| State | Year | How Passed | Possession Limits | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | 2014 | Ballot Measure 2 (53%) | 1 oz usable; 6 plants (no more than 3 mature) |
| 2 | Arizona | 2020 | Smart and Safe Arizona Act (Prop 207) (59.95%) | 1 oz usable; 6 plants |
| 3 | California | 2016 | Proposition 64 (57%) | 1 oz usable; 6 plants; 8 g hash/concentrates |
| 4 | Colorado | 2012 | Amendment 64 (55%) | 1 oz usable; 6 plants (no more than 3 mature); 1 oz hash/concentrates |
| 5 | District of Columbia | 2014 | Initiative 71 (65%) | 2 oz usable; 6 plants (no more than 3 mature) |
| 6 | Illinois | 2019 | House Bill 1438 | 1 oz usable; 5 g hash/concentrates |
| 7 | Maine | 2016 | Question 1 (50%) | 2.5 oz usable; up to 15 plants (no more than 3 mature); 5 g hash/concentrates |
| 8 | Massachusetts | 2016 | Question 4 (54%) | 1 oz usable; 6 plants; 5 g concentrates |
| 9 | Michigan | 2018 | Proposal 1 (56%) | 2.5 oz usable; 12 plants; 15 g concentrates |
| 10 | Montana | 2020 | Initiative I-190 (56.89%) andCI-118 (57.82%) | 1 oz usable; 4 mature plants; 8 g hash/concentrates |
| 11 | Nevada | 2016 | Question 2 (54%) | 1 oz usable; 6 plants; 3.5 g hash/concentrates |
| 12 | New Jersey | 2020 | New Jersey Marijuana Legalization Amendment (66.88%) | to be determined |
| 13 | Oregon | 2014 | Measure 91 (56%) | 1 oz usable in public; 8 oz homegrown usable at home; 4 plants; 16 oz solid marijuana-infused, 72 oz liquid infused, and 1 oz extract at home of hash/concentrates |
| 14 | South Dakota | 2020 | Constitutional Amendment A (54.18%) | 1 oz usable; 3 plants; 8 g hash/concentrates |
| 15 | Vermont | 2018 | Legislative Bill H.511 | 1 oz usable; 6 plants (no more than 2 mature); 5 g hash |
| 16 | Washington | 2012 | Initiative 502 (56%) | 1 oz usable; 16 oz solid marijuana-infused, 72 oz liquid infused, and 7 g of concentrates |
Showing 1 to 16 of 16 entries
For information on medical marijuana, please visit our Legal Medical Marijuana States resource.
*Please consult the state for the most recent information.
State Marijuana Laws
Ballot Measure: Ballot Measure 2 — Approved Nov. 4, 2014 by 53% of votersLaw: Alaska Statute Chapter 17.38: The Regulation of MarijuanaState Website: Alaska Alcohol and Marijuana Control OfficeEffective: Feb. 24, 2015Alaska Medical Marijuana Laws: The possession limits for medical marijuana patients are the same as the limits for adult users.Possession and Cultivation Limits
Age: 21+Usable Marijuana: up to 1 ozPlants: up to 6 plants with no more than 3 mature plantsHash & Concentrates: Possession of hash and concentrates is illegal. Possession of up to 3 g is a misdemeanor, more is a felony.*Please consult the state for the most recent information.
State Marijuana Laws
Ballot Measure: Smart and Safe Act (Prop 207) — Approved Nov. 3, 2020 by 59.95% of votersLaw: Smart and Safe Arizona ActEffective: Nov. 30, 2020; sales Mar. 2021Arizona Medical Marijuana LawsPossession and Cultivation Limits
Age: 21+Usable Marijuana: up to 1 ozPlants: Up to 6 plants per person; up to 12 plants for a single residence with more than one 21+ residentHash & Concentrates: up to 5 grams*Please consult the state for the most recent information.
