How 2023 Is Affecting Cannabis Restrictions In The US
42% of all US states have legalized the use of recreational marijuana
- 21 states (including the District of Columbia) permit recreational cannabis for adults 21+
- 37 states approve of medical marijuana
- 11 of these states permit CBD oils and small amounts of THC
- 2 states do not approve CBD or marijuana use at all
- 37 states approve of medical marijuana
- The nation is warming up to the idea of legal cannabis
- 59% support medical and recreational use
- 30% support medical use only
- 10% do not support legalization
44% of Americans live in states with access to legal recreational marijuana
Marijuana Legalizations By State
- Legend
- X: Recreational legal
- Y: Medical legal
- Z: Not legal (does not include CBD)
| Alabama: Y | Hawaii: Y | Massachusetts: X | New Mexico: X | South Dakota: Y |
| Alaska: X | Idaho: Z * No form of cannabis is legal | Michigan: X | New York: X | Tennessee: Z |
| Arizona: X | Illinois: X | Minnesota: Y | North Carolina: Z | Texas: Z |
| Arkansas: Y | Indiana: Z | Mississippi: Y | North Dakota: Y | Utah: Y |
| California: X | Iowa: Z | Missouri: X | Ohio: Y | Vermont: X |
| Colorado: X | Kansas: Z | Montana: X | Oklahoma: Y | Virginia: X |
| Connecticut: X | Kentucky: Z | Nebraska: Z * No form of cannabis is legal | Oregon: X | Washington: X |
| Delaware: Y | Louisiana: Y | Nevada: X | Pennsylvania: Y | West Virginia: Y |
| Florida: Y | Maine: X | New Hampshire: Y | Rhode Island: X | Wisconsin: Z |
| Georgia: Z | Maryland: X | New Jersey: X | South Carolina: Z | Wyoming: Z |
Although hemp-based CBD is legal at the federal level, legislation surrounding this in the states is more complex
CBD Legalization By State
- Legend
- F: Fully legal
- C: Conditionally legal
- 17 states fully legal, and 33 states conditionally legal
| Alabama: C *Can’t exceed 0.3% THC | Hawaii: C *Hemp-derived only | Massachusetts: F | New Mexico: C *Cannabis-derived CBD oil legal with medical cannabis license | South Dakota: C *Hemp-derived only |
| Alaska: F | Idaho: C *Must have no traceable THC content | Michigan: F | New York: F | Tennessee: C *Can’t exceed 0.9% THC without medical license |
| Arizona: F | Illinois: F | Minnesota: C *Cannabis-derived CBD oil legal with medical cannabis license | North Carolina: C *Cannabis-derived CBD oil legal with medical cannabis license | Texas: C *up to 1% THC for patients with qualifying conditions |
| Arkansas: C *Can’t exceed 0.3% THC | Indiana: C *Can’t exceed 0.3% THC | Mississippi: C *Can’t exceed 0.5% THC | North Dakota: C *Cannabis-derived CBD oil legal with medical cannabis license | Utah: C *Cannabis-derived CBD oil legal with medical cannabis license |
| California: F | Iowa: C *Can’t exceed 0.3% THC | Missouri: C *Can’t exceed 0.3% THC | Ohio: C *Cannabis-derived CBD oil legal with medical cannabis license | Vermont: F |
| Colorado: F | Kansas: C *Can’t exceed 5% THC | Montana: F | Oklahoma: C *Cannabis-derived CBD oil legal with medical cannabis license | Virginia: F |
| Connecticut: F | Kentucky: C *Hemp-derived only | Nebraska: C * Hemp-derived only | Oregon: F | Washington: F |
| Delaware: C *Can’t exceed 0.3% THC | Louisiana: C *Cannabis-derived CBD oil legal with medical cannabis license | Nevada: F | Pennsylvania: C *Can’t exceed 0.3% THC without medical license | West Virginia: C *Cannabis-derived CBD oil legal with medical cannabis license |
| Florida: C *Hemp-derived only | Maine: F | New Hampshire: C *Cannabis-derived CBD oil legal with medical cannabis license | Rhode Island: C *Can’t exceed 0.3% THC without medical license | Wisconsin: C *Cannabis-derived CBD oil legal with medical cannabis license |
| Georgia: C *Can’t exceed 5% THC | Maryland: C *Cannabis-derived CBD oil legal with medical cannabis license | New Jersey: F | South Carolina: C *Can’t exceed 0.9% THC without medical license | Wyoming: C *Hemp-derived only |
Experts believe the winds of change aren’t far away — especially on the state or local level
Experts Weigh In On CBD And Marijuana Legalizations
- Paul Armentano, Deputy Director of NORML
- “[Legalization] victories have almost exclusively all been at the state and local level, and I expect that trend to continue in 2023.”
- Tyler McFadden, Board Member of BOWL PAC
- “[Legalization] might not be tomorrow, it might not even be next year, but as long as we’re doing something about it now, we’ll reach it faster than we would if we stand here twiddling our thumbs, waiting for something to happen without doing anything about it.”
- Joe Biden, 46th President of the United States
- “Sending people to prison for possessing marijuana has upended too many lives and incarcerated people for conduct that many states no longer prohibit.”
Legislation surrounding Marijuana and CBD is Constantly in Flux, with more changes coming in the years ahead
Upcoming Legislation To Keep An Eye On
- Research predicts that seven new states may approve recreational marijuana by 2030
- Florida
- Pennsylvania
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- South Dakota
- The time period between medical approval and recreational approval is shortening
- California (1996): 7,308 days
- Colorado (2000): 4,380 days
- Massachusetts (2012): 1,463 days
- Federal regulations may be shifting as well
- More than 50 federal bills introduced in 2022
- President Biden issued an executive order pardoning non-violent offenders convicted of the simple possession of marijuana in violation of the Controlled Substances Act
- Greater activity surrounding:
- Controlled Substances Act (CSA)
- Cannabis Opportunity Act (CAOA)
- Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act (MORE)
The US’s policies on cannabis are rapidly changing — and prohibitive legislation is going up in smoke
Sources
https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/cbd-legal-states
https://www.fool.com/investing/stock-market/market-sectors/healthcare/marijuana-stocks/marijuana-legalization
https://www.forbes.com/sites/willyakowicz/2023/01/06/where-is-cannabis-legal-a-guide-to-all-50-states
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/11/22/americans-overwhelmingly-say-marijuana-should-be-legal-for-medical-or-recreational-use
https://info.newfrontierdata.com/us-cannabis-2022
https://flowhub.com/cannabis-industry-statistics
https://cannabisindustryjournal.com/feature_article/cannabis-in-2023-here-to-stay-but-major-challenges-remain
https://www.forbes.com/health/body/cbd-legalization-by-state
https://wisevoter.com/state-rankings/cbd-legal-states
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2022/10/06/granting-pardon-for-the-offense-of-simple-possession-of-marijuana
