The legalization of weed, or marijuana, has seen a surge across the United States in recent years. Marijuana laws vary widely from state to state, with some states allowing recreational use and others limiting use to medical purposes only. Let’s delve into where in the US you can legally buy and use marijuana.

For starters, as of 2021, recreational marijuana use is legal for adults over the age of 21 in 18 states and Washington, DC. These states are: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington. In these states, adults can freely purchase weed from licensed dispensaries, and sometimes even grow their own plants at home.

Beyond the states where recreational use is freely allowed, some states have decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana. States like Minnesota, North Carolina and Missouri have chosen to treat possession as a civil, rather than a criminal, issue. However, sale and manufacturing offenses can still result in severe penalties.

Importantly, there are other states where only medical marijuana is legal. As of 2021, there are 36 states where medical marijuana use is permitted: Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and others. In these states, individuals must receive a prescription from a licensed healthcare professional and often apply for a medical marijuana card from the state’s health department.

It’s worth noting that despite the trend of states legalizing marijuana, it remains illegal at the federal level. Federal law classifies marijuana as a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act, which means it’s considered to have a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use at the federal level.

The legalization and decriminalization of marijuana are complex and frequently changing. Laws can vary widely even within individual states, so it’s always important to be familiar with the specific laws and regulations in your location.

Finally, when discussing marijuana laws, it’s necessary to touch upon CBD, or cannabidiol, a natural compound found in the cannabis plant. Unlike THC, another compound in the cannabis plant, CBD doesn’t produce the “high” associated with marijuana. Instead, it’s often used to help with things like pain and anxiety. Many people also swear by the therapeutic effects of a CBD-based product, known as a cbd tablet. Despite the national legalization of hemp, from which many CBD products are derived, the laws for CBD are not uniform across states, and the use of a CBD desktop can be subject to different regulations.