Cannabis Legalization

According to Gallup polls, more than two-thirds of Americans support legalizing cannabis for adults’ use. State-by-state polling shows majority support in every single state. Yet only 18 states have passed laws to legalize and regulate cannabis for individuals over 21.

Those states that have legalized cannabis are blue, red, and purple: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington. (Voters in a 19th state — South Dakota — passed a legalization law in November 2020, but it was overturned in court.)

MPP played a leading role in the campaigns to enact 10 of the 18 legalization laws, including the first two states to legalize cannabis through the state legislature, rather than the ballot box — Illinois and Vermont.

Legalizing and regulating cannabis for adults has generated hundreds of millions of dollars in new tax revenue and created tens of thousands of jobs. It has also displaced the criminal market and freed up law enforcement resources to focus on serious crime. Meanwhile, teenagers’ cannabis use rates haven’t increased, and voter support has grown.

Below you will find more information about those laws and how they are working, along with materials to make the case for allowing adults to use a substance that is safer than alcohol.