Short answer
Adult-use cannabis is legal in 24 states and Washington, DC as of 2025. Medical cannabis is legal in 38 states and Washington, DC. Federal law still lists cannabis as a Schedule I controlled substance, so state rules do not cover airports, federal land, or transport across state lines.
where is cannabis legal in canada provinces
Legal status and store access are two different things. Virginia allows adult possession but has no open retail market. Delaware legalized adult use in 2023 and retail licenses followed. Ohio voters approved adult use in November 2023 and sales started in August 2024. Minnesota approved adult use in 2023 and store openings rolled out through 2025.
where is cannabis legal medically
Adult-use states and DC
- Alaska
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Illinois
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- District of Columbia
Medical-only states
Medical programs operate in 38 states and DC. Markets with medical access and no adult-use sales include Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia. Some of these programs cap THC content or limit qualifying conditions.
Where Can You Legally Buy Cannabis? A US Buying Guide
States with no comprehensive program
Idaho, Kansas, South Carolina, Wisconsin, and Wyoming have no comprehensive medical or adult-use program. A few of these states allow low-THC CBD products with a doctor's recommendation.
Convenience as the deciding factor
Retail reach shapes the market more than legal text does. Delivery is allowed in California, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New York, and Oregon. Curbside pickup and drive-through windows, expanded during 2020, stayed in place in several states. Local bans still block storefront sales in a majority of California cities, so a legal state can have no store within a two-hour drive.
Possession limits for adults 21 and older range from 1 ounce to 2.5 ounces in public, and home grow limits run from zero plants to 12 plants per household. Those numbers change when a legislature acts, and county or city rules can be stricter than state law.
How to verify a state
- Open the state cannabis regulator page, not a dispensary blog.
- Check the county and city code for retail bans.
- Confirm possession limits and home grow counts.
- Confirm that your state issues visitor or medical cards if you travel with a patient status.