Since Colorado and Washington became the first states to pass legislation in 2012, there are now 24 states (plus the District of Columbia) that have legalized recreational marijuana. The states where recreational weed is legal are Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. Additionally, many other states have decriminalized or legalized medical marijuana.
On May 21, 2024, the Drug Enforcement Agency issued a notice of proposed rulemaking indicating that the FDA intends to transfer marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule II controlled substance. This move would be a significant step forward in the federal government's stance on cannabis.
Ho-Chunk Nation decriminalizes cannabis, but that doesn't mean it's legal everywhere. The Ho-Chunk Nation will decriminalize cannabis on tribal lands, signaling a shift in attitudes towards marijuana use within indigenous communities.