Marijuana Legalization by State 2025

Edmund Murphy
Dr. Jenni Jacobsen
Written by Edmund Murphy on 23 August 2021
Medically reviewed by Dr. Jenni Jacobsen on 21 July 2025

The legal status of marijuana is changing rapidly throughout the country, which can make it confusing to know exactly what is legal and where. Our index will inform you exactly where marijuana is legal and in what context as of June 26th, 2025.

Marijuana Legalization by State 2025

Updated legizlation 2025

As of June 26th, 2025, 40 states, three territories, and the District of Columbia allow the use of medical cannabis products. 24 states also allow non-medical use, and eight have updated their medical use policies to include "low THC, high cannabidiol" products, which is explained below.

Low-THC update

The eight states listed under CBD/Low-THC Program in the table below allow the use of these products for medical reasons in limited circumstances or as a legal defence. These "Low-THC Programs" are not designated as comprehensive medical cannabis programs. This has raised issues amongst regulatory bodies when trying to define exactly what "comprehensive" entails, with the NCSL currently using the following criteria.

  1. Protection from criminal penalties for using cannabis for a medical purpose.
  2. Access to cannabis through home cultivation, dispensaries, or some other system is likely to be implemented.
  3. It allows a variety of strains or products, including those with more than "low THC."
  4. It allows either smoking or vaporization of some kind of cannabis products, plant material, or extract. 
  5. It is not a limited trial program.

The growing popularity of legalized marijuana

Less than 15 years ago, marijuana use was illegal throughout the United States. With the growing application and popularity of medicinal marijuana as a means of treating chronic pain conditions and other medical concerns, the substance is now legal for medicinal use in 38 states. It is fully legal for use in 24 states and the District of Columbia, and it is decriminalized in a further seven states.

Over this time, there has been a steep increase in the amount of marijuana use in the United States, with marijuana being the third highest type of substance abuse after tobacco and alcohol. In 2021, 11% of young adults reported using marijuana daily, compared to 6% in 2011.

Medicinal marijuana has been able to help people manage painful conditions, like arthritis and cancer, and it has also contributed to economic growth. In 2022, there was a 33% increase in marijuana-related jobs created within one year, with over 100,000 new jobs created since 2021.  Additionally, the worth of the legal marijuana industry was estimated at $33.6 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach over $76 billion by 2030.

Earlier this year, it was reported that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has begun to implement actions that would move marijuana from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act to Schedule III. This recognizes the medicinal benefits of marijuana, allowing its use in clinical trials. Although it would still be illegal on a federal level, penalization for the possession and use of marijuana would be reduced.

Marijuana legalization continues to change across the country. Below is an up-to-date list (as of October 2024) of the legal status of marijuana, including whether it is legal for adult use, legal for medicinal purposes, or decriminalized (that is, no jail penalty and reduced fines for possession).

(In this chart, CBD oil refers to oil made with small amounts of THC).

StateLegal for UseLegal for Medicinal UseDecriminalizedCBD/Low-THC Program
AlabamaNoYesNoNo
AlaskaYesYesYesNo
ArizonaYesYesYesNo
ArkansasNoYesNoNo
CaliforniaYesYesYesNo
ColoradoYesYesYesNo
ConnecticutYesYesYesNo
DelawareYesYesYesNo
District of ColumbiaYesYesYesYes
FloridaNoYesNoNo
GeorgiaNoCBD Oil OnlyNoYes
HawaiiNoYesYesNo
IdahoNoNoNoNo
IllinoisYesYesYesNo
IndianaNoCBD Oil OnlyNoYes
IowaNoCBD Oil OnlyNoYes
KansasNoNoNoNo
KentuckyNoYesNoNo
LouisianaNoYesYesNo
MaineYesYesYesNo
MarylandYesYesYesNo
MassachusettsYesYesYesNo
MichiganYesYesYesNo
MinnesotaYesYesYesNo
MississippiNoYesYesNo
MissouriYesYesYesNo
MontanaYesYesYesNo
NebraskaNoNoYesNo
NevadaYesYesYesNo
New HampshireNoYesYesNo
New JerseyYesYesYesNo
New MexicoYesYesYesNo
New YorkYesYesYesNo
North CarolinaNoNoYesYes
North DakotaNoYesYesNo
OhioYesYesYesNo
OklahomaNoYesNoNo
OregonYesYesYesNo
PennsylvaniaNoYesNoNo
Rhode IslandYesYesYesNo
South CarolinaNoNoNoYes
South DakotaNoYesNoNo
TennesseeNoCBD Oil OnlyNoYes
TexasNoYesNoNo
UtahNoYesNoNo
VermontYesYesYesNo
VirginiaYesYesYesNo
WashingtonYesYesYesNo
West VirginiaNoYesNoNo
WisconsinNoCBD Oil OnlyNoYes
WyomingNoCBD Oil OnlyNoYes
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Resources:

  1. Johnston, M. (Updated 2024). U.S. Marijuana Laws by State. Britannica. Retrieved from
  2. National Institutes of Health. (2022). Marijuana and Hallucinogen Use Among Young Adults Reached All-Time High in 2021. NIH. Retrieved from
  3. Barcott, B., & Whitney, B. (2022). The US Cannabis Industry Now Supports 428,059 Jobs. Leafly. Retrieved from
  4. Grand View Research. (2023). U.S. Cannabis Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Source (Hemp, Marijuana), By Derivatives (CBD, THC), By End-use (Medical Use, Recreational Use), By Cultivation (Indoor, Outdoor), And Segment Forecasts, 2024 – 2030. Retrieved from
  5. Miller, Z., Goodman, J., Mustian, J., & Whitehurst, L. (Updated 2024). US Poised to Ease Restrictions on Marijuana in Historic Shift, But it’ll Remain Controlled Substance. AP News. Retrieved from
  6. DISA. (Updated 2024). Marijuana Legality by State. Retrieved from
  7. Amin, M. R., & Ali, D. W. (2019). Pharmacology of Medical Cannabis. Advances in experimental medicine and biology, 1162, 151–165. Retrieved from
  8. Gabay M. (2013). The federal controlled substances act: schedules and pharmacy registration. Hospital pharmacy, 48(6), 473–474.
  9. National Conference of State Legislatures. (2024, July 12). State Medical Cannabis Laws. Www.ncsl.org.

Activity History - Last updated: 21 July 2025, Published date:


Reviewer

Dr. Jenni Jacobsen has a PhD in psychology, and she teaches courses on mental health and addiction at the university level and has written content on mental health and addiction for over 10 years.

Activity History - Medically Reviewed on 30 June 2021 and last checked on 21 July 2025

Medically reviewed by
Dr. Jenni Jacobsen

Dr. Jenni Jacobsen

PhD

Reviewer

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