In December 2014, the Department of Justice announced a directive allowing recognized Native American tribes to legalize the use and sale of cannabis on Indian reservations. Reservation laws are allowed to be different from state and federal laws, and as was the case with recreational state legalization, the federal government said it would not intervene as long as strict controls were maintained. In 2015, the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe (of South Dakota) voted to legalize the recreational use of cannabis. [171] Others, such as the Yakama Nation and the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council, opposed the legalization of their reservations. [172] In November 2020, four states voted to legalize recreational marijuana through election measures: Arizona, Montana, New Jersey, and South Dakota. South Dakota`s legalization change was later overturned by the courts. [179] Notably, South Dakota would have been the first state to legalize recreational use without legalizing medical use first, and would have been the first state to cancel a referendum on legalization. With these permits, recreational cannabis became legal in 14 states. California, which legalized medical marijuana in 1996, was the first state to treat marijuana legalization as a state right.
Here is the long list of U.S. states, districts, and territories that have legalized marijuana for medical or recreational use: Medical marijuana – With 36 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands with comprehensive medical marijuana programs and at least 11 other states that allow the use of products low in THC (the active ingredient in marijuana) for medical purposes, Most states have some experience with legalizing marijuana for medical purposes. Ravine v. State is a 1975 decision by the Alaska Supreme Court that found that the privacy right of the Alaska Constitution protects an adult`s ability to consume and possess a small amount of cannabis at home for personal use. [145] [146] The Alaska Supreme Court was the first – and only – state or federal court to enact a constitutional personality law that protects a certain degree of cannabis use and possession. [145] This policy of effective legalization remained in place until it was reversed in 1990 by an election initiative that again criminalized cannabis in the state. [147] This timeline shows the progress of marijuana legislation in the states since California legalized medical marijuana in 1996. The continued legalization of marijuana means growth for businesses in this sector. Although cannabis remains illegal at the federal level, most U.S. states have legalized the use and sale of marijuana for medical purposes.
More and more legalize the plant for recreational purposes. Voters in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington and the District of Columbia have legalized small amounts of adult marijuana. The Colorado and Washington measures were adopted in 2012. Initiatives in Alaska, Oregon and the District of Columbia were adopted in the fall of 2014, while initiatives in California, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada were adopted in 2016. On January 22, 2018, the Vermont legislature passed an adult legalization bill, but did not pass a regulation until October 7, 2020. The Illinois and Guam legislatures passed adult-only legalization measures in 2019, bringing the total number of adult-use states to 15 and the territories to three as of November 5, 2020. 4. In December 2020, the House of Representatives voted 228-164 to pass the Marijuana Reinvestment and Expungement Act (MORE). [180] The bill included provisions to legalize cannabis at the federal level by removing it from the Controlled Substances Act, eliminating cannabis-related offences for non-violent offenders, and imposing a federal tax on cannabis products (which would be used to fund restorative justice programs). [181] Prior to the vote, neither house of Congress had yet voted on a bill to legalize cannabis. [182] February 19, 1925 – The League of Nations signs a multilateral treaty limiting the use of cannabis for scientific and medical purposes. Following the passage of the Global Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970, a commission was formed by executive order to investigate the increase in cannabis use in America and then make policy recommendations.
The Shafer Commission, officially known as the National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse, was appointed by former Pennsylvania Governor Raymond P. 11, 1998 2900 B.C. – Chinese Emperor Fu Hsi calls marijuana a popular medicine “BSA`s Expectations for Marijuana-Related Businesses,” Department of Finance, February 14, 2014 “Scientific Affairs Council Report 10,” 1997 The Pot Book: A Complete Guide to Cannabis: Its Role in Medicine, Politics, Science, and Culture, 2010 The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 made it illegal to possess or transfer marijuana in the United States under federal law. with the exception of medical and industrial uses, by levying excise duty on all sales of hemp. The annual fee was $24 ($637 adjusted for inflation) for importers, manufacturers and growers of cannabis, $1 ($24 adjusted for inflation) for medical and research purposes, and $3 ($82 adjusted for inflation) for industrial users. Detailed sales records were required to record marijuana sales. The sale of marijuana to persons who had already paid the annual royalty was subject to a tax of $1 per ounce, or a fraction thereof; However, the tax was $100 ($2,206 adjusted for inflation) per ounce, or a fraction thereof, to sell anyone who did not register and paid the annual fee. [37] In 1973, President Richard Nixon`s “Reorganization Plan Number Two” proposed the creation of a single federal agency to enforce federal drug laws, and Congress accepted the proposal because there were concerns about the increasing availability of drugs. [81] As a result, on July 1, 1973, the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (BNDD) and the Office of Drug Abuse Law Enforcement (ODALE) merged to form the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). [40] “Significant Legal Cases,” www.druglibrary.org (accessed July 15, 2010) Pure Food and Drug Act (1906), National Center for Biotechnology Information website, June 30, 1906.