Gallup polls. Do you think the use of marijuana should be legal, or not? Date% Yes, legal10/2/20237010/3/20226810/1/20216810/1/20206810/1/2019665/15/20196410/1/20186610/5/20176410/5/20166010/7/20155810/12/20145110/3/20135811/26/20124810/6/20115010/7/20104610/1/20094410/13/20053611/10/2003348/3/2001348/29/2000318/28/1995255/17/1985236/27/1980255/18/1979254/1/1977281/26/1973165/3/19721510/2/196912
The legal history of cannabis in the United States began with state-level prohibition in the early 20th century, with the first major federal limitations occurring in 1937. Starting with Oregon in 1973, individual states began to liberalize cannabis laws through decriminalization. In 1996, California became the first state to legalize medical cannabis, sparking a trend that spread to a majority of states by 2016. In 2012, Washington and Colorado became the first states to legalize cannabis for recreational use.
Federal 1937: The Marihuana Tax Act is enacted, effectively prohibiting cannabis at the federal level. Although medical use is still permitted, new fees and regulatory requirements significantly curtail its use. 1969: The Marihuana Tax Act is struck down in the case Leary v. United States. The Supreme Court rules that the act violates the Fifth Amendment's protection against self-incrimination. 1970: The Controlled Substances Act is enacted. Cannabis is classified as a Schedule I drug, determined to have a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use, thereby prohibiting its use for any purpose. 1979: DEA creates Domestic Cannabis Eradication / Suppression Program to destroy marijuana plants by incineration. 1985: Marinol is prescribed for the first time 1990: The Solomon–Lautenberg amendment is enacted. As a result, many states pass "Smoke a joint, lose your license" laws under which any drug offense is punished with a mandatory six month driver's license suspension. 2014: The Rohrabacher–Farr amendment passes the U.S. House and is signed into law. Requiring annual renewal, it prohibits the Justice Department from interfering with the implementation of state medical cannabis laws. The Cole Memorandum had in 2013 assigned similar policies from within the Justice Department.Memorandum for All United States Attorneys: Guidance Regarding Federal Marijuana Enforcement , Office of the Deputy Attorney General (August 29, 2013).Ashley Southall & Jack Healy, U.S. Won’t Sue to Reverse States' Legalization of Marijuana , New York Times (August 29, 2013). 2016: The ATF adds marijuana to Form 4473 2018: The 2018 farm bill legalizes low-THC (less than 0.3% THC) hemp and hemp-derived products such as cannabidiol (CBD) at the federal level. The bill also fully removed or "descheduled" low-THC cannabis products from the Controlled Substances Act, where they had been listed as Schedule I drugs since the CSA's inception in 1970. 2022: The Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act is signed into law to allow cannabis to be more easily researched for medical purposes. It is the first standalone cannabis reform bill enacted at the federal level.
State
Prohibition begins – 1911 1911: Massachusetts requires a prescription for sales of Indian hemp. 1913: California, Maine, Wyoming, and Indiana ban marijuana. 1915: Utah and Vermont ban marijuana. 1917: Colorado legislators make the use and cultivation of cannabis a misdemeanor. 1923: Iowa, Oregon, Washington, and Vermont ban marijuana. 1927: New York, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, and Nebraska ban marijuana. 1931: Illinois bans marijuana. 1931: Texas declares cannabis a narcotic, allowing up to life sentences for possession. 1933: North Dakota and Oklahoma ban marijuana. By this year, 29 states have criminalized cannabis.
Decriminalization begins – 1973
1973: Texas law is amended to declare possession of four ounces or less a misdemeanor. 1973: Oregon becomes the first state to decriminalize cannabis – reducing the penalty for up to one ounce to a $100 fine. 1975: Alaska, Maine, Colorado, California, and Ohio decriminalize cannabis. 1975: Alaska's Supreme Court establishes that the right to privacy includes possession of small amounts of marijuana. 1976: Minnesota decriminalizes cannabis. 1977: Mississippi, New York, and North Carolina decriminalize cannabis. South Dakota also decriminalizes cannabis, but the law is repealed almost immediately afterwards. 1978: Nebraska decriminalizes cannabis. No other state would decriminalize until 2001. 1978: New Mexico passes the Controlled Substances Therapeutic Research Act, becoming the first state to enact legislation recognizing the medical value of marijuana. 1979: Virginia passes legislation allowing doctors to recommend cannabis for glaucoma or the side effects of chemotherapy. 1982: Alaska passes legislation to further decrease penalties for cannabis. 1990: Alaska recriminalizes cannabis by voter initiative, restoring criminal penalties for possession of any amount of cannabis.
