Marijuana Laws by State 2026
Marijuana Laws by State 2026
Ranking - Law
Marijuana law is now split into several tiers across the country, from full recreational legalