Where cannabis and medical marijuana are legal this 4/20
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Marijuana's informal 4/20 holiday is picking up steam with recreational pot legal for nearly half of the nation.
Why it matters: More changes are rolling out and others are under consideration in states across the country as support for legalizing weed grows.
- Roughly 9 out of 10 Americans said marijuana should be legal for medical or recreational use, according to a January Pew Research Center survey.
The big picture: It's legal for adults to buy recreational marijuana in 24 states and Washington D.C.
- For medical purposes, cannabis is legal in 38 states.
By the numbers: A Gallup survey found support for legalization crosses political party lines with 87% of Democrats, 70% of independents and 55% of Republicans backing legal marijuana.
- The percentage of U.S. adults who said they smoke marijuana has more than doubled in the past decade, climbing from 7% in 2013 to 17% in 2023, a separate Gallup poll found.
- America's legal cannabis industry supports 440,445 full-time jobs and grew by 5.4% in 2023, according to the 2024 Vangst Jobs Report.
Where is marijuana legal and illegal in 2024
Zoom in: Ohio became the 24th state to allow adult cannabis use for non-medical purposes when voters approved a ballot initiative in November.
- Marijuana has been legal to possess in Ohio since the measure went into effect Dec. 7.
- Sales of recreational marijuana could begin as early as this summer but the exact timing is unclear.
Kentucky became the 38th state to legalize medical marijuana when Gov. Andy Beshear signed a bill for medicinal cannabis into law in March 2023.
- The law will take effect on Jan. 1, 2025.
Reality check: Marijuana is fully illegal in four states — Idaho, Kansas, South Carolina and Wyoming, according to DISA Global Solutions, a drug testing company.
What's next: A constitutional amendment on whether to legalize recreational marijuana will be on the ballot in Florida this November.
- In Arkansas voters may get to vote on a proposed amendment that would ease regulations on medical marijuana.
Marijuana legalization at the federal level
State of play: Marijuana is still considered a "Schedule I illegal substance" at the federal level, which is the same category as heroin and LSD.
- Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) officials are recommending the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) move marijuana to a lower-risk category under the Controlled Substances Act.
- The DEA said in January it is "conducting its review" of whether to soften federal regulation of marijuana under the act.
What we're watching: Many believe federal legalization and cannabis rescheduling is coming and could happen before the November presidential election, Jillian Kossman, vice president of marketing for IDScan, told Axios.
- This would "create new complexities that the federal government will need to tackle," said Kossman, a member of the National Cannabis Industry Association State Regulatory Committee.
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