Cannabis Policy in the U.S.

The use, sale, and possession of cannabis over 0.3% THC in the United States, despite state laws, is illegal under federal law. However, individual states have enacted legislation permitting exemptions for medical and adult use. 

 

MPP is leading the effort in Washington, D.C. to pass federal medical cannabis legislation, as well as to end federal cannabis prohibition and allow states to replace it with a system of sensible regulation and control. For more information on our past and present work, visit our Federal Policy page and take action to support our work.

MPP also works for sensible cannabis policies at the state level, and our grassroots and lobbying campaigns have changed several laws. MPP provided the bulk of the funding, staff, and expertise to the 2012 Colorado initiative to legalize and regulate cannabis for adults 21 and older — which made the state the first place in history to legalize cannabis for adults and regulate it like alcohol. In 2014, MPP followed up with the successful campaign to legalize and regulate cannabis in Alaska. Then, in 2016, MPP spearheaded the legalization initiatives that voters enacted in Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada. In 2018, MPP — working with local partners — led the successful initiatives to legalize cannabis in Michigan and medical cannabis in Utah. Most recently, MPP played an important role in the successful 2020 initiatives in Montana and South Dakota, working closely with the campaigns on the ground in each state.

Legislatively, MPP led the campaigns that made Vermont and Illinois the first two states to legalize cannabis legislatively. MPP is currently focusing on legalizing and regulating cannabis via the state legislatures in Delaware, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, and Rhode Island.

Meanwhile, MPP is also working with patient advocates and local partners to advance medical cannabis-related bills in several other states, including Nebraska, South Carolina, and Tennessee. In addition, MPP monitors and analyzes all cannabis-related bills in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, as well as cannabis policy in the U.S. territories.

Visit our State Policy page to choose your state, to learn about current cannabis-related legislation in your state, or to contact your state legislators. Also, we invite you to review MPP’s state-by-state guide to medical cannabis laws and MPP’s model state legislation.

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