Is cannabis legal in the United States of America?

Although the use of cannabis is illegal under the federal law and the federal government classifies cannabis as a schedule 1 drug, 84% of the U.S. states have legalized it in some form. Most states legalized it only for medical purposes, but 24 states – Alaska (2015), Arizona (2020), California (2016), Colorado (2012), Connecticut (2021), Delaware (2023), Illinois (2020), Maine (2017), Maryland (2023), Massachusetts (2016), Michigan (2018), Minnesota (2023), Missouri (2022), Montana (2021), Nevada (2017), New Jersey (2021), New Mexico (2021), New York (2021), Ohio (2023), Oregon (2015), Rhode Island (2022), Vermont (2018), Virginia (2021) and Washington (2012) – have gone further, legalizing the recreational use.

Cannabis Legality by State and Worldwide Map

As a result, 42 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have effective medical cannabis laws, and 24 states, the District of Columbia (2015), Guam (2019), the Northern Mariana Islands (2018) and the U.S. Virgin Islands (2023) now allow cannabis for recreational use.

Cannabis Legality by State – Updated March 2026