State Marijuana Laws
Ballot Measure: Proposition 64: The Adult Use Marijuana Act — Approved Nov. 9, 2016 by 57% of votersLaw: Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana ActState Website: California Cannabis PortalEffective: Nov. 9, 2016 (revised penalties); Jan. 1, 2018 (retail sales); 2023 (restrictions to be lifted on large-scale corporations)California Medical Marijuana Laws: Medical cannabis patients are not subject to the limits of the recreational law and may possess up to 8 oz usable marijuana, and 6 mature or 12 immature plants.Possession and Cultivation Limits
Age: 21+Usable Marijuana: up to 1 ozPlants: up to 6 plants, including the harvest from those 6 plantsHash & Concentrates: up to 8 g (more than 8 g is a misdemeanor)*Please consult the state for the most recent information.
State Marijuana Laws
Ballot Measure: Amendment 64 (55%) — Approved Nov. 6, 2012 by 55% of votersLaw: Colorado Constitution: Article 18, section 16State Website: Colorado MarijuanaEffective: Dec. 10, 2012 (revised penalties) Jan. 1, 2014 (commercial sales)Colorado Medical Marijuana Laws: Medical cannabis patients are not subject to the limits of the recreational law and may possess up to 2 oz usable marijuana, and 6 plants (3 mature and 3 immature).Possession and Cultivation Limits
Age: 21+Usable Marijuana: up to 1 ozPlants: up to 6 plants with no more than 3 mature plantsHash & Concentrates: up to 1 oz*Please consult the state for the most recent information.
State Marijuana Laws
Ballot Measure: Initiative 71 — Approved Nov. 4, 2014 by 64.87% of votersLaw: Marijuana Legalization and Regulation Act of 2015DC Website: DC Metro Police DepartmentEffective: Feb. 26, 2015Retail sales are not allowedDC Medical Marijuana Laws: Medical cannabis patients are not subject to the limits of the recreational law and may possess up to 2 oz dried marijuanaPossession and Cultivation Limits
Age: 21+Usable Marijuana: up to 2 ozPlants: up to 6 plants per person with no more than 3 mature plants; up to 12 plants (no more than 6 mature) for a single residence with more than one 21+ residentHash & Concentrates: Possession of hash and concentrates is illegal and punishable with 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.*Please consult the state for the most recent information.
State Marijuana Laws
Legislation: HB 1438Law: Cannabis Regulation and Tax ActEffective: Jan. 1, 2020Illinois Medical Marijuana Laws: Medical cannabis patients are not subject to the limits of the recreational law and may possess up to 2.5 oz marijuana per 14 days and grow up to five plants that exceed five inches tall.Possession and Cultivation Limits
Age: 21+Usable Marijuana: up to 1 oz (30 g) for residents and 500 milligrams of THC contained in a cannabis-infused product for state residents (15 g/250 mg non-residents)Plants: NoneHash & Concentrates: up to 5 g (2.5 g non-residents)*Please consult the state for the most recent information.
State Marijuana Laws
Ballot Measure: Question 1 — Approved Dec. 17, 2016 (after recount of Nov. 8, 2016 election results was abandoned) by 50.26% of votersLaw: The Marijuana Legalization ActEffective: Jan. 30, 2017 (grow and possess)[Editor’s Note: On May 2, 2018, the Maine House (109-39) and Senate (28-6) voted to override Gov. Paul LePage’s veto of LD 1719 (Chapter 409 Public Law)
. The Department of Adminstration and Financial Services is required to present regulatory rules for legal sale and production of marijuana to the legislature in January 2019; marijuana retail shops are expected to open no sooner than Spring 2019. The bill lowers the recreational marijuana possession limits from 6 mature plants to 3 mature plants.]Maine Medical Marijuana Laws: Medical cannabis patients are not subject to the limits of the recreational law and may possess up to 2.5 oz marijuana and 6 plants.Possession and Cultivation Limits
Age: 21+Usable Marijuana: up to 2.5 ozPlants: up to 3 flowering plants, 12 immature plants, unlimited seedlings, and all marijuana produced from the plantsHash & Concentrates: up to 5 g*Please consult the state for the most recent information.
