avoiding putting yourself in these situations by reducing your news and social media input, putting boundaries around certain people and other healthy habits are import, a quick, easy solution is needed in some situations. Cannabis can provide a temporary relief as it is a proven help against anxiety. To use this tool, there are a few things to know and also not to be over reliant on it as a solution.

Part of the way marijuana chills you out with the active cannabinoid THC. It acts through

The younger generation has taken advantage of consumption methods to have marijuana on-the-go. Vaping is the second, and trends show soon to be first, most popular method of use. Like gummies (the third most popular way to consume), it is easy, discreet and portable for those with an active lifestyle. You can also manage dosing so you are not too high or suddenly have couch lock.

Done right, a high, even a moderate one, can last 2-10 hours. Smoking a joint provides the quickest and most powerful, while a gummy takes 30-45 minutes to kick it, but it is much easier to manage the dosage. Vaping is a way to maintain a steady chill.

One good thing about taking a “time out” and breathing from the drama, it is a better on our mental and physical health.

One recent survey discovered

1 in 5 had lost sleep over politics
20 percent reported feeling fatigued because of political news
29 percent reported losing their temper over politics
One quarter said they felt hateful toward those with opposing political views
More than 20 percent have had political disagreements damage their friendships

However you do it, be mindful of where you are and make sure you don’t let outside forces squash you happiness and enjoyment of each day.

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BDSA

Consumer Spending Validates Marijuana Rescheduling

Published

2 days ago

May 17, 2024

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It is a historic move for a country which had prohibition, but consumers are using their wallets to show they support it,

Culture wars have been an American tradition – from the battle over TicTok to the alcohol prohibition in the 1920s. It was said the only thing to come out of the anti-liquor period was it taught good citizens how to break the law. But in general, if the public wants it, the public will have it, legal or not. The perfect is example is the Pornhub ban in Utah and Texas, which has sent VPN sign ups sky high. And consumer spending validates marijuana rescheduling in a major way.

Some politicians and leaders believe in the nanny state option. Those include a few governors lead by Ron DeSantis, Mitch McConnell, and a few other special interest groups. But the Biden’s administration’s decision to reschedule cannabis lines up with public opinion. Over 85% believe it should legal in some form, and more importantly, they are putting their money toward what they want. Leading analyst firm, BDSA, shared the public’s spending habit’s match their thoughts on rescheduling.

Following the tradition, cannabis sales moved higher again this year. Sales on 20 April 2024 sales were $167M, a 33% increase over the previous year. Trends like California sober are going strong and Gen Z continues to move away from alcohol and move toward marijuana vapes and gummies. Lifestyle habits are starting to adjust slightly away from alcohol and more low alcohol drinks, mocktails, and cannabis eat away at the traditional market. Alcohol is much rougher on the body, so many are opting for a semi-healthier option.

It is a benefit for fully recreational states as even Missouri makes significant tax income on cannabis. Most governors are on board with rescheduling at it is not only the public’s will, but it helps the state’s coffers and actually helps in other areas. Even New York State, with over 1,500 non tax paying illicit stores making money, made some income. They have less than 100 licensed dispensaries generating over $175 million.

RELATED: How To Microdose Marijuana

On an interesting sidebar, like holidays, there are some holidays where cannabis use is up. Here are the largest for 2023

420
Green Wednesday
Black Friday
St Patrick’s Day
Veteran’s Day

In comparison, alcohol’s largest days are:

New Year’s Eve
St. Patrick’s Day
July 4th
Day Before Thanksgiving/ Blackout Wednesday/ Drinksgiving
Black Friday

Let’s see how the next 12 months works for the industry, the government and the public.

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Biden

Cannabis Rescheduling Takes The Next Steps

Published

2 days ago

May 17, 2024

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The Biden administration’s marijuana rescheduling takes the next step

The Department of Justice is moving marijuana rescheduling to the next step. The administration has proposed moving the drug from Schedule I, a strict classification including drugs like heroin, to Schedule III, which is more on the level of Tylenol. It also marks the federal government acknowledgement the plants medical benefits. The industry will watch over the next few months as the process of moving it forward grinds ahead.

President Joe Biden announced move on his official account on X (formerly known as Twitter. In a video Biden shared “This is monumental, It’s an important move towards reversing long-standing inequities. … Far too many lives have been upended because of a failed approach to marijuana, and I’m committed to righting those wrongs. You have my word on it.”

Vice President Kamala Harris also released a video Thursday, hailing the progress. It seems she has progressed in her position over the last 5 years.

Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks

A key part of the next step is a 60-day comment period. This will allow any and all parties to provide information, opinion, support or random thoughts. Already a group of GOP Senators want to either slow or stop the process. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) has started leading an effort to stall the plan if not outright stop it. They are going against the general public opinion with 85%+ believe it should be legal in some form.

The Drug Enforcement Agency is not 100% on board and there are still hurdles to rescheduling. After the comment person, there could be a review from an administrative judge, which could be a drawn-out process. The total process can take from 3 months to a year, although it is unlikely the issue will not be resolved before the election.

Considering the stance of the federal government, Senator Mitch McConnell, and certain other opponents, the road is still going to be a bit bumpy. The industry, in an awkward growth mood, is in need of the government not to be a hindrance. But only time will tell.

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