Since California became the first state to legalize medical cannabis in 1996, numerous cannabis laws in many states have been passed, legalizing cannabis for recreational and medical usage. Cannabis remains federally illegal. Currently, 24 states and Washington D.C. have legalized cannabis for both recreational and medical use: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.
Many states have legalized cannabis for medical use. The states that have legalized medical cannabis, and decriminalized it for other uses are Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Hampshire, and North Dakota. Additionally, the states that have legalized medical cannabis, but have not decriminalized it for other uses are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, and West Virginia.
Some states still classify cannabis as fully illegal but with some conditions. The two states where cannabis is illegal, but decriminalized are Nebraska and North Carolina. There are some states where it is unlawful, but products with cannabidiol (CBD), are allowed: Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin. The states where cannabis is fully illegal are Idaho, Kansas, South Carolina, and Wyoming.
Within some states where cannabis is illegal, many pro-cannabis legalization efforts are taking place. In November 2024, Florida Amendment 3, the Marijuana Legalization Initiative is on the ballot as an initiated constitutional amendment. Voting “yes” supports legalizing cannabis for adults 21 years old and older and allows these individuals possess up to three ounces of cannabis legally. For this initiative to pass, 60% of voters or more must vote yes on the ballot.
Similar to Florida, North Dakota has a cannabis legalization initiative that may appear on the ballot in November as an initiated state statute. If passed, the initiative would legalize recreational cannabis for adults 21 years old and older. They would be able to possess one ounce of cannabis, 4 grams of concentrate, and 300 milligrams of edibles. It would also allow individuals to grow three plants, with a limit of six plants per household.
In Hawaii, the path to recreational cannabis legalization is becoming more of a reality. In early 2024, Hawaii’s Senate passed SB 3335, which is legislation to legalize and regulate adult-use cannabis in Hawaii. It would allow for adults 21 and older to possess up to one ounce of cannabis and up to five grams of cannabis concentrates. The proposal is now sent to the House of Representatives. Hawaii’s Senate also passed SB 2487, a cannabis decriminalization bill.
Sources:
https://ballotpedia.org/Florida_Amendment_3,_Marijuana_Legalization_Initiative_(2024)
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/hawaii-senate-passes-marijuana-legalization-bill/
https://ballotpedia.org/North_Dakota_Marijuana_Legalization_Initiative_(2024)
