Legal Recreational Marijuana States And DC — Recreational Marijuana — ProCon.org

For info on medical cannabis, please visit our Legal Medical Marijuana States resource.
Ballot Measure: Ballot Measure 2 — Approved Nov. 4, 2014 by 53% of voters
Law: Alaska Statute Chapter 17.38: The Regulation of Marijuana
State Website: Alaska Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office
Effective: Feb. 24, 2015
Alaska Medical Marijuana Laws:
The ownership limits for medical cannabis clients are the same as the limitations for adult users.
Hash & Concentrates: Possession of hash and concentrates is unlawful. Possession of as much as 3 g is a misdemeanor, more is a felony.
2. Arizona
Ballot Measure: Smart and Safe Act (Prop 207) — Approved Nov. 3, 2020 by 59.95% of citizens
Law: Smart and Safe Arizona Act
Effective: Nov. 30, 2020; sales Mar. 2021
Arizona Medical Marijuana Laws
Plants: Up to 6 plants per person; up to 12 plants for a single residence with more than one 21+ resident
Hash & Concentrates: up to 5 grams
3. California
Ballot Measure: Proposition 64: The Adult Use Marijuana Act — Approved Nov. 9, 2016 by 57% of voters
Law: Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act
State Website: California Cannabis Portal
Effective: Nov. 9, 2016 (modified charges); Jan. 1, 2018 (retail sales); 2023 (constraints to be lifted on large-scale corporations)
California Medical Marijuana States Marijuana Laws:
Medical cannabis clients are exempt to the limitations of the leisure law and might have approximately 8 oz usable cannabis, and 6 mature or 12 immature plants.
Plants: up to 6 plants, including the harvest from those 6 plants
Hash & Concentrates: as much as 8 g (more than 8 g is a misdemeanor)
4. Colorado
Ballot Measure: Amendment 64 (55%) — Approved Nov. 6, 2012 by 55% of citizens
Law: Colorado Constitution: Article 18, area 16
State Website: Colorado Marijuana
Effective: Dec. 10, 2012 (revised charges) Jan. 1, 2014 (industrial sales)
Colorado Medical Marijuana Laws:
Medical cannabis clients are not subject to the limitations of the recreational law and might possess approximately 2 oz functional cannabis, and 6 plants (3 fully grown and 3 immature).
Plants: up to 6 plants with no more than 3 fully grown plants
Hash & Concentrates: approximately 1 oz
5. District of Columbia
Ballot Measure: Initiative 71 — Approved Nov. 4, 2014 by 64.87% of citizens
Law: Marijuana Legalization and Regulation Act of 2015
DC Website: DC Metro Police Department
Effective: Feb. 26, 2015
Retail sales are not allowed
DC Medical Marijuana Laws:
Medical cannabis clients are exempt to the limitations of the leisure law and might possess up to 2 oz dried cannabis
Plants: up to 6 plants per person without any more than 3 mature plants; up to 12 plants (no more than 6 fully grown) for a single house with more than one 21+ resident
Hash & Concentrates: Possession of hash and concentrates is unlawful and punishable with 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.
6. Illinois
Legislation: HB 1438
Law: Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act
Effective: Jan. 1, 2020
Illinois Medical Marijuana Laws:
Medical cannabis clients are not subject to the limits of the leisure law and might have approximately 2.5 oz cannabis per 14 days and mature to 5 plants that go beyond five inches high.
Usable Marijuana: as much as 1 oz (30 g) for residents and 500 milligrams of THC included in a cannabis-infused item for state citizens (15 g/250 mg non-residents)
Plants: None
Hash & Concentrates: approximately 5 g (2.5 g non-residents)
7. Maine
Ballot Measure: Question 1 — Approved Dec. 17, 2016 (after recount of Nov. 8, 2016 election results was abandoned) by 50.26% of voters
Law: The Marijuana Legalization Act
Effective: Jan. 30, 2017 (grow and have)
[Editor’s Note: On May 2, 2018, the Maine House (109-39) and Senate (28-6) voted to bypass Gov. Paul LePage’s veto of LD 1719 (Chapter 409 Public Law). The Department of Adminstration and Financial Services is needed to present regulative guidelines for legal sale and production of cannabis to the legislature in January 2019; cannabis retail stores are anticipated to open no earlier than Spring 2019. The bill decreases the recreational cannabis ownership limitations from 6 fully grown plants to 3 fully grown plants.]
Maine Medical Marijuana Laws:
Medical cannabis patients are not subject to the limitations of the recreational law and may possess up to 2.5 oz cannabis and 6 plants.
Usable Marijuana: approximately 2.5 oz
Plants: up to 3 blooming plants, 12 immature plants, endless seedlings, and all cannabis produced from the plants
Hash & Concentrates: approximately 5 g
8. Massachusetts
Ballot Measure: Question 4 — Approved Nov. 8, 2016 by 53.66% of citizens
Law: Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act
State Website: Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission
Effective: Dec. 15, 2016
Massachusetts Medical Marijuana Laws:
Medical cannabis patients are not subject to the limits of the leisure law and may have as much as 10 oz (a 60-day personal supply).
