New York became the 15th state this spring to legalize recreational cannabis and pass some of the most progressive laws in the country. The new law allows adults 21 and older to own up to three ounces of flowers, grow three plants per person and six per household at home, and smoke weed anywhere cigarettes are allowed (a first for any state). It also contains various provisions on restorative justice, including the automatic deletion of the records of persons convicted of minor offences and the allocation of tax revenues to a community reinvestment fund. Some have speculated that Gov. Andrew Cuomo has accepted some of the measures he has resisted in the past over sexual assault allegations. But however it happened, it happened, and the country`s fourth most populous state legalizing cannabis — in a way that aims to make communities most affected by the war on drugs — is an important milestone. Medical cannabis is legal in Iowa, but the program is quite limited. Only about 5,000 Iowan residents have medical cards and patients are not allowed to use flowers. It also doesn`t look like the Republican-controlled state legislature will expand the program, though a poll released in March by the Des Moines Register found that 78 percent of residents favor it. On June 18, 2021, the Connecticut legislature legalized cannabis for adults 21 and older, and the law went into effect on July 1. The battle for legalization in Illinois wasn`t just about if, but how.
Chicago, perhaps the most segregated city in the United States, was ground zero in the war on drugs; For decades, entire parts of the city had been torn apart by draconian drug laws that seemed to apply only to black residents. Legalization has arrived, but if it didn`t address this story, it wouldn`t lead anywhere. The result was one of the most progressive legalization plans of its time when it was signed in 2019. Not only did it legalize adults, but it also guaranteed the deletion or pardon for anyone with a low-level nonviolent conviction (nearly half a million people were able to have their criminal records expunged in December 2020). Some jurisdictions have gone further and channelled pot revenues directly to affected communities. In March, Evanston, a suburb north of Chicago, approved what is believed to be the nation`s first reparations program to provide housing subsidies to black residents, funded in part by marijuana tax revenues. Arkansas voted to legalize cannabis for medical purposes in 2016. Residents can carry up to 2.5 ounces to manage eligibility requirements. Since opening the first dispensary in Hot Springs in 2019, residents have spent more than $250 million on medical cannabis. Arizona voted in 2020 to legalize cannabis for all adults over the age of 21. New Mexico, Virginia and Connecticut have also recently legalized cannabis for adults, while Alabama has approved medical marijuana. You can legally buy CBD oil from hemp in all 50 states, although we recommend checking with your local laws to see if your state allows all types of CBD oil or only broad-spectrum and insulating products.
Floridians can buy cannabis at medical dispensaries with a doctor`s recommendation, but that`s about it. Medical patients are not allowed to grow at home, and some members of the state legislature are even working to limit the amount of THC allowed in the state`s medical cannabis. Democrats are pushing for a bill to legalize recreational use, though it has not yet made it to the committee`s agenda. In March, a survey by medical cannabis advocacy group Florida for Cares found that 58 percent of Floridians favor the state`s legalization of the drug for adults. Oregon legalized marijuana in 2015 and sales in the state began on June 1, 2015. October of the same year. Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee signed the legalization of marijuana on Wednesday, May 25, though it will be a few months before cannabis stores are allowed to open. South Dakota`s legal marijuana program remains mired in legal challenges. In South Dakota, voting measures on medical and recreational cannabis passed in the 2020 election, despite the state Supreme Court overturning the state`s recreational law last year.
Insiders don`t include South Dakota in our list of markets where the substance is legal for recreational use, even though it`s back on the ballot for this year`s election. Minnesota, which has had medically legal weed since 2014, is introducing a bill to legalize adults through wrestling. It has been approved by eight committees (at the end of April) and is expected to be voted on in May. Like many current bills considered by state legislators, social justice is heavy. “We`re trying to reform the criminal justice system and ensure that people affected by the criminal sanctions of the war on drugs have the opportunity to have their records expunged,” House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler said in April, according to Marijuana Moment. “And to have the opportunity to be part of the uptrend, the opportunity for a new cannabis market – to right the wrongs of the past. New Mexico officially became the 17th state to legalize recreational cannabis in April, less than two weeks after the legislature passed the Cannabis Control Act. The new law allows adults aged 21 and older to possess up to two ounces of flower, allows the domestic cultivation of up to six plants, and automatically deletes the records of those convicted of minor cannabis-related offences. “New Mexico is a state, like most other states, that has seen a disproportionate number of cannabis-related arrests,” Emily Kaltenbach of the Drug Policy Alliance New Mexico told Rolling Stone.
“This bill will change lives in New Mexico, not only through the automatic removal and reconviction elements, but also to create some fairness in the industry and protections for users.” Retail sales are expected to begin on April 1, 2022. In April of this year, Virginia became the first Southern state to legalize recreational marijuana. Originally, the law was supposed to go into effect in 2024 — but Governor Ralph Northam scheduled it on the 1st. July 2021 postponed. However, don`t expect pharmacies to appear anytime soon. It could take years for the legal weed business infrastructure to be in place in the state. (This is partly due to the law`s emphasis on social justice, so it will take some time to distribute licenses fairly.) Meanwhile, starting in July, residents can grow up to four cannabis plants and legally possess an ounce of weed, and medical patients can visit one of the state`s four dispensaries. Some states that have passed decriminalization measures have medical marijuana programs. Two states where marijuana is decriminalized have not (yet) legalized it for any purpose. Medical cannabis has been legal in Arizona since 2010, and in 2020, the state voted overwhelmingly to legalize it for recreational use as well.