Timeline of cannabis legalization in the United States
State and territorial laws about cannabis in the United States
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State with legalized cannabis.1
State with both medical and decriminalization laws.1*
State with decriminalized cannabis possession laws.1
State with legal psychoactive medical cannabis.1
State with legal non-psychoactive medical cannabis1
State with total cannabis prohibition
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1 Includes laws which have not yet gone into effect.
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*Cannabis remains a Schedule I substance under federal law as of 2015.
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*Some cities and Indian Reservations have legalization policies separate from their surrounding states.
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| Timeline of medical marijuana legalization in the USA | |
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(State-level legalization)
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The Legal history of cannabis in the United States began with federal prohibition in the early 20th century. Starting with Oregon in 1973, individual states began to liberalize cannabis laws through decriminalization and legalization of recreational cannabis, as well as the legalization of medical marijuana for non-recreational use.
Legislation
Federal
- 2014: The United States House of Representatives passed a bill prohibiting the DEA from using funds to arrest medical cannabis patients in states with medical cannabis laws.[1]
- 2014: Congress ends the federal government's ban on medical cannabis.[2]
States
- 1973: Oregon decriminalized cannabis.[3]
- 1975: Alaska decriminalized cannabis.[4]
- 1976: Maine decriminalized cannabis.[5]
- By 1978: Alaska, California, Colorado, Mississippi, New York, Nebraska, North Carolina, and Ohio had some form of cannabis decriminalization.[6] Certain cities and counties, particularly in California, had adopted laws to further decriminalize cannabis.
- 1996: California legalized medical cannabis. (California proposition 215)
- 1998: Oregon legalized medical cannabis. (Oregon Medical Marijuana Act)
- 1999: Maine legalized medical cannabis.[7]
- 2000: Nevada legalized medical cannabis.[8]
- Colorado legalized medical cannabis.[8]
- 2004: Montana voters passed Initiative 148 on November 2, 2004 with 62% approval. It took effect immediately.[8]
- 2007: New Mexico and Vermont legalized medical cannabis.[8][8][8]
- 2008: Michigan legalized medical marijuana.[9]
- 2010: New Jersey and Arizona legalized medical cannabis.[10][11](Arizona's proposition 203)[12]
- 2012: Massachusetts legalized medical cannabis. (Massachusetts Medical Marijuana Initiative)
- 2012: Washington and Colorado legalized recreational marijuana for adults 21 years of age or older.
- 2014: Maryland decriminalized cannabis. Minnesota and New York legalized medical cannabis.[13][14][15]
- 2014: Alaska, and Oregon legalized recreational cannabis.[16] Alaska's law took effect on February 25th, 2015.[17] Oregon's initiative will begin on July 1, 2015.[18]
- 2015: Georgia legalized medical cannabis.[19]
Municipal
- 1998: Washington D.C. attempted to legalize medical cannabis with the passage of Initiative 59, but was prevented by the Barr Ammendment from putting the new law into action until 2009, with the first legal medical sales occurring in 2013.[20]
- 2005: Denver, Colorado legalized cannabis.[21]
- 2009: Breckenridge, Colorado legalized cannabis.[22]
- 2013: Portland, Maine legalized cannabis.[23]
- 2014: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania decriminalized cannabis.[24]
- 2014: Washington D.C.'s City Council decriminalized cannabis in July, and the electorate voted in November to legalize recreational marijuana with 69% in favor.[25] A Congressional rider prevented DC from permitting retail marijuana stores.[26] On 26 February 2015, marijuana became legal in D.C. for adults aged 21 and over to possess, gift and grow but not to sell.[27]
- 2014: New York City, New York decriminalized cannabis.[28]
Territory
Indian Reservations
- 2014: The US Justice Department allowed recognized Indian Reservations to regulate cannabis laws within their reservation. The laws in the reservations are allowed to be different from state and federal laws. As with State and Territories, the Federal government will not intervene as long as the reservations regulate strict control over cannabis. Some domestic nations such as the Yakama Nation and the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council rejected the approval to allow cannabis on their reservation.[30]
Opinion
Presidential
- 2015: President Barack Obama declared his support of cannabis decriminalization but opposition to legalization.[31][32]
Public
- 2011: Gallup reported a record 50% of Americans surveyed supported legalization.[33]
- 2013: The Pew Research Center presented U.S. survey results that showed prohibition support as a minority position for the first time in four decades: 52% supported legalization.[34] Gallup reported a record 58% of Americans support nationwide legalization.[35]
- 2014: Research conducted by the Pew Research Center in February showed an increase in the percentage of legalization supporters, from 52% to 54%,[36] while the New York Times published its Editorial Boards series "High Time: An Editorial Series on Marijuana Legalization" in July.[37]
See also
- Legal history of cannabis in the United States
- Medical cannabis in the United States
- Places that have decriminalized non-medical cannabis in the United States
References
- ↑ Reilly, Ryan (2014-05-30). "House Blocks DEA From Targeting Medical Marijuana". Huffington Post. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
- ↑ "Congress quietly ends federal government's ban on medical marijuana". LA Times. 16 December 2014. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
- ↑ Suellentrop, Chris (2001-02-15). "Which States Have Decriminalized MJ Possession?". Cannabis News. Retrieved 2010-10-12.
