Here Are All The States Where Cannabis Is Legal

With legislation on legalizing or decriminalizing marijuana on the ballot in multiple locations seemingly every election cycle, it can be difficult to keep up with where in the United States it is legal to toke up.

Technically, marijuana use is illegal at the federal level and has been ever since the 1970 Controlled Substances Act. But many state laws conflict with federal law, as ever more states are legalizing cannabis for medicinal and recreational use.

Leaving aside the states in which medicinal use is legal, here are the states that have decriminalized recreational use.

States that have outright legalized recreational marijuana include Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, the state of Washington, and the District of Columbia. In all of these states that have chosen to legalize marijuana, sale, growth, and transport are also legal (with certain restrictions and caveats), except in the case of Nevada, which has not legalized cultivation. Cannabis has been legalized on the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe reservation in South Dakota and the Suquamish Tribe and Squaxin Island Tribe reservations in Washington State as well.

Moving up to the next tier of restrictiveness, several states have legalized medicinal marijuana. These states often have guidelines specifying what forms of cannabis may be used. For example, Alabama allows medicinal marijuana, but only through non-psychoactive CDB oil. (Otherwise, it’s a felony.) Other states in which medicinal marijuana alone is permitted include Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Medicinal marijuana is also legal in Guam and Puerto Rico.

And while still not technically legal, several other states have decriminalized cannabis, meaning that if found in possession, citations and fines will be levied, rather than criminal charges. These states include Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

So, while you aren’t free to light up no matter where you are in America, there are a considerable number of places where you can do so, albeit with restrictions in some cases.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.