Cannabis

In What States Is Weed Legal Right Now?

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2 years 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

White House Finally Comments On Marijuana Industry

Published

6 hours ago

April 1, 2025

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Part of the cannabis industry supported the new president, betting he was going to move and move quickly on cannabis – the White House finally commented.

The cannabis industry has been a boon for consumers, medical patients, veterans and legal states, but for the thousands of mom and pop businesses is has been a roller coaster. With a huge demand, it would seem to be easy money, but the federal, tax, and banking restrictions have made it difficult to grow and expand. Part of the industry were all for the new administration assuming they would support positive change, but many in the new cabinet and the House Speaker Mike Johnson are foes. Now the White House finally comments on marijuana industry…and it doesn’t show a clear path.

The administration’s current stance on marijuana reform is marked by inaction, despite campaign promises and earlier signals of support for cannabis-related reforms. A White House official recently confirmed that “no action is being considered at this time” regarding marijuana policy, leaving advocates and industry stakeholders uncertain about the administration’s priorities.

During his campaign, the resident expressed support for rescheduling marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), which would move it from Schedule I to Schedule III, easing restrictions on medical use and enabling cannabis businesses to access banking and tax benefits. However, since taking office, no concrete steps have been taken to advance this initiative. A DEA hearing on rescheduling, initially planned for January 2025, was postponed due to procedural appeals and remains unscheduled.

The president has also voiced support for state autonomy in cannabis policy and endorsed state-level legalization initiatives, such as Florida’s failed 2024 ballot measure for recreational marijuana. While this reflects a more favorable stance compared to his first term, his administration has yet to prioritize federal reforms like the SAFE Banking Act, which would facilitate banking services for cannabis businesses. Efforts to include such measures in a government funding bill late last year were unsuccessful.

The delay in federal action has significant implications for the cannabis industry. Rescheduling marijuana could alleviate financial burdens by eliminating restrictions under IRS Code Section 280E and promoting medical research. However, the stalled process leaves businesses navigating regulatory uncertainties and limited financial access.

While stakeholders continue lobbying for reform, the administration appears focused on other priorities such as immigration and foreign policy. Advocates hope the President will leverage his influence to advance cannabis reform, but for now, the issue remains sidelined. Until then the industry struggles and waits.

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Cannabis

This State’s Cannabis Revenue Keeps Pouring In

Published

1 day ago

March 31, 2025

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States are starting to scramble with looming budget deficients, but marijuana is a boon to some – especially one state.

The new federal administration is revamping how the government operates. With Doge, they are changing agencies and reducing services and support of states, which has left budget deficients in many. But some states have legal marijana and it has been a boon, for like alcohol…people are still consuming. States who are fully legal are making more money on weed than booze and this state’s cannabis revenue keeps pouring in. Missouri, the show me state, is being shown unexpected revenue.

RELATED: Mike Johnson And Marijuana

“Due to a strong cannabis market and effective, efficient regulation of that market,” Amy Moore, director of the Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation, told The Independent this week, “the funds available for the ultimate beneficiaries of the cannabis regulatory program continue to outpace expectations.”

Funds will help veterans and other key projects. The other benefit is as seen in data from legal states, teen use is down so it frees up some other funds. Legal states are seeing benefits from legal cannabis including lower teen use and crime reduction.

States with legal cannabis are experiencing a significant boost in tax revenue, surpassing those generated by alcohol sales. This trend highlights the economic benefits of marijuana legalization, as cannabis markets expand and mature.

In California, cannabis excise taxes have consistently outperformed alcohol-related taxes, bringing in over double the revenue. Colorado has seen even more striking results, with marijuana tax revenues totaling seven times those of alcohol. Similarly, Massachusetts has collected more tax revenue from marijuana than alcohol since fiscal year 2021, marking a notable shift in state finances.

Nationally, legal cannabis states generated nearly $3 billion in excise taxes on marijuana in 2021—20% more than alcohol taxes. By 2024, total adult-use cannabis tax revenue exceeded $20 billion, with states like Illinois and Washington reporting record-breaking contributions. Illinois alone collected $451.9 million from cannabis taxes in fiscal year 2022—one-and-a-half times the revenue from alcohol.

The funds are being put to good use. States like Illinois are channeling marijuana tax dollars into mental health services and community programs, while Colorado has invested nearly $500 million into public education. California has allocated millions to nonprofits addressing the impacts of the war on drugs.

This growing revenue stream underscores the potential of cannabis legalization to support vital public services and bolster state economies. As more states embrace regulated marijuana markets, the financial benefits are expected to continue flourishing.

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Cannabis

Mixed Messages From The Feds About Cannabis

Published

4 days ago

March 28, 2025

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The federal administration is all over the board around fed cannabis policy…and millions of patients are worried.

The industry employees over 440,000 workers at all lives and is driven in a large part by mom and pop businesses. Millions use medical marijuana for health issues ranging from chronic pain to sleep. But there are mixed messages from the feds about cannabis, and people are very worried. The federal government’s stance on marijuana has become increasingly complex, as recent developments show conflicting approaches to the drug’s potential benefits and risks. On one hand, there’s a push for research into medical marijuana for veterans, while on the other, a campaign against cannabis use is being launched.

The juxtaposition of initiatives highlights the federal government’s inconsistent approach to marijuana policy. While some departments are exploring the potential benefits of cannabis, others are actively working to discourage its use. This dichotomy is further exemplified by ongoing legislative efforts. For instance, Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) has reintroduced the Veterans Equal Access Act, which would allow VA doctors to recommend medical marijuana to patients in states where it’s legal. Meanwhile, documents from an ongoing lawsuit suggest that the DEA may have weighted the marijuana rescheduling process to ensure rejection of moving the drug from Schedule 1 to Schedule 3.

The Department of Defense (DOD) has allocated nearly $10 million in funding for research into the therapeutic potential of MDMA for active-duty military members. This initiative, driven by congressional efforts, aims to explore MDMA’s effectiveness in treating conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-TX) expressed pride in this development, stating that it could be a “game-changer” for service members battling these combat-related injuries.

Additionally, a bipartisan effort in Congress has been pushing for VA research on medical marijuana for PTSD and other conditions affecting veterans. The VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act, introduced in both the Senate and House, would mandate studies on how cannabis affects the use of addictive medications and impacts various health outcomes for veterans.

In stark contrast to these research initiatives, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has partnered with an anti-cannabis nonprofit to launch a social media campaign targeting young people. The campaign, set to run ahead of April 20 (4/20), aims to “flood” Instagram with anti-cannabis content. The DEA is offering monetary incentives to students for creating and posting anti-THC videos, with payments ranging from $25 to $50 depending on the type of content produced.

This approach has raised eyebrows, as it seems to contradict the growing acceptance and legalization of marijuana across the United States. Critics argue that such campaigns may be out of touch with current societal trends and scientific understanding of cannabis.

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