Marijuana legalization is spreading around the US.
Since Colorado and Washington broke ground in 2012, 11 states and Washington, DC, have legalized marijuana for adults over the age of 21. And 33 states have legalized medical marijuana — meaning that a majority of Americans now have some form of access to marijuana, whether medically or recreationally.
In November, four more states — New Jersey, Arizona, Montana, and South Dakota — will vote on whether to legalize. On top of that, voters in Mississippi will weigh two competing measures on whether to legalize medical marijuana.
Though Canada legalized marijuana federally in 2018, the US has not followed suit, forcing states to chart their own course. As it stands, marijuana is still considered an illegal Schedule I drug by the US federal government. The House in September was set to vote on a bill to legalize marijuana and expunge the records of those convicted under previous laws, the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, though the vote was punted to after the election.
Neither presidential candidate supports outright legalization, though Democratic nominee Joe Biden said he would support federal decriminalization. His running mate, Kamala Harris, sponsored a previous version of the MORE Act in the Senate, and it's likely that a Democratic administration would sign that — or a similar legalization bill — into law if passed in the House and Senate.
The Republican-controlled Senate remains an obstacle, however. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is vocally opposed to legalization. He is a supporter of hemp, or cannabis plants that contain a negligible amount of THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.
House Democrats included a provision in the recent stimulus bill, the SAFE Banking Act, that allows cannabis companies to access banking and financial services much like any other company so they don't have to rely on cash transactions. It remains to be seen whether it will be included in the final legislation.
Despite the political back-and-forth, most Americans want legal marijuana, according to recent polls. Sixty-seven percent of Americans polled by Pew Research said marijuana should be legal, with only 32% in opposition.
All the states where marijuana is legal:
This article was first published in January 2018 and has been updated with new information about where cannabis is legal. Melia Russell contributed to an earlier version of this report.
Alaska
Adults 21 and over can light up in Alaska. In 2015, the northernmost US state made it legal for residents to use, possess, and transport up to an ounce of marijuana— roughly a sandwich bag full — for recreational use. The first pot shop opened for business in 2016.
Alaska has pounced on the opportunity to make its recreational-pot shops a destination for tourists. More than 2 million people visit Alaska annually and spend $2 billion.
California
In 1996, California became the first state to legalize medical marijuana. California became even more pot-friendly in 2016 when it made it legal to use and carry up to 1 ounce of marijuana.
The law also permits adults 21 and over to buy up to 8 grams of marijuana concentrates, which are found in edibles, and grow no more than six marijuana plants per household.
Colorado
In Colorado, there are more marijuana dispensaries than Starbucks and McDonald's combined. The state joined Washington in becoming the first two states to fully legalize the drug in 2012.
Residents and tourists over the age of 21 can buy up to 1 ounce of marijuana or 8 grams of concentrates. Some Colorado counties and cities have passed more restrictive laws.
Illinois
Illinois lawmakers in June 2019 passed a bill that legalized the possession and commercial sale of marijuana in the state starting on January 1.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who made marijuana legalization a core component of his campaign for the governor's office, signed the bill into law.
For its part, Illinois is the first state to legalize marijuana sales through a state legislature, rather than a ballot initiative.
Maine
A ballot initiative in 2016 gave Maine residents the right to possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana, more than double the limit in most other states.
Recreational-marijuana dispensaries are set to open in Maine in October.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts was the first state on the East Coast to legalize marijuana after voters approved the measure in 2016.
Marijuana dispensaries opened their doors to consumers in November 2018. Adults over the age of 21 can purchase up to 1 ounce of marijuana but cannot consume it in public.
Michigan
Voters in Michigan passed Proposition 1 in 2018, making it the first state in the Midwest to legalize the possession and sale of marijuana for adults over the age of 21. Adults can possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana, and residents can grow up to 12 plants at home.
The law is more permissive than other states with legal marijuana: Most allow residents to possess only up to 1 ounce at a time.
Marijuana dispensaries in Michigan opened on December 1.
Nevada
Residents and tourists who are 21 and over can buy 1 ounce of marijuana or one-eighth of an ounce of edibles or concentrates in Nevada. Less than two weeks after sales of recreational weed began on July 1, 2017, many stores ran out of marijuana to sell.
There's bad news if you want to grow your own bud, though. Nevada residents must live 25 miles outside the nearest dispensary to be eligible for a grower's license.
Oregon
Oregon legalized marijuana in 2015, and sales in the state started October 1 of that year.
Sales in Oregon pot shops have exploded since legalization: They're expected to top $1 billion by 2020, Portland Business Journal reported.
Vermont
Vermont became the first state to legalize marijuana through the legislature, rather than a ballot initiative, when Republic Gov. Phil Scott signed a bill into law in January 2018.
Adults in the Green Mountain State can carry up to 1 ounce of marijuana and grow no more than two plants for recreational use. The law went into effect in July 2018. But it is limited in scope. It doesn't establish a legal market for the production and sale of the drug, though the Vermont Legislature is working on adopting rules to create a recreational market.
Washington
Marijuana was legalized for recreational use in Washington in 2012.
The state allows people to carry up to 1 ounce of marijuana, but they must use the drug for medicinal purposes to be eligible for a grower's license.
Washington, DC
Residents in the nation's capital voted overwhelmingly to legalize marijuana for adult use in November 2014.
The bill took effect in 2015, allowing people to possess 2 ounces or less of marijuana and "gift" up to an ounce, if neither money nor goods or services are exchanged.