Current:Home > FinanceWhere is weed legal? The states where recreational, medicinal marijuana is allowed in 2024-LoTradeCoin
Where is weed legal? The states where recreational, medicinal marijuana is allowed in 2024
View Date:2024-12-24 07:31:06
Saturday is April 20, the yearly unofficial holiday celebrating marijuana use.
While the real reasons why 4/20 are associated with marijuana are unclear, the day has since become a reason for people to partake in the drug or to rally for approval in the states where it is not yet legal for medical or recreational use.
In 2023, Ohio voted to make the Buckeye state the 24th and most recent state to legalize recreational marijuana. Around the U.S., medicinal marijuana is legal in an even greater number of states. In March 2023, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear signed a bill legalizing medical use; however it will not go into effect until 2025.
Here are the states where the use of medical or recreational marijuana is currently legal.
Will Hawaii legalize weed?The fight for recreational marijuana is complicated
Which states have legal recreational marijuana?
Here are the states where it is currently legal, or will soon become legal, to purchase marijuana for recreational use. Every state on this list had authorized the use for medicinal purposes prior to full legalization.
- Ohio: Legalized in 2023
- Minnesota: Legalized in 2023
- Delaware: Legalized in 2023
- Rhode Island: Legalized in 2022
- Maryland: Legalized in 2022
- Missouri: Legalized in 2022
- Connecticut: Legalized in 2021
- New Mexico: Legalized in 2021
- New York: Legalized in 2021
- Virginia: Legalized in 2021
- Arizona: Legalized in 2020
- Montana: Legalized in 2020
- New Jersey: Legalized in 2020
- Vermont: Legalized in 2020
- Illinois: Legalized in 2019
- Michigan: Legalized in 2018
- California: Legalized in 2016
- Maine: Legalized in 2016
- Massachusetts: Legalized in 2016
- Nevada: Legalized in 2016
- District of Columbia: Legalized in 2014
- Alaska: Legalized 2014
- Oregon: Legalized in 2014
- Colorado: Legalized in 2012
- Washington: Legalized in 2012
Which states have legalized medical marijuana?
The use of cannabis for medicinal purposes is legal in an even greater number of states than recreational marijuana, and its use is only totally prohibited in 11 states. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear signed a bill legalizing medical use in March; however it will not go into effect until 2025.
- Mississippi: Legalized 2022
- Alabama: Legalized 2021
- South Dakota: Legalized 2020
- Missouri: Legalized 2018
- Oklahoma: Legalized 2018
- Utah: Legalized 2018
- Iowa: Legalized 2017
- West Virginia: Legalized 2017
- Arkansas: Legalized 2016
- Florida: Legalized 2016
- North Dakota: Legalized 2016
- Ohio: Legalized 2016
- Pennsylvania: Legalized 2016
- Georgia: Legalized 2015
- Louisiana: Legalized 2015
- Minnesota: Legalized 2014
- Maryland: Legalized 2013
- New Hampshire: Legalized 2013
- Delaware: Legalized 2011
- Rhode Island: 2006
- Hawaii: Legalized 2000
Contributing: Orlando Mayorquin and Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY
veryGood! (689)
Related
- Champions Classic is for elite teams. So why is Michigan State still here? | Opinion
- AP PHOTOS: In Malaysia, Wangkang procession seeks to banish evil spirits
- Democrats’ education funding report says Pennsylvania owes $5B more to school districts
- Nearly 700 swans found dead at nature reserve as specialists investigate bird flu
- 25 monkeys caught but more still missing after escape from research facility in SC
- Wisconsin Senate GOP leader says state-run medical marijuana dispensaries are a ‘nonstarter’
- Iowa community recalls 11-year-old boy with ‘vibrant soul’ killed in school shooting
- Japan launches an intelligence-gathering satellite to watch for North Korean missiles
- NFL Week 11 picks straight up and against spread: Will Bills hand Chiefs first loss of season?
- Who was the revered rabbi cited as inspiration for a tunnel to a basement synagogue in New York?
Ranking
- NFL Week 10 injury report: Live updates on active, inactive players for Sunday's games
- The war in Gaza has taken an economic toll on tech, Israel's most productive sector
- North Korea to welcome Russian tourists in February, the country’s first since the pandemic
- In Taiwan’s election Saturday, who are the 3 candidates trying to become president?
- Police identify 7-year-old child killed in North Carolina weekend shooting
- AP Week in Pictures: Asia
- Original 1998 'Friends' scripts discovered in trash bin up for sale on Friday
- West Virginia advances bill requiring foundation distributing opioid money to hold public meetings
Recommendation
-
Amazon Best Books of 2024 revealed: Top 10 span genres but all 'make you feel deeply'
-
Ohio woman who miscarried won't be criminally charged, prosecutor says
-
In 1989, a distraught father was filmed finding the body of his 5-year-old son. He's now accused in the boy's murder.
-
Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter crashes near Mexican border with minor injury reported
-
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich had a stroke earlier this month, is expected to make full recovery
-
Coco Gauff enters the Australian Open as a teenage Grand Slam champion. The pressure is off
-
Navy chopper crashes into San Diego Bay and all 6 crew members on board survive, Navy says
-
Moon landing, Beatles, MLK speech are among TV’s 75 biggest moments, released before 75th Emmys