Cannabis laws by state: the short answer
24 states and the District of Columbia allow adult-use cannabis for people 21 and older. 39 states plus DC run a medical cannabis program. Cannabis stays illegal under federal law as a Schedule I substance. A state license does not cross a state line. Possession limits, home grow rules, and tax rates differ by state.
Cannabis Laws by State Cost: Why Prices Differ So Much
Adult-use states
These states allow sales to adults 21 and older. The year is when retail sales started or when the law took effect.
- Alaska (2015)
- Arizona (2021)
- California (2018)
- Colorado (2014)
- Connecticut (2023)
- Delaware (sales expected 2025)
- Illinois (2020)
- Maine (2020)
- Maryland (2023)
- Massachusetts (2018)
- Michigan (2019)
- Minnesota (sales expected 2025)
- Missouri (2022)
- Montana (2022)
- Nevada (2017)
- New Jersey (2022)
- New Mexico (2022)
- New York (2022)
- Ohio (2024)
- Oregon (2015)
- Rhode Island (2022)
- Vermont (2022)
- Virginia (possession legal, no retail sales)
- Washington (2014)
Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands also allow adult use.
cannabis laws by state interactive map
Medical-only states
These states require a patient card and a listed condition. Most do not sell to adults without a card.
Cannabis Laws by State Comparison Guide
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Iowa
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- Nebraska
- New Hampshire
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- South Dakota
- Utah
- West Virginia
Alabama and Kentucky built their programs in 2023 and 2024. Mississippi sales started in 2024. Nebraska voters passed medical cannabis in November 2024. The Nebraska program had no open dispensaries at the time of that vote.
States with no medical program
Idaho, Kansas, and Wyoming do not run a medical cannabis program. Wisconsin, Indiana, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas allow low-THC products with limits. Texas lawmakers passed limits on hemp-derived THC products in 2025. The federal 2018 Farm Bill set the rules that created the hemp THC market.
Possession limits
State law sets the limit. Federal law sets no legal limit because cannabis is Schedule I.
- Colorado: 2 oz, 6 plants, 12 plants per household
- Illinois: 30 g flower, 5 g concentrate
- Maryland: 1.5 oz, 2 plants
- Michigan: 2.5 oz, 12 plants
- Minnesota: 2 oz in public, 8 plants
- Missouri: 3 oz
- New York: 3 oz, 6 plants
- Ohio: 2.5 oz, 6 plants, 12 plants per household
- Oregon: 1 oz in public, 8 oz at home, 4 plants
- Virginia: 1 oz, 4 plants
- Washington: 1 oz, no home grow
Federal rules that still apply
Cannabis remains a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act. The Department of Health and Human Services recommended a move to Schedule III in 2023. DEA hearings on rescheduling ran into 2025. No final rule had taken effect.
Other federal points:
- Carrying cannabis across a state line can be charged as trafficking.
- Banks and card processors follow federal rules. Most stores take cash.
- Employers can test for cannabis and set their own policy. State worker protection laws differ.
- Federal land, airports, and border checkpoints follow federal law.
Rules that apply in every legal state
- Age 21 for adult use. Medical patients under 21 need a card and a caregiver rule.
- No open container in a vehicle and no driving while impaired.
- No smoking in public places unless the state or city allows it.
- Selling without a license is a felony in most states.
- Home grow plant counts include seedlings in some states and not others.
What to check before you buy or travel
Check four items. One, the state limit for flower and concentrate. Two, where consumption is allowed. Three, the tax rate, which varies by state and city. Four, the return rules, since federal law blocks transport across state lines.
Counts change each year. Ohio sales started in August 2024. Florida voters rejected adult use in November 2024 with 56 percent support, short of the 60 percent needed. North Dakota and South Dakota rejected adult-use measures the same day. Pennsylvania and Hawaii adult-use bills did not pass. Confirm the current status with the state regulator before you shop or cross a border.