Legality of cannabis by US state
Encyclopedia
The use, sale and possession of cannabis
Cannabis
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...
(marijuana) in the United States is illegal under federal law
Federal law
Federal law is the body of law created by the federal government of a country. A federal government is formed when a group of political units, such as states or provinces join together in a federation, surrendering their individual sovereignty and many powers to the central government while...
. However, some states have created exemptions for medical marijuana.
By state
| State | Possession | Sale | Transportation | Cultivation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Alabama |
Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal |
 Alaska |
Decriminalized | Medical Use Only | |||
 Arizona |
Medical Use Only | ||||
 Arkansas |
Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal |
 California |
Decriminalized | Medical Use Only | |||
 Colorado |
Decriminalized | "Medical" Use Only | |||
 Connecticut |
Decriminalized | ||||
 Delaware |
|||||
 Florida |
|||||
 Hawaii |
|||||
 Idaho |
Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal |
 Illinois |
|||||
 Indiana |
|||||
 Iowa |
|||||
 Kansas |
Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal |
 Kentucky |
|||||
 Louisiana |
|||||
 Maine |
Decriminalized | Medical Use Only | |||
 Maryland |
Medical Only* | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | *By statutory law, defendants who can prove medical necessity at trial face no penalty if they possess 1oz or less. |
 Massachusetts |
Decriminalized | ||||
 Michigan |
Medical Use Only | ||||
 Minnesota |
|||||
 Mississippi |
Decriminalized | ||||
 Missouri |
|||||
 Montana |
Medical Use Only | ||||
 Nebraska |
Decriminalized | ||||
 Nevada |
Decriminalized | Medical Use Only | |||
 New Hampshire |
|||||
 New Jersey |
Illegal | Medical Use Only | Illegal | Illegal | |
 New Mexico |
Medical Use Only | ||||
 New York |
Decriminalized | ||||
 North Carolina |
Decriminalized | ||||
 North Dakota |
Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal |
 Ohio |
Decriminalized | ||||
 Oklahoma |
Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal |
 Oregon |
Decriminalized | Medical Use Only | |||
 Pennsylvania |
|||||
 Rhode Island |
Medical Use Only | ||||
 South Carolina |
Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | First-time possession offenders can complete one year of probation instead of following conventional criminal procedure. |
 South Dakota |
Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal |
 Tennessee |
|||||
 Republic of Texas |
Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal |
 Utah |
Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal |
 Vermont |
Medical Use Only | ||||
 Virginia |
|||||
 Washington |
Medical Use Only | ||||
 West Virginia |
|||||
 Wisconsin |
|||||
 Wyoming |
Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal |
 Puerto Rico |
See also
- Legal history of cannabis in the United States
- MarijuanaCannabis (drug)Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
- HempHempHemp is mostly used as a name for low tetrahydrocannabinol strains of the plant Cannabis sativa, of fiber and/or oilseed varieties. In modern times, hemp has been used for industrial purposes including paper, textiles, biodegradable plastics, construction, health food and fuel with modest...
- Illegal drug tradeIllegal drug tradeThe illegal drug trade is a global black market, dedicated to cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of those substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs by drug prohibition laws.A UN report said the...
- Legal and medical status of cannabisLegal and medical status of cannabisCannabis is in Schedule IV of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, making it subject to special restrictions. Article 2 provides for the following, in reference to Schedule IV drugs:...
- Legality of cannabis