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 21 states (and D.C.) 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, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington. (Voters in 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 12 of the 21 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.

NOTE: Most of these materials have not been updated yet to reflect that Missouri and Maryland voters legalized cannabis on November 8, 2022, bringing the total number of legalization states to 21.

The Case for Legalizing Cannabis and Regulating Sales

• Top 10 Reasons to Legalize and Regulate Cannabis
• Effective Arguments in Favor of Legalizing and Regulating Cannabis
• Polls Show Overwhelming Support for Legalizing Cannabis
• Marijuana is Safer Than Alcohol
• Regulation Works
• Conservative Thinkers and Marijuana Policy Reform
• Marijuana Prohibition Facts
• Cannabis Prohibition and Racial Justice (brochure)
• The Case for Taxing and Regulating Marijuana Like Alcohol (brochure)
• Endorsements and Statements of Support for Taxing and Regulating Marijuana for Adult Use
• The Case for Allowing Home Cultivation

Overviews of Bills and Laws

• Map of State Marijuana Laws
• Review of State Laws to Regulate Marijuana
• Summary of Connecticut’s S.B. 1201 — An Act Concerning Responsible and Equitable Regulation of Adult-Use Cannabis
• Canada’s Legalization and Regulation Law
• MPP’s Model Bill to Equitably Legalize and Regulate Cannabis
• Model Legalization Bill Summary
• Current Marijuana Policy Reform Bills
• Types of Marijuana Policy Reform Laws

Social Justice and Equity

• Social Equity Policies in Adult-Use Legalization Laws
• VIDEO: The Human Toll: How the War on Cannabis Targeted Black America (featuring MPP Executive Director Steven Hawkins) 
• Reimagining Justice: Race, Cannabis, and Policing (full conference event)
• Key Takeaways from Reimagining Justice: Race, Cannabis, and Policing
• Fostering Social Justice and Equity While Regulating Cannabis
• Cannabis Legalization is Criminal Justice Reform
• Summary of Connecticut’s S.B. 1201 — An Act Concerning Responsible and Equitable Regulation of Adult-Use Cannabis
• Cannabis and Racial Justice
• Cannabis Prohibition and Racial Justice (brochure)
• How the SAFE Banking Act Means Equity
• Women and Minorities in the Cannabis Industry (a Marijuana Business Daily Report)
• A Tale of Two Countries: Racially Targeted Arrests in the Era of Marijuana Reform (2020 ACLU report)

Legalization Law Issue Areas

• 2021 State Analysis Chart: Probable Cause to Stop and Search Based on the Smell of Cannabis Alone
• Sales Penalties After Legalization
• Social Equity Policies in Adult-Use Legalization Laws
• Legalization States' Approaches to Expungement and Release

Responding to Concerns

• Gateway Theory Debunked
• Regulating Marijuana Improves Public Safety
• Teens’ Marijuana Use Does Not Increase Following Cannabis Policy Reforms
• Regulating Marijuana and Protecting Youth
• Access to Marijuana Can Help Fight the Opioid Epidemic
• Marijuana Legalization Is Not Linked With Increased Crime Rates
• Sources Cited By Opponents of Legalization Lack Credibility
• Marijuana Policy Paper - Regulating Cannabis Oil Vaporizers
• MPP Rebuttals to Claims from Opponents of Cannabis Regulation

Data From States That Have Legalized and Regulated Cannabis

• Colorado and Washington: Life After Legalization and Regulation
• Life After Legalization: Colorado Business Outlook
• Cannabis Tax Revenue in States that Regulate Cannabis for Adult Use
• Breakdown of Taxes in Adult-Use States
• Breakdown of Application, Licensing, and Renewal Fees in Adult-Use States*
• Financial Impact of Legalizing and Regulating Cannabis for Adult Use

Resources

• How to Conduct an Effective Lobby Visit in Support of Ending Cannabis Prohibition

Federal Policy

• State Cannabis Regulation Laws Are Not Preempted By Federal Law

* This document has not yet been updated for the newest legalization states, which were enacted in 2021.