A total of 23 states and Washington D.C have passed laws allowing for the use of marijuana for either medicinal or recreational purposes. These state laws, however, do not change the fact that marijuana is still illegal on a federal level and the same processes need to be taken for FDA approval of safe and effective medications.

Each state law for marijuana varies greatly from the others, and there is continuous internal debate circling around the creation and maintenance of the legislation.

Currently, the states who have legalized marijuana in some form are below:

Marijuana legalized for recreational use

  • Colorado
  • Washington
  • Oregon
  • Alaska

Marijuana legalized for medicinal use

  • California
  • Nevada
  • Arizona
  • New Mexico
  • Montana
  • Minnesota
  • Illinois
  • Michigan
  • New York
  • Vermont
  • New Hampshire
  • Maine
  • Massachusetts
  • Connecticut
  • Rhode Island
  • New Jersey
  • Delaware
  • Maryland
  • Hawaii

No laws legalizing marijuana

  • Idaho
  • Utah
  • Wyoming
  • Texas
  • Oklahoma
  • Kansas
  • Nebraska
  • South Dakota
  • North Dakota
  • Iowa
  • Missouri
  • Arkansas
  • Louisiana
  • Mississippi
  • Alabama
  • Georgia
  • South Carolina
  • North Carolina
  • Florida
  • Tennessee
  • Kentucky
  • Virginia
  • West Virginia
  • Pennsylvania
  • Ohio
  • Indiana