Every day there is news of another state finally legalizing marijuana. By March 2021, New York State had joined the bandwagon of states that have legalized weed. Shortly after that, New Mexico hopped onto the list too. In fact, you can now walk into a Missouri Dispensary and purchase marijuana for medical use with a valid card.
The impact of new laws will take some time to get into effect. However, there has been a sharp increase in the states that allow weed to be grown legally. Here’s a virtual map showing where dispensaries can sell marijuana legally.
Recreational marijuana is being legalized state-by-state. Thus it might be challenging to keep track of whether your state falls on the list. Here’s a legal dispensary map to make it easy for you to keep track.
Status of Marijuana for Federal Government vs. People
According to the Federal Government, marijuana is a classified schedule 1 narcotic. Medical professionals, policy experts, and activists across the country strongly protest this opinion. According to the definition of the DEA or Drug Enforcement Administration, marijuana is a drug that presently has no medical use and can be abused.
All states are now passing laws to legalize the sale of marijuana for use by adults. Some states that haven’t yet legalized sale have officially decriminalized possession.
New York has legalized possession and smoking of marijuana in public places wherever smoking tobacco is allowed. However, dispensaries will start opening up after another year or so.
An interesting factor why people are voting to legalize weed is its potential impact on the economy.
States Where Recreational Use of Marijuana Is Legal
In the dispensaries of the following states, it is legal to purchase marijuana. You will also require a state-issued card to buy it for recreational use.
- Arizona
- Alaska
- Colorado
- California
- Connecticut
- Illinois
- C.
- Massachusetts
- Maine
- Montana
- Michigan
- New Jersey
- New York
- Nevada
- New Mexico
- Vermont
- Oregon
- Washington
- Virginia
A few of these states have permitted patients to grow weed for their personal use for medical purposes.
States That Have Decriminalised Marijuana and Made It Legal For Medical Use
States that have implemented the medical marijuana laws permit certain patients to receive prescriptions from their doctors to get a card to buy medical marijuana. These cards help them grow weed in some states and purchase it from dispensaries in most states.
States that have only decriminalized the possession of marijuana are:
- North Carolina
- Mississippi
- Nebraska
States where marijuana is legal for the purpose of medical use are:
- Utah
- Arkansas
- South Dakota
- Oklahoma
- West Virginia
- Florida
- Pennsylvania
Furthermore, here is the list of states who have not only decriminalized cannabis but have also legalized it for its medical use:
- Missouri
- Rhode Island
- Hawaii
- Maryland
- North Dakota
- Delaware
- Ohia
- Minnesota
- Louisiana
- New Hampshire
An Overview
Marijuana has not received proper research and studies. Decriminalization and legalization of marijuana can considerably impact the taboo surrounding this drug. This will lead to an increase in the research efforts for marijuana. Let’s face it, whether legal or not; people will always find a way to buy and possess this. Its legalization across so many states has now helped people who need it for medical purposes to buy it from any Missouri dispensary.
Safe access to a not fully legalized substance that might be potentially harmful is better for people. It can also reduce instances of addiction, illness, and death.