Hash & Concentrates: as much as 5 g. Possession of hash is prohibited though decriminalized for possession of as much as 1 oz.
9. Michigan
Ballot Measure: Proposal 1 — Approved Nov. 6, 2018 by 56% of citizens
State Website: Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA)
Effective: Jan. 2020
Michigan Medical Marijuana Laws:
Medical cannabis patients may have approximately 2.5 ounces of functional cannabis and twelve cannabis plants kept in an enclosed, locked center.
Usable Marijuana: 2.5 oz; as much as 10 ounces in the house, but amounts over 2.5 ounces need to be kept in locked containers
Plants: approximately 12 plants
Hash & Concentrates: 15 grams of cannabis may remain in the type of cannabis concentrate
10. Montana
Ballot Measure: I-190 — Marijuana Legalization Initiative — Approved Nov. 3, 2020 by 56.89% of citizens
Constitutional Amendment: CI-118 — Allow for a Legal Age for Marijuana — Approved Nov. 3, 2020 by 57.82% of voters
Montana Medical Marijuana Laws
Plants: approximately 4 fully grown plants and approximately 4 seedlings
11. Nevada
Ballot Measure: Question 2 — Approved Nov. 8, 2016 by 54.47% of citizens
Law: Nevada Revised Statutes, Chapter 453D — Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana
State Website: Marijuana in Nevada
Effective: Jan. 1, 2017
Nevada Medical Marijuana Laws:
Medical cannabis clients are not subject to the limitations of the adult-use law and might have as much as 2.5 oz of functional cannabis and 12 plants.
Plants: approximately 6 plants; no single house may exceed 12 plants
Hash & Concentrates: approximately 3.5 g
12. New Jersey
Constitutional Amendment: New Jersey Marijuana Legalization Amendment — Approved Nov. 3, 2020 by 66.88% of citizens
Law: Amendment to Article IV, Section VII of the New Jersey Constitution
Effective: Jan. 1, 2021
New Jersey Medical Marijuana Laws
13. New Mexico
Legislation: HB 2 — signed by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham on Apr. 12, 2021
Law: Cannabis Regulation Act
State Website: New Mexico Cannabis Control Division
Effective: June 29, 2021; business sales start in Apr. 2022
New Mexico Medical Marijuana Laws:
Medical cannabis clients are not subject to the limitations of the leisure law and may possess up to 8 oz functional cannabis per 3 months, and 4 fully grown plants and 12 seedlings.
Usable Marijuana: approximately 2 oz
Plants: approximately 6 plants per person with no more than 12 per family
Hash & Concentrates: Up to 16 grams of concentrated cannabis, and 800 milligrams of edible cannabis
14. New York
Legislation: S854A — Passed Senate and Assembly, and signed into law by Governor Cuomo on Mar. 31, 2021
Law: Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act
Effective: Mar. 31, 2021
New York City Medical Marijuana Laws:
Medical cannabis patients are not subject to the limits of the recreational law and may possess up to a 60-day supply of cannabis.
Usable Marijuana: up to 3 oz
Plants: approximately 12 plants without any more than 6 mature plants and 6 immature per house
Hash & Concentrates: approximately 24 g focused cannabis
15. Oregon
Ballot Measure: Oregon Legalized Marijuana Initiative, Measure 91 — Approved Nov. 4, 2014 by 56.11% of voters
Law: Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 475B — Cannabis Regulation: Recreational Use of Cannabis
State Website: Oregon Recreational Marijuana
Effective: Mar. 29, 2016
Oregon Medical Marijuana Laws:
Medical cannabis patients are not subject to the limitations of the adult-use law and may possess up to 24 oz of usable cannabis and 24 plants (6 fully grown and 18 immature).
Usable Marijuana: approximately 1 oz in public; as much as 8 oz homegrown in the house
Plants: as much as 4 plants per residence
Hash & Concentrates: up to 16 oz strong instilled in your home; approximately 72 oz liquid infused at home; up to 1 oz extract at home
South Dakota *
A South Dakota evaluated ruled on Feb. 8, 2021 that Amendment A, which would have legislated leisure cannabis, violated a state guideline that constitutional amendments only cover one subject. Governor Kristi Noem has been focused on overturning the modification, while cannabis advocacy groups are preparing to appeal the judgment to the South Dakota Supreme Court. Recreational cannabis stays prohibited in the state while the problem is in the courts.
Constitutional Amendment: Amendment A — Approved Nov. 3, 2020 by 54.18% of voters
Law: A change to the South Dakota Constitution to legislate, control, and tax cannabis; and to require the Legislature to pass laws regarding hemp in addition to laws guaranteeing access to cannabis for medical use.
