marijuana-legal-status
Alaska
Fully Legal
Medicinal: ✅
General Use: ✅
2014: Alaska voters legalized marijuana
Arizona
Mixed
Medicinal: ✅
General Use: ?
April 14, 2011, it began accepting applications for registry cards for legal medicinal marijuana.
To qualify under Arizona’s program, patients must have one of the listed debilitating medical conditions: cancer; HIV/AIDS; hepatitis C; glaucoma; multiple sclerosis; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); Crohn’s disease; agitation of Alzheimer’s disease; PTSD; or a medical condition that produces wasting syndrome, severe and chronic pain, severe nausea, seizures, or severe and persistent muscle spasms.
Arkansas
Mixed
Medicinal: ✅
General Use: ?
June 2018 Little Rock Board of Directors voted down a proposal to make possession the lowest enforcement priority for law enforcement.
California
Fully Legal
Medicinal: ✅
General Use: ✅
Until the 2016 Election Day vote, possessing up to an ounce or less of was a civil infraction similar to a speeding ticket. Following the vote, possession of an ounce or less and the secure cultivation of up to six plants is lawful for all adults 21 and over.
Colorado
Fully Legal
Medicinal: ✅
General Use: ✅
Colorado’s General Assembly is back in session and, among other cannabis-related bills, lawmakers are focusing on challenges faced by medical cannabis patients, including those who are minors.
Connecticut
Mixed
Medicinal: ✅
General Use: Reduced
On March 25, the General Law Committee voted to pass HB 7371, a bill that would regulate cannabis.
Delaware
Mixed
Medicinal: ✅
General Use: Reduced
On June 27, 2018, the Delaware House of Representatives voted 21-15 (with five not voting) to legalize, tax, and regulate for adults. This was only the third time that the majority of a state legislative chamber voted to legalize and regulate !
District of Columbia
Fully Legal
Medicinal: ✅
General Use: ✅
In November 2014, D.C. voters overwhelmingly approved Initiative 71, which legalized the possession and cultivation of limited amounts of by adults 21 and older.
Florida
Mixed
Medicinal: ✅
General Use: ?
On March 18, 2019, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed SB 186 into law, repealing the ban on smoking medical cannabis. Patients and their doctors now have greater access to administer medical cannabis and to decide for themselves which mode of administration is best for them.
Georgia
Mixed
Medicinal: ✅
General Use: ?
On April 17, 2019, Gov. Brian Kemp (R) signed the Georgia’s Hope Act — HB 324 — into law. At long last, patients will be able to safely access low-THC medical cannabis oil within Georgia. The Senate approved the final language of the Georgia’s Hope Act in a 34-20 vote, while the House vote was 147-16.
Hawaii
Mixed
Medicinal: ✅
General Use: ?
This legislative session, lawmakers are pushing a decriminalization bill, HB 1383. In its current form, the bill would decriminalize possession of up to three grams of marijuana by imposing a civil fine of $30 rather than jail time. The full House passed an earlier version of the bill, and two Senate committees have recently approved it.
Idaho
Fully Illegal
Medicinal: ?
General Use: ?
In 2015, the Idaho Legislature approved S1146, an extremely limited bill that would have protected some seriously ill Idahoans from being convicted for possessing medical marijuana oils with very low amounts of THC. Sadly, former Gov. Butch Otter vetoed the bill.
Illinois
Mixed
Medicinal: ✅
General Use: Reduced
A bill passed in 2018, SB 336, is now in effect, significantly improving the state medical cannabis program.
Indiana
Fully Illegal
Medicinal: ?
General Use: ?
On March 21, 2018, Gov. Eric Holcomb signed Senate Enrolled Act 52, legalizing low-THC CBD derived from industrial hemp. The bill allows any person to buy, sell, and possess CBD oil, as long as it meets certain labeling requirements and contains no more than 0.3 percent THC.
Iowa
Fully Illegal
Medicinal: ?
General Use: ?
