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Since it was originally outlawed in 1937, marijuana has never been more legal in the United States than it is today. More than a majority of states have some form of legalized marijuana, whether it’s for medical or recreational purposes. California was the first state to enter the fray, followed by Colorado, and a few other states. During the 2016 Election, four more states (Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, and California) passed laws legalizing recreational marijuana.
Of course, the elephant in the room is that the use, possession, sale, and cultivation of cannabis is still illegal on a federal level. The good news, though, is that the federal government has stated that if a state wants to decriminalize weed for medical or recreational purposes, they can do so as long as there is some system of regulation in place. Whether or not that will change under President Trump’s administration is still yet to be seen, though.
Legalizing marijuana has some benefits, both medically and economically. Medically, it allows patients with various ailments to access a medicine that has significantly smaller negative side effects than other prescription drugs. Economically, it allows states to make millions of dollars in revenue through taxes.
Here are the states who have voted to legalize marijuana.
List of States With Legal Recreational Marijuana
Here is a list of states with legalized recreational marijuana, meaning that anyone over the age of 21 can walk into a dispensary and purchase bud for personal use.
Alaska, California, Colorado, Oregon, Massachusetts, Maine, Nevada, Vermont, Washington, Washington D.C
List of States With Legal Medical Marijuana
Here is a list of states with some form of medical marijuana, meaning that patients with varying levels of medical ailments can use marijuana for treatment purposes. Different states have different regulations, so you’ll need to do research to find out what each state allows.
Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Washington D.C.
State By State Description of Marijuana Laws
We’ve detailed briefly the various marijuana laws state by state. If you want more details or information, we suggest you check out NORML’s website which is a great resource for marijuana information.
Alaska
Alaska legalized recreational marijuana on November 4, 2014, by passing Measure 2.
Possession: Legal
Sale: medical and recreational use
Transport: legal to carry up to 1 oz. (28 grams)
Cultivation: legal to grow up to 24 plants for an individual, or commercially with a license
Arizona
In November 2010, Arizona legalized medical marijuana. In order to qualify as a medical marijuana patient, you need to be prescribed by a medical marijuana doctor.
Sale: Medical use only
Transport: Medical use only
Cultivation: Medical use only
Arkansas
Voters chose to pass Issue 6, legalizing medical marijuana.
Possession: Medical use only
Sale: Medical use only, license up to 40 dispensary providers
Transport: Medical use only
Cultivation: Illegal, only eight marijuana cultivators will be licensed
California
California, the first state to legalize medical marijuana, just recently passed recreational marijuana.
Possession: Legal
Sale: Medical and Recreational Use
Transport: Legal to Carry 1 oz.
Cultivation: Legal to Grow 6 Plants
Colorado
Colorado was the first state to legalize recreational marijuana.
Possession: Legal
Sale: Medical and Recreational Use
Transport: Legal to Carry 1 oz.
Cultivation: Legal to Grow 6 Plants
Connecticut
Possession of less than one-half ounces by people 21 and over results in graduating scales of fines.
Possession: Decriminalized
Sale: Felony
Transport: Felony
Cultivation: Felony
Delaware
Possession: Decriminalized (civil infraction)
Sale: Medical Use Only
Transport: Medical Use Only
Cultivation: Medical Use Only
Florida
Possession: Misdemeanor (20 gram or less)
Sale: Felony
Transport: Misdemeanor (≤ 20 grams) or a felony (> 20 grams)
Cultivation: Felony
Hawaii
Possession: Medical Use Only
Sale: Medical Use Only
Transport: Against Program Rules
Cultivation: Medical Use Only
Illinois
Possession: Decriminalized
Sale: Misdemeanor (legal for medical use)
Transport: Misdemeanor (legal for medical use)
Cultivation: Misdemeanor (legal for medical use)
Maine
During the 2016 Election, Maine voters passed Maine Question 1, a law legalizing recreational marijuana.
Possession: Legal
Sale: Legal
Transport: Legal
Cultivation: Legal
Maryland
Possession: Decriminalized (10g or less)
Sale: Medical Use Only
Transport: Medical Use Only
Cultivation: Medical Use Only
Massachusetts
Legalization of recreational marijuana will begin on December 15, 2016. People will be allowed to possess one ounce of cannabis in public and 10 ounces of pot at home.
Possession: Legal
Sale: Legal
Transport: Legal
Cultivation: Legal
Michigan
Possession: Medical Use Only
Sale: Medical Use Only
Transport: Medical Use Only
Cultivation: Medical Use Only
Minnesota
Possession: Decriminalized
Sale: Medical Use Only
Transport: Medical Use Only
Cultivation: Illegal
Montana
Possession: Illegal
Sale: Medical Use Only
Transport: Medical Use Only
Cultivation: Illegal
New Hampshire
Possession: Illegal
Sale: Medical Use Only
Transport: Medical Use Only
Cultivation: Illegal
New Jersey
New Jersey recently elected a pro-marijuana Governer, Phil Murphy, who has pledged to legalize weed in the Garden State. As of now though, it is still illegal for recreational use.
Possession: Illegal
Sale: Medical Use Only
Transport: Medical Use Only
Cultivation: Illegal
New Mexico
Possession: Illegal
Sale: Medical Use Only
Transport: Medical Use Only
Cultivation: Illegal
New York
Possession: Decriminalized
Sale: Medical Use Only
Transport: Medical Use Only
Cultivation: Illegal
Nevada
On Election Day 2016, voters in Nevada passed Question 2, allowing adults over 21 to possess, purchase, cultivate, and consume marijuana.
Possession: Legal
Sale: Legal
Transport: Legal
Cultivation: Legal
North Dakota
On Election Day 2016, voters voted in favor Measure 5, a law that legalized medical marijuana.
Possession: Medical Use Only
Sale: Medical Use Only
Transport: Medical Use Only
Cultivation: Medical Use Only
Oregon
Recreational marijuana is now legal in the state of Oregon. In fact, Portland has one of the finest (if not the finest) dispensaries in the nation: FarmaPDX.
Possession: Legal
Sale: Medical and Recreational Use
Transport: Legal transport of one ounce
Cultivation: 4 plants per household
Pennsylvania
Possession: Medical Use Only
Sale: Illegal
Transport: Illegal
Cultivation: Illegal
Rhode Island
Possession: Decriminalized
Sale: Medical Use Only
Transport: Medical Use Only
Cultivation: Illegal
Vermont
Possession: Legal
Sale: Medical Use Only
Transport: Medical Use Only
Cultivation:Legal
Washington
Washington is one of the most lenient states in the USA in regards to medical marijuana.
Possession: Legal
Sale: Medical and Recreational Use
Transport: Legal
Cultivation: Legal With Restrictions
Washington, DC
Possession: Legal
Sale: Medical Use Only
Transport: Legal to Carry 2 oz.
Cultivation: Legal to grow up to six plants for recreational purposes
