Here Are All the States That Have Legalized Weed in the U.S.

Canada officially legalized weed throughout the entire damn country in October. Aren’t they just so damn lucky.

Here in the U.S., marijuana legalization is slowly eking out victories on a state-by-state basis. In the 2016 election, which was bad for most reasons but good for this one, six states got on board with legal weed. During the heated 2018 midterms, Michigan added itself to the list. Both were significant victories for cannabis consumers, who face formidable opposition from the federal government.

On a federal level, marijuana is still classified as a Schedule I drug with a “high potential for abuse,” right up there with heroin, ecstasy, and peyote. In January Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who thinks “good people don’t smoke marijuana” and is also a flaming racist, rescinded an Obama-era memo that protected states where marijuana is legal from most federal prosecution. (He resigned the day after the 2018 midterms; his replacement has not been announced.)

But more and more politicians—on both sides of the aisle—think it’s stupid to not legalize marijuana, or at least are trying to gives states the right to decide for themselves. Senator Cory Booker is drumming up congressional support for his proposed Marijuana Justice Act, which would not only end federal prohibition of cannabis but also attempt to make things right in communities most targeted by cannabis arrests. In June, members of Congress introduced the bipartisan Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States (STATES) Act, intended to protect states’ rights to determine their own marijuana laws without federal interference.

Who knows. Maybe one day the federal government will get its shit together. Until then, here the 10 states plus the District of Columbia where it’s legal to buy and consume recreational marijuana, as well as the 33 states plus D.C. that have approved medical marijuana. (Note: This is a general outline; specifics on homegrown plants, concentrates, etc. differ per state.)

States with Legal Recreational Weed

Alaska

• legal for adults 21 and over to possess up to one ounce of marijuana
• legal to grow up to six marijuana plants per household

California

• legal for adults 21 and over to possess up to one ounce
• legal to grow up to six plants per household

Colorado

• legal for adults 21 and over to possess up to one ounce of marijuana
• legal to grow up to six plants per household

District of Columbia

• legal for adults 21 and over to possess up to two ounces
• legal to grow up to six plants per household

Maine

• legal for adults 21 and over to possess up to 2.5 ounces
• legal to grow up to three flowering plants per household

Massachusetts

• legal for adults 21 and over to possess up to one ounce
• legal to grow up to six plants per household

Michigan (not yet enacted)

• legal for adults 21 and over to possess up to 2.5 ounces
• legal to grow up to 12 plants per household

Nevada

• legal for adults 21 and over to possess up to one ounce
• legal to grow up to six plants per household

Oregon

• legal for adults 21 and over to possess up to one ounce on their person and up to eight ounces at home
• legal to grow up to four plants per person

Vermont

• legal for adults 21 and over to possess up to one ounce
• legal to grow up to six plants per household

Washington

• legal for adults 21 and over to possess up to one ounce
• illegal to grow plants

States with Legal Medical Marijuana

In addition to the 10 states plus D.C. with legalized recreational weed—and thus are on board with medical marijuana—these 23 states have legalized just medical marijuana:

• Arizona
• Arkansas
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Florida
• Hawaii
• Illinois
• Louisiana
• Maryland
• Minnesota
• Missouri
• Montana
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• Utah
• West Virginia

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Lifestyle – Esquire