On Saturday, December 1, Iowa’s first medical marijuana dispensary opened to the public. MedPharm opened in Windsor and will sell low-THC oil to qualifying patients. Unfortunately, MedPharm may only sell medical marijuana oil, and the oil may not contain more than three percent THC.
Kansas
Fully Illegal
Medicinal: ?
General Use: ?
In 2018, Kansas finally passed a law acknowledging the medical efficacy of cannabis for the first time ever, leaving Idaho standing alone as the only state in the union yet to do so. The new law, SB 282, was signed by former Gov. Jeff Colyer in May and changed the definition of “marijuana” to exclude cannabidiol (CBD). The bill took effect May 24, 2018.
Kentucky
Fully Illegal
Medicinal: ?
General Use: ?
After several weeks of frustrating delays, the Kentucky House Judiciary Committee finally held a vote on a medical cannabis bill on March 6, 2019, with less than a week remaining in the legislative session. The result was overwhelming — a 16-1 vote in favor of HB 136.
Louisiana
Mixed
Medicinal: ✅
General Use: ?
Despite improvements to Louisiana’s medical marijuana law each year since 2015, patients still do not have access to medical marijuana. Louisiana State University and Southern University are the only authorized cultivators and do not have marijuana available for patients yet. In addition to the two cultivators, there will only be nine dispensing pharmacies throughout the state.
Maine
Fully Legal
Medicinal: ✅
General Use: ✅
In November 2018, Attorney General Janet Mills won the election to be Maine’s governor. During the campaign, Mills said positive things about Maine’s vote to end marijuana prohibition and signaled her support for implementation of the new law.
Maryland
Mixed
Medicinal: ✅
General Use: Reduced
Early in the 2019 legislative session, leaders of the General Assembly, Senate President Mike Miller and the late House Speaker Michael Busch, created a work group to study how to best implement the legalization of marijuana. The work group is set to begin during the interim this year and will report its findings by December 31, 2019, just before the 2020 legislative session begins.
Massachusetts
Fully Legal
Medicinal: ✅
General Use: ✅
On November 8, 2016, Bay State voters approved Question 4 ending marijuana prohibition for adults 21 and older. As a result, marijuana became legal for adults to grow and possess in Massachusetts on December 15, 2016.
Michigan
Fully Legal
Medicinal: ✅
General Use: ✅
The voters of Michigan have spoken. With 100% of precincts reporting, Proposal 1 has prevailed with 55.9% of the vote. In the face of a last minute spending blitz by the opposition, the Yes on 1 campaign overcame a barrage of dishonest attack ads to secure victory by a 12-point margin.
Minnesota
Mixed
Medicinal: ✅
General Use: Reduced
On January 29, 2019, Sen. Melisa Franzen (D), Sen. Scott Jensen, M.D. (R), and Rep. Mike Freiberg (D) introduced SF 619 and HF 420, which would legalize and regulate marijuana for adults’ use.
Mississippi
Fully Illegal
Medicinal: ?
General Use: Reduced
In September 2018, Mississippians for Compassionate Care filed an initiative with the secretary of state’s office that would make medical marijuana legal in Mississippi. The group is aiming to bring an amendment to the state constitution to voters in 2020. The first step to getting it on the ballot is to collect over 100,000 signatures from all over the state. So far, the group has collected over 45,000 signatures. You can read the proposed amendment here.
Missouri
Mixed
Medicinal: ✅
General Use: Reduced
Amendment 2 is set to take effect on December 6, 2018. The new law directs the Department of Health and Senior Services to begin issuing applications for qualifying patients 180 days after the effective date. They have 210 days after December 6 to begin accepting those applications. With a physician’s approval, a patient may qualify for medical marijuana if they have been diagnosed with any of the following conditions:
Montana
Mixed
Medicinal: ✅
General Use: ?
In Montana, possession of even a single joint for non-medical purposes can land a person in jail for six months, while possession of 60 grams or more (a little over two ounces) can result in a sentence of up to five years. These stiff marijuana penalties cause related negative consequences.