- ↑ "State by State Laws: Alaska". National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. 2006. Retrieved 2006-12-24.
- ↑ Scott, Emilee (2010-05-05). "Marijuana Decriminalization". ABC News. Retrieved 2013-04-29.
- ↑ Peter De Marneffe and Douglas N. Husak. The Legalization of Drugs, 2005. Page 8.
- ↑ "Maine Medical Marijuana". Retrieved 2012-04-29.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 "Active State Medical Marijuana Programs - NORML". norml.com. Retrieved 2008-06-04.
- ↑ Cook, T; Powell D; Bradley T (2008-11-05). "California Passes Gay Marriage Ban, Legal Challenges to Come". ABC News. Retrieved 2008-11-12.
- ↑ "New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Ac". njleg.state.nj.us. Retrieved 2010-01-11.
- ↑ Kocieniewski, David (2010-01-12). "New Jersey Lawmakers Pass Medical Marijuana Bill". nytimes.com. Retrieved 2010-01-11.
- ↑ Bennett, Ken (August 19, 2010). "Ballot Measures". Retrieved August 24, 2010.
- ↑ Warren, Pat (14 April 2014). "Jail Time Replaced With Fines: Gov. O’Malley Signs Marijuana Decriminalization Bill". CBC Baltimore. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
- ↑ "Gov. Dayton Signs Medical Marijuana Bill Into Law". CBS Minnesota. May 29, 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
- ↑ Campbell, Jon (7 July 2014). "Cuomo signs New York's medical marijuana bill". USA Today. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
- ↑ "2014 Ballot Measures". Retrieved 5 November 2014.
- ↑ "Alaska Becomes Third State to Legalize Marijuana". 24 February 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
- ↑ "Recreational Marijuana in General". Oregon.gov. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
- ↑ "Georgia Gov. Deal signs medical marijuana bill into law". MSNBC. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
- ↑ http://blog.norml.org/2013/07/30/first-medical-marijuana-sale-reported-in-washington-dc/
- ↑ "Denver votes to legalize marijuana possession". USA Today. Nov 3, 2005. Retrieved Oct 16, 2014.
- ↑ "Breckenridge Pot Legalization Creates Big Buzz". ABC 7 Denver. Nov 5, 2009. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
- ↑ "Portland, Maine, Legalizes Recreational Marijuana". Retrieved 1 October 2014.
- ↑ "Philadelphia Is Decriminalizing Marijuana Possession". Retrieved 1 October 2014.
- ↑ "2014 Ballot Measures". Retrieved 5 November 2014.
- ↑ "Congressional spending deal blocks pot legalization in D.C.". Washington Post. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
- ↑ "Pot now legal in D.C. despite threats from Congress". U.S.A Today. 26 February 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
- ↑ "Pot in NYC may soon net just a ticket, not an arrest". CNN. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
- ↑ "Guam Legalizes Medical Marijuana". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 11 January 2015.
- ↑ the D.O.J. allows indian reservations to grow and sell marijuana, nwherald.com, 12 December 2014, retrieved 2014-12-24
- ↑ Lopez, German. "President Obama wants to treat marijuana like tobacco but not legalize it. Wait, what?". Vox. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
- ↑ Wheaton, Sarah (16 March 2015). "Obama snuffs stoner dreams of legalization". Politico. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
- ↑ http://www.gallup.com/poll/150149/record-high-americans-favor-legalizing-marijuana.aspx
- ↑ Juliet Lapidos (26 July 2014). "The Public Lightens Up About Weed". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
- ↑ "For First Time, Americans Favor Legalizing Marijuana". Gallup. 22 October 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
- ↑ "America’s New Drug Policy Landscape". Pew Research Center. Pew Research Center. 2 April 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
- ↑ Editorial Board (July 2014). "Our Position: Repeal Prohibition, Again". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
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