A Comprehensive List of U.S. States Where Cannabis Is Legal in 2022

Cannabis legalization has been sweeping across the United States, with an increasing number of states embracing both medical and recreational use. This comprehensive list provides an overview of U.S. states where cannabis is legal, distinguishing between those with medical marijuana programs and those that have legalized recreational cannabis. All information is based on the status as of the last knowledge update in January 2022.

States with Medical Marijuana Programs:

1. Alaska: Medical marijuana has been legal in Alaska since 1998¹.
2. Arizona: Medical marijuana was legalized in Arizona in 2010².
3. Arkansas: Medical marijuana became legal in Arkansas in 2016³.
4. California: California has allowed medical marijuana since 1996⁴.
5. Colorado: Colorado legalized medical marijuana in 2000⁵.
6. Connecticut: Medical marijuana was legalized in Connecticut in 2012⁶.
7. Delaware: Medical marijuana has been legal in Delaware since 2011⁷.
8. Florida: Medical marijuana was legalized in Florida in 2016⁸.
9. Hawaii: Hawaii has allowed medical marijuana since 2000⁹.
10. Illinois: Medical marijuana became legal in Illinois in 2013¹⁰.
11. Louisiana: Louisiana legalized medical marijuana in 2015¹¹.
12. Maine: Medical marijuana has been legal in Maine since 1999¹².
13. Maryland: Medical marijuana was legalized in Maryland in 2014¹³.
14. Massachusetts: Massachusetts has allowed medical marijuana since 2012¹⁴.
15. Michigan: Medical marijuana became legal in Michigan in 2008¹⁵.
16. Minnesota: Medical marijuana was legalized in Minnesota in 2014¹⁶.
17. Mississippi: Medical marijuana became legal in Mississippi in 2020¹⁷.
18. Missouri: Missouri legalized medical marijuana in 2018¹⁸.
19. Montana: Medical marijuana has been legal in Montana since 2004¹⁹.
20. Nevada: Nevada legalized medical marijuana in 2000²⁰.
21. New Hampshire: Medical marijuana was legalized in New Hampshire in 2013²¹.
22. New Jersey: New Jersey has allowed medical marijuana since 2010²².
23. New Mexico: Medical marijuana became legal in New Mexico in 2007²³.
24. New York: Medical marijuana was legalized in New York in 2014²⁴.
25. North Dakota: North Dakota legalized medical marijuana in 2016²⁵.
26. Ohio: Medical marijuana has been legal in Ohio since 2016²⁶.
27. Oklahoma: Oklahoma legalized medical marijuana in 2018²⁷.
28. Oregon: Oregon has allowed medical marijuana since 1998²⁸.
29. Pennsylvania: Medical marijuana was legalized in Pennsylvania in 2016²⁹.
30. Rhode Island: Rhode Island has allowed medical marijuana since 2006³⁰.
31. Utah: Medical marijuana became legal in Utah in 2018³¹.
32. Vermont: Vermont legalized medical marijuana in 2004³².
33. Washington: Washington has allowed medical marijuana since 1998³³.
34. West Virginia: West Virginia legalized medical marijuana in 2017³⁴.
35. Wisconsin: Wisconsin has allowed limited medical use since 2014³⁵.
36. Wyoming: Wyoming has limited provisions for medical CBD use³⁶.

States with Recreational Cannabis Legalization:

1. Alaska: Recreational cannabis was legalized in Alaska in 2014¹.
2. Arizona: Arizona legalized recreational cannabis in 2020³⁷.
3. California: California legalized recreational cannabis in 2016⁴.
4. Colorado: Colorado became the first state to legalize recreational cannabis in 2012⁵.
5. Illinois: Illinois legalized recreational cannabis in 2019¹⁰.
6. Maine: Maine legalized recreational cannabis in 2016¹².
7. Massachusetts: Massachusetts legalized recreational cannabis in 2016¹⁴.
8. Michigan: Michigan legalized recreational cannabis in 2018¹⁵.
9. Montana: Montana legalized recreational cannabis in 2020³⁸.
10. Nevada: Nevada legalized recreational cannabis in 2016²⁰.
11. New Jersey: New Jersey legalized recreational cannabis in 2021³⁹.
12. Oregon: Oregon legalized recreational cannabis in 2014²⁸.
13. South Dakota: South Dakota legalized recreational cannabis in 2020⁴⁰.
14. Vermont: Vermont legalized recreational cannabis in 2018³².
15. Washington: Washington legalized recreational cannabis in 2012³³.
16. Washington, D.C.: Recreational cannabis has been legal in Washington, D.C. since 2015⁴¹.

Please note that cannabis laws are subject to change, and it’s essential to verify the current legal status in each state.

Footnotes

1. NORML – Legalization Timeline ↩ ↩²
2. Arizona Department of Health Services – Medical Marijuana Program ↩
3. Arkansas Department of Health – Medical Marijuana ↩
4. California Department of Public Health – Medical Cannabis Program ↩ ↩²
5. Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment – Medical Marijuana Registry ↩ ↩²
6. Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection – Medical Marijuana Program ↩
7. Delaware Division of Public Health – Medical Marijuana Program ↩
8. Florida Department of Health – Office of Medical Marijuana Use ↩
9. Hawaii Department of Health – Medical Cannabis Registry Program ↩
10. Illinois Department of Public Health – Medical Cannabis Pilot Program ↩ ↩²
11. Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry – Medical Marijuana Program ↩
12. Maine Department of Administrative and Financial Services – Office of Marijuana Policy ↩ ↩²
13. Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission ↩
14. Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission – Medical Use of Marijuana Program ↩ ↩²
15. Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs – Marijuana Regulatory Agency ↩ ↩²
16. Minnesota Department of Health – Office of Medical Cannabis ↩
17. Mississippi Department of Health – Medical Marijuana ↩
18. Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services – Medical Marijuana ↩
19. Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services – Medical Marijuana Program ↩
20. Nevada Department of Health and Human Services – Medical Marijuana Program ↩ ↩²
21. New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services – Therapeutic Cannabis Program ↩
22. New Jersey Department of Health – Medicinal Marijuana Program ↩
23. New Mexico Department of Health – Medical Cannabis Program ↩
24. New York State Department of Health – Medical Marijuana Program ↩
25. North Dakota Department of Health – Medical Marijuana Program ↩
26. Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program ↩
27. Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority ↩
28. Oregon Health Authority – Medical Marijuana Program ↩ ↩²
29. Pennsylvania Department of Health – Medical Marijuana Program ↩
30. Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation – Medical Marijuana Program ↩
31. Utah Department of Health – Medical Cannabis Program ↩
32. Vermont Department of Public Safety – Marijuana Registry ↩ ↩²
33. Washington State Department of Health – Medical Marijuana Program ↩ ↩²
34. West Virginia Office of Medical Cannabis ↩
35. Wisconsin Department of Health Services – Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil and Hemp Extracts ↩
36. Wyoming Department of Health – Hemp Extract Registration Program ↩
37. Arizona Department of Health Services – Adult Use Marijuana ↩
38. Montana Department of Revenue – Marijuana Program ↩
39. New Jersey – Cannabis Regulatory Commission ↩
40. South Dakota Department of Health – Cannabis Program ↩
41. Washington, D.C. Department of Health – Medical Marijuana Program ↩