Nebraska
Fully Illegal
Medicinal: ?
General Use: Reduced
Sen. Anna Wishart, along with several cosponsors, recently introduced a bill that would establish a compassionate medical cannabis program for individuals with serious health conditions. With a doctor’s approval, qualifying patients would be able to safely access medical cannabis under this legislation. Read a summary of LB 110 here.
Nevada
Fully Legal
Medicinal: ✅
General Use: ✅
On November 8, 2016, 55% of Nevada voters approved Question 2, which legalized, taxed, and regulated marijuana for adults 21 and older. The Marijuana Policy Project played a leading role in the campaign, which faced well-financed opposition, including $3.5 million from casino magnate Sheldon Adelson. Many thanks to everyone who volunteered, donated, talked to friends and family, and voted! We couldn’t have done it without you.
New Hampshire
Mixed
Medicinal: ✅
General Use: Reduced
On April 4, 2019, the House of Representatives voted 200-163 in favor of passing HB 481, a bill that would legalize, regulate, and tax cannabis for adults 21 and older. Next, the bill will be scheduled for a public hearing in the Senate.
New Jersey
Mixed
Medicinal: ✅
General Use: ?
The New Jersey Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee and the Assembly Appropriations Committee each voted on Monday, November 26 to advance bills to legalize, tax, and regulate marijuana for adult use. A summary of S2703 and A4497 is available in the sidebar on the right.
New Mexico
Mixed
Medicinal: ✅
General Use: Reduced
On April 3, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed SB 323, which decriminalizes up to a half ounce of marijuana. New Mexico is the 24th state to decriminalize marijuana possession, and starting on July 1, the penalty for possessing up to half an ounce of marijuana will be a $50 civil fine, instead of potential jail time.
New York
Mixed
Medicinal: ✅
General Use: Reduced
In late August 2018, Gov. Cuomo also announced a series of “listening sessions” conducted throughout the state to gather input on legalization from community members and stakeholders. Assembly committees held a total of 17 hearings across the state from September 5 through October 17, 2018.
North Carolina
Fully Illegal
Medicinal: ?
General Use: Reduced
In 2019, the Senate has already approved a bill to expand the law to include autism, Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and some other conditions that failed to respond to at least three other medications. However, the bill — S 168 — still fails to provide any way to safely access medical cannabis preparations. It would also only allow between 0.3% and 0.9% THC cannabis, which is less THC than many patients need.
North Dakota
Mixed
Medicinal: ✅
General Use: ?
Earlier in March of this year, the first state-licensed dispensary opened in North Dakota, and three additional dispensaries are expected to begin sales soon. In total, state laws permits up to eight dispensaries. Two cultivation facilities have also been licensed.
Ohio
Mixed
Medicinal: ✅
General Use: Reduced
At long last, medical marijuana patients can make purchases at state-licensed dispensaries in Ohio. After regulators failed to meet statutory deadlines last year, the first doors opened on January 16, 2019.
Oklahoma
Mixed
Medicinal: ✅
General Use: ?
On March 14, 2019, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) signed a “unity” medical cannabis bill, HB 2612, into law. HB 2612 revises the state’s voter-enacted medical cannabis program. While some changes, such as providing for lab-testing, are beneficial, others whittle away at patient protections.
Oregon
Fully Legal
Medicinal: ✅
General Use: ✅
Lawmakers reconvened early this year in a short session, which is held in alternating years. The compressed scheduled meant little change to current marijuana laws or policy in the state, particularly as those laws continue to serve residents and their communities.
Pennsylvania
Mixed
Medicinal: ✅
General Use: ?
In December, Gov. Tom Wolf (D) said the state should take a “serious and honest look” at legalization. Then, on February 11, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman kicked off a statewide listening tour on legalization. Fetterman’s listening tour will include visits to all 67 counties. You can check out upcoming stops here and weigh in online here.