Medical cannabis begins – 1996 1996: California becomes the first state to legalize medical cannabis with the approval of Proposition 215. Arizona also passes a medical cannabis ballot measure, but it is rendered ineffective on a technicality. 1998: Oregon, Alaska, and Washington all legalize medical cannabis through ballot measure. Nevada also passes a medical cannabis initiative, but it requires second approval in 2000 to become law, as per the state constitution. 1999: Maine legalizes medical cannabis through ballot measure. 2000: Hawaii becomes the first state to legalize medical cannabis through state legislature. 2000: Nevada and Colorado legalize medical cannabis through ballot measure. 2001: Nevada decriminalizes cannabis through state legislature. 2003: Maryland passes legislation establishing reduced penalties for persons using cannabis due to a medical necessity (as established at trial). 2004: Vermont legalizes medical cannabis through state legislature. 2004: Montana legalizes medical cannabis through ballot measure. 2006: Rhode Island legalizes medical cannabis through state legislature. 2007: New Mexico legalizes medical cannabis through state legislature. 2008: Michigan approves a ballot initiative to legalize medical cannabis. Massachusetts approves a ballot measure to decriminalize cannabis. 2010: New Jersey legalizes medical cannabis through state legislature. 2010: Arizona legalizes medical cannabis through ballot measure. 2010: California legislators reduce penalties for cannabis to a civil infraction. 2011: Delaware legalizes medical cannabis through state legislature. 2011: Connecticut decriminalizes cannabis through state legislature. 2012: Connecticut legalizes medical cannabis through state legislature. 2012: Rhode Island decriminalizes cannabis through state legislature.
Recreational legalization begins – 2012 2012: Colorado and Washington become the first two states to legalize the recreational use of cannabis following the passage of Amendment 64 and Initiative 502. Massachusetts approves a ballot measure to legalize medical cannabis. 2013: Vermont decriminalizes cannabis through state legislature. 2013: New Hampshire legalizes medical cannabis through state legislature. 2013: Illinois legalizes medical cannabis through state legislature. 2014: Utah becomes the first state to pass a low-THC, high-CBD medical cannabis law. These laws allow low-THC cannabis oil to be used for treatment of certain medical conditions (mostly seizure disorders) with a doctor's recommendation. 2014: Maryland legislators decriminalize cannabis and approve a comprehensive medical cannabis law, expanding the very limited measure that was passed in 2003. 2014: Missouri decriminalizes cannabis through state legislature. 2014: Minnesota legalizes medical cannabis through state legislature. 2014: New York legalizes medical cannabis through state legislature. 2014: Alaska and Oregon legalize recreational cannabis through ballot measure. 2014: By the end of the year, 10 more states pass low-THC, high-CBD medical cannabis laws: Alabama, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Mississippi, Tennessee, Iowa, South Carolina, Florida, North Carolina, and Missouri. 2015: Delaware decriminalizes cannabis through state legislature. 2015: Louisiana legislators pass a limited medical cannabis law. 2015: During the year, five more states pass low-THC, high-CBD medical cannabis laws: Virginia, Georgia, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wyoming. 2016: Pennsylvania legalizes medical cannabis through state legislature. 2016: Ohio legalizes medical cannabis through state legislature. 2016: Illinois decriminalizes cannabis through state legislature. 2016: California, Nevada, Maine, and Massachusetts approve ballot measures to legalize recreational cannabis. Arkansas, Florida, and North Dakota approve ballot measures to legalize medical cannabis. 2017: West Virginia legalizes medical cannabis through state legislature. 2017: Indiana passes a low-THC, high-CBD medical cannabis law. 2017: New Hampshire decriminalizes cannabis through state legislature. 2018: Vermont becomes the first state to legalize recreational cannabis through state legislature. Unlike all other states that had legalized recreational cannabis, however, no provision was made for commercial sale. 2018: Indiana legalizes CBD for any use. 2018: Kansas legalizes CBD for any use. 2018: Oklahoma legalizes medical cannabis through ballot measure. 2018: Michigan approves a ballot measure to legalize recreational cannabis. Missouri and Utah approve ballot measures to legalize medical cannabis. 2019: New Mexico decriminalizes cannabis through state legislature. 2019: North Dakota decriminalizes cannabis through state legislature. 2019: Illinois legalizes recreational cannabis through state legislature, including its commercial sale. It became the first state to legalize the commercial sale of recreational cannabis through an act of state legislature. 2019: Hawaii decriminalizes cannabis through state legislature. 2020: Virginia decriminalizes cannabis through state legislature. 2020: Vermont legalizes commercial recreational cannabis sales through state legislature. 2020: Arizona, Montana, New Jersey, and South Dakota approve ballot measures to legalize recreational cannabis, with South Dakota becoming the first state to legalize recreational use without first legalizing medical use. Mississippi and South Dakota approve ballot measures to legalize medical cannabis. 2021: South Dakota initiative to legalize recreational use is ruled state-unconstitutional by a circuit court judge. 2021: New York legalizes recreational cannabis through state legislature. 2021: Virginia legalizes recreational cannabis through state legislature. 2021: New Mexico legalizes recreational cannabis through state legislature. 2021: Mississippi initiative to legalize medical cannabis is overturned by the Supreme Court of Mississippi due to issue with state's ballot initiative process. 2021: Alabama legalizes medical cannabis through state legislature. 2021: Louisiana decriminalizes cannabis through state legislature. 2021: Connecticut legalizes recreational cannabis through state legislature. 2022: Mississippi legalizes medical cannabis through state legislature. 2022: Rhode Island legalizes recreational cannabis through state legislature. 2022: Maryland and Missouri voters approve ballot measures to legalize recreational cannabis. 2023: Kentucky legalizes medical cannabis through state legislature. 2023: Delaware legalizes recreational cannabis through state legislature. 2023: Minnesota legalizes recreational cannabis through state legislature. 2023: Ohio legalizes recreational cannabis through Issue 2. 2025: Texas legalizes medical cannabis through state legislature. 2025: Nebraska legalizes medical cannabis through Initiative 437 after legal issues were resolved.
Municipal