States with medical marijuana laws  States that have removed jail time for possessing small amounts of marijuana  States that have both a medical marijuana law and have removed jail time for possessing small amounts of marijuana  Marijuana is legal for adults and is taxed and regulated similarly to alcohol; state also has a medical marijuana law  Marijuana is legal for adults (no sales); medical marijuana law

MPP spearheaded most of the major state-level cannabis policy reforms enacted in the past 15 years.

MPP played the leading role in eight of the 11 adult-use legalization laws, starting with drafting, funding, and staffing the historic 2012 Amendment 64 initiative in Colorado — which made the state the first place in history to legalize cannabis for adults and regulate it like alcohol. MPP also led the coalitions that passed initiatives to legalize and regulate cannabis in Alaska, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Nevada in 2014, 2016, and 2018.

Turning to state legislation, MPP spearheaded the advocacy campaign that made Vermont the first state to legalize cannabis possession for adults legislatively in early 2018, as well as the Vermont campaign to regulate and tax cannabis sales in 2020. MPP also played a crucial role in crafting and lobbying for Illinois’ legalization and regulation measure, which was signed into law in 2019.

MPP and the campaign committees it funded also played a leading role in successful efforts to pass 13 recent state medical cannabis laws (in Arizona, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, and Vermont) and seven decriminalization laws (in Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont).

In 2020, MPP is working to enact a bill to regulate cannabis like alcohol via the state legislature in Connecticut. In New Hampshire, we’re advocating for a bill that would legalize possession and cultivation of cannabis. We are also in the midst of multi-year efforts to legalize and regulate marijuana in additional states, including Delaware, Maryland, and Rhode Island.

Meanwhile, MPP is also working with patient advocates to advance medical cannabis-related bills in several other states, including Kentucky and South Carolina. 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.

Use the links on the right to choose your state, to learn about current cannabis-related legislation or initiatives in your state, or to contact your state legislators. Also, we invite you to review MPP’s resources in support of decriminalization, legalization and regulation, and medical cannabis.