Rhode Island
Mixed
Medicinal: ✅
General Use: Reduced
Earlier this year, Gov. Gina Raimondo introduced a plan to legalize, regulate, and tax marijuana for adult use as well as amend Rhode Island’s existing medical marijuana and hemp laws. The legislation is included as part of Article 20 of her FY 2020 budget proposal. Lawmakers in both the House and Senate recently held hearings on an updated version of the budget article.
South Carolina
Fully Illegal
Medicinal: ?
General Use: ?
The legislative effort to pass the South Carolina Compassionate Care Act is again underway in South Carolina. Legislative champions, Sen. Tom Davis and Rep. Peter McCoy, have introduced measures this year that continue the legislative effort to establish a comprehensive and well-regulated program for seriously ill patients to get access. These measures gained a great deal of support from lawmakers last year, and that work to build support continues.
South Dakota
Fully Illegal
Medicinal: ?
General Use: ?
In 2017, 15 lawmakers introduced Senate Bill 129, which would have revised the penalty for ingestion of marijuana and undone the uniquely severe law of criminalizing internal possession. Unfortunately, the bill did not make it out of committee. No marijuana policy reform bills were introduced in 2018. Let’s make sure that’s not the case this year.
Tennessee
Fully Illegal
Medicinal: ?
General Use: ?
In November 2018, voters in three more states — Oklahoma, Missouri, and Utah — approved compassionate medical cannabis laws, bringing the total number of states with effective medical cannabis laws to 32. Tennessee is increasingly lonely as one of the remaining 18 states that criminalizes patients who use a far safer treatment option than opiates.
Texas
Fully Illegal
Medicinal: ?
General Use: ?
Texas continues to penalize simple possession of marijuana with up to 180 days in jail. Encouragingly, Gov. Abbott recently signaled his openness to reducing penalties to a fine.
Utah
Mixed
Medicinal: ✅
General Use: ?
On November 6, 2018, Utah voters approved Proposition 2, which legalized the use of medical cannabis for qualified patients. The law went into effect on December 1, 2018, but a special legislative session was convened shortly thereafter. Lawmakers replaced Prop 2 with a “compromise” bill agreed to by both proponents and opponents of Prop 2 prior to the election. The replacement legislation includes tighter restrictions on patient access and a greater level of state oversight. Here are some of the details of the law:
Vermont
Fully Legal
Medicinal: ✅
General Use: ✅
On January 22, 2018, Gov. Phil Scott signed H. 511, a bill legalizing possession and limited cultivation of cannabis by adults 21 and older. It took effect on July 1, 2018. Although nine other states have legalized marijuana by ballot initiative, this was the first time any state legislature legalized for adults’ use through the legislative process rather than by a vote of the people.
Virginia
Fully Illegal
Medicinal: ?
General Use: ?
Polling has shown that almost eight out of 10 Virginia residents support replacing criminal convictions with a fine, and 62 percent favor ending marijuana prohibition all together. Contact your lawmakers and ask them to support marijuana policy reform!
Washington
Fully Legal
Medicinal: ✅
General Use: ✅
Lawmakers reconvened in Olympia on January 8 of this year, with several cannabis-related bills under consideration early. With a short, 60-day session that wrapped up in March, however, there was little time for lawmakers, and no significant marijuana-bills emerged this year.
West Virginia
Mixed
Medicinal: ✅
General Use: ?
On April 19, 2017, Gov. Jim Justice signed West Virginia’s medical cannabis bill, SB 386, making West Virginia the 29th state to pass a medical cannabis law. The bill passed the Senate in a 28-6 vote on March 29, and it passed the House on April 4 in a 76-24 vote.
Wisconsin
Fully Illegal
Medicinal: ?
General Use: ?
During the same November election, in neighboring Michigan, voters overwhelmingly approved legalizing and regulating marijuana for adults 21 and older.
Wyoming
Fully Illegal
Medicinal: ?
General Use: ?
Wyoming trails far behind other states when it comes to sensible marijuana policies. Sadly, Wyoming is one of the remaining 18 states with no effective medical marijuana law.