State Marijuana Laws
Ballot Measure: Question 4 — Approved Nov. 8, 2016 by 53.66% of votersLaw: Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana ActState Website: Massachusetts Cannabis Control CommissionEffective: Dec. 15, 2016Massachusetts Medical Marijuana Laws: Medical cannabis patients are not subject to the limits of the recreational law and may possess up to 10 oz (a 60-day personal supply).Possession and Cultivation Limits
Age: 21+Usable Marijuana: up to 1 ozPlants: up to 6 plants; no single residence may exceed 12 plantsHash & Concentrates: up to 5 g. Possession of hash is illegal though decriminalized for possession of up to 1 oz.*Please consult the state for the most recent information.
State Marijuana Laws
Ballot Measure: Proposal 1 — Approved Nov. 6, 2018 by 56% of votersState Website: Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA)Effective: Jan. 2020Michigan Medical Marijuana Laws: Medical cannabis patients may possess up to 2.5 ounces of usable marijuana and twelve marijuana plants kept in an enclosed, locked facility.Possession and Cultivation Limits
Age: 21+Usable Marijuana: 2.5 oz; up to 10 ounces at home, but amounts over 2.5 ounces must be kept in locked containersPlants: up to 12 plantsHash & Concentrates: 15 grams of marijuana may be in the form of marijuana concentrate*Please consult the state for the most recent information.
State Marijuana Laws
Ballot Measure: I-190 – Marijuana Legalization Initiative — Approved Nov. 3, 2020 by 56.89% of votersConstitutional Amendment: CI-118 — Allow for a Legal Age for Marijuana — Approved Nov. 3, 2020 by 57.82% of votersEffective: Jan. 1, 2021Montana Medical Marijuana LawsPossession and Cultivation Limits
Age: 21+Usable Marijuana: up to 1 ozPlants: up to 4 mature plants and up to 4 seedlingsHash & Concentrates: up to 8 grams*Please consult the state for the most recent information.
State Marijuana Laws
Ballot Measure: Question 2 — Approved Nov. 8, 2016 by 54.47% of votersLaw: Nevada Revised Statutes, Chapter 453D – Regulation and Taxation of MarijuanaState Website: Marijuana in NevadaEffective: Jan. 1, 2017Nevada Medical Marijuana Laws: Medical cannabis patients are not subject to the limits of the adult-use law and may possess up to 2.5 oz of usable marijuana and 12 plants.Possession and Cultivation Limits
Age: 21+Usable Marijuana: up to 1 ozPlants: up to 6 plants; no single residence may exceed 12 plantsHash & Concentrates: up to 3.5 g*Please consult the state for the most recent information.
State Marijuana Laws
Constitutional Amendment: New Jersey Marijuana Legalization Amendment — Approved Nov. 3, 2020 by 66.88% of votersLaw: Amendment to Article IV, Section VII of the New Jersey ConstitutionEffective: Jan. 1, 2021New Jersey Medical Marijuana LawsPossession and Cultivation Limits
Age: 21+Usable Marijuana: to be determinedPlants: to be determinedHash & Concentrates: to be determined*Please consult the state for the most recent information.
State Marijuana Laws
Ballot Measure: Oregon Legalized Marijuana Initiative, Measure 91 — Approved Nov. 4, 2014 by 56.11% of votersLaw: Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 475B – Cannabis Regulation: Recreational Use of CannabisState Website:Oregon Recreational MarijuanaEffective: Mar. 29, 2016Oregon Medical Marijuana Laws: Medical cannabis patients are not subject to the limits of the adult-use law and may possess up to 24 oz of usable marijuana and 24 plants (6 mature and 18 immature).Possession and Cultivation Limits
Age: 21+Usable Marijuana: up to 1 oz in public; up to 8 oz homegrown at homePlants: up to 4 plants per residenceHash & Concentrates: up to 16 oz solid infused at home; up to 72 oz liquid infused at home; up to 1 oz extract at home*Please consult the state for the most recent information.
State Marijuana Laws
Constitutional Amendment: Amendment A — Approved Nov. 3, 2020 by 54.18% of votersLaw: An amendment to the South Dakota Constitution to legalize, regulate, and tax marijuana; and to require the Legislature to pass laws regarding hemp as well as laws ensuring access to marijuana for medical use.Effective: July 1, 2021South Dakota Medical Marijuana LawsPossession and Cultivation Limits
Age: 21+Usable Marijuana: up to 1 ozPlants: up to 3 plants per adult; up to 6 plants for a single residence with more than one 21+ residentHash & Concentrates: up to 8 grams*Please consult the state for the most recent information.