Effective: July 1, 2021
South Dakota Medical Marijuana Laws
Plants: as much as 3 plants per adult; up to 6 plants for a single home with more than one 21+ resident
Hash & Concentrates: approximately 8 grams
16. Vermont
Legislation: H. 511 — Approved Jan. 22, 2018
Law: An Act Related to Eliminating Penalties for Possession of Limited Amounts of Marijuana by Adults 21 Years of Age or Older
State Website: State of Vermont Marijuana Commission
Effective: July 1, 2018
Retail sales are not yet permitted. In Oct. 2020, Governor Phil Scott indicated he would not ban a procedure gone by legislators that will permit the creation of regulatory structures to permit recreational cannabis sales. The very first leisure cannabis stores could open in 2022.
Vermont Medical Marijuana Laws:
Medical cannabis patients are not subject to the limitations of the adult-use law and might have up to two mature plants, seven immature plants, and 2 oz of usable cannabis.
Plants: up to 6 plants per home (no more than 2 fully grown), and all cannabis produced from the plants
Hash & Concentrates: 5 g
17. Virginia
Ballot Measure: SB 1406 and HB 2312 — Governor’s modifications to law approved Apr. 7, 2021 by House and Senate
Effective: July 1, 2021 (possession and growing plants); Jan. 1, 2024 (business sales)
Virginia Medical Marijuana Laws:
Medical cannabis clients are exempt to the limits of the adult-use law and may possess 90 day supply of total cannabis products: cannabis extracts (5mg CBD or THC-A, and no more than 10mg THC); botanical cannabis (4oz per 30 days).
Plants: Up to 4 plants
18. Washington
State Marijuana Laws
Ballot Measure: Washington Marijuana Legalization and Regulation, Inititiative 502 — Approved Nov. 6, 2012 by 55.7% of voters
Law: Revisions to the Uniform Controlled Substances Act, chapter 69.50
State Website: Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board
Effective: Dec. 6, 2012
Washington Medical Marijuana Laws:
Medical cannabis clients are exempt to the limits of the adult-use law and might have approximately 3 oz functional cannabis; 48 oz of marijuana-infused item in strong kind; or 216 oz marijuana-infused liquid; 21 g concentrate; 6 plants for personal use and approximately 8 oz from those plants.
Possession and Cultivation Limits
Age: 21+
Usable Marijuana: up to 1 oz
Plants: Plants are illegal. Any amount is a felony.
Hash & Concentrates: as much as 16 oz marijuana-infused item in strong type; up to 72 oz marijuana-infused product in liquid kind; approximately 7 g cannabis concentrate
* Please speak with the state for the most current information.
Sources:
Ballotpedia, «Alaska Marijuana Legalization, Ballot Measure 2 (2014 ),» ballotpedia.org (accessed Nov. 14, 2017)
Ballotpedia, «California Proposition 64, Marijuana Legalization (2016 ),» ballotpedia.org (accessed Nov. 14, 2017)
Ballotpedia, «Colorado Marijuana Legalization Initiative, Amendment 64 (2012 ),» ballotpedia.org (accessed Mar. 29, 2017)
Ballotpedia, «Washington D.C. Marijuana Legalization, Initiative 71 (November 2014),» ballotpedia.org (accessed Mar. 29, 2017)
Ballotpedia, «Maine Marijuana Legalization, Question 1 (2016 ),» ballotpedia.org (accessed Mar. 30, 2017)
Ballotpedia, «Massachusetts Marijuana Legalization, Question 4 (2016 ),» ballotpedia.org (accessed Mar. 31, 2017)
Ballotpedia, «Michigan Proposal 1, Marijuana Legalization Initiative (2018 ),» ballotpedia.org (accessed Nov. 7, 2018)
Ballotpedia, «Nevada Marijuana Legalization, Question 2 (2016 ),» ballotpedia.org (accessed Apr. 3, 2017)
Ballotpedia, «Oregon Legalized Marijuana Initiative, Measure 91 (2014 ),» ballotpedia.org (accessed Apr. 3, 2017)
Ballotpedia, «Washington Marijuana Legalization and Regulation, Initiative 502 (2012 ),» ballotpedia.org (accessed Apr. 3, 2017)
Maine State Legislature, «Recreational Marijuana in Maine,» legislature.maine.gov (accessed Feb. 12, 2018)
Marijuana Policy Project, «Maine,» mpp.org (accessed Feb. 12, 2018)
NORML, «State Laws,» norml.org/laws (accessed Mar. 16, 2017)
University of Missouri at Kansas City, «Irwin Ravin, Petitioner, v. State of Alaska, Respondent,» law2.umkc.edu, May 27, 1975
Reid Wilson, «Vermont to Legalize Recreational Marijuana,» thehill.com, Oct. 9, 2020
Reid Wilson, «South Dakota Judge Strikes Down Voter-Passed Marijuana Measure,» thehill.com, Feb. 9, 2021
People who see this page may likewise like:
1. Should the drinking age be reduced from 21 to a younger age
2. State Laws on Recreational and Medical Marijuana
3. History of Marijuana as Medicine, 2900 BC to today
4. Should individuals become vegetarian? Pros & Cons
5. Are social media sites good for our society?