State Marijuana Laws
Legislation: H.511 — Approved Jan. 22, 2018Law: An Act Related to Eliminating Penalties for Possession of Limited Amounts of Marijuana by Adults 21 Years of Age or OlderState Website:State of Vermont Marijuana CommissionEffective: July 1, 2018Retail sales are not yet allowed. In Oct. 2020, Governor Phil Scott indicated he would not veto a measure passed by legislators that will allow the creation of regulatory structures to permit recreational marijuana sales. The first recreational marijuana shops could open in 2022.Vermont Medical Marijuana Laws: Medical cannabis patients are not subject to the limits of the adult-use law and may possess up to two mature plants, seven immature plants, and 2 oz of usable marijuana.Possession and Cultivation Limits
Age: 21+Usable Marijuana: up to 1 ozPlants: up to 6 plants per household (no more than 2 mature), and all marijuana produced from the plantsHash & Concentrates: 5 g*Please consult the state for the most recent information.
State Marijuana Laws
Ballot Measure: Washington Marijuana Legalization and Regulation, Inititiative 502 — Approved Nov. 6, 2012 by 55.7% of votersLaw: Revisions to the Uniform Controlled Substances Act, chapter 69.50State Website: Washington State Liquor and Cannabis BoardEffective: Dec. 6, 2012Washington Medical Marijuana Laws: Medical cannabis patients are not subject to the limits of the adult-use law and may possess up to 3 oz usable marijuana; 48 oz of marijuana-infused product in solid form; or 216 oz marijuana-infused liquid; 21 g concentrate; 6 plants for personal use and up to 8 oz from those plants.Possession and Cultivation Limits
Age: 21+Usable Marijuana: up to 1 ozPlants: Plants are illegal. Any amount is a felony.Hash & Concentrates: up to 16 oz marijuana-infused product in solid form; up to 72 oz marijuana-infused product in liquid form; up to 7 g marijuana concentrate*Please consult the state for the most recent information.
Sources:
Ballotpedia, “Alaska Marijuana Legalization, Ballot Measure 2 (2014),” ballotpedia.org (accessed Nov. 14, 2017)Ballotpedia, “California Proposition 64, Marijuana Legalization (2016),” ballotpedia.org (accessed Nov. 14, 2017)Ballotpedia, “Colorado Marijuana Legalization Initiative, Amendment 64 (2012),” ballotpedia.org (accessed Mar. 29, 2017)Ballotpedia, “Washington D.C. Marijuana Legalization, Initiative 71 (November 2014),” ballotpedia.org (accessed Mar. 29, 2017)Ballotpedia, “Maine Marijuana Legalization, Question 1 (2016),” ballotpedia.org (accessed Mar. 30, 2017)Ballotpedia, “Massachusetts Marijuana Legalization, Question 4 (2016),” ballotpedia.org (accessed Mar. 31, 2017)Ballotpedia, “Michigan Proposal 1, Marijuana Legalization Initiative (2018),” ballotpedia.org (accessed Nov. 7, 2018)Ballotpedia, “Nevada Marijuana Legalization, Question 2 (2016),” ballotpedia.org (accessed Apr. 3, 2017)Ballotpedia, “Oregon Legalized Marijuana Initiative, Measure 91 (2014),” ballotpedia.org (accessed Apr. 3, 2017)Ballotpedia, “Washington Marijuana Legalization and Regulation, Initiative 502 (2012),” ballotpedia.org (accessed Apr. 3, 2017)Maine State Legislature, “Recreational Marijuana in Maine,” legislature.maine.gov (accessed Feb. 12, 2018)Marijuana Policy Project, “Maine,” mpp.org (accessed Feb. 12, 2018)NORML, “State Laws,” norml.org/laws (accessed Mar. 16, 2017)University of Missouri at Kansas City, “Irwin Ravin, Petitioner, v. State of Alaska, Respondent,” law2.umkc.edu, May 27, 1975Reid Wilson, “Vermont to Legalize Recreational Marijuana,” thehill.com, Oct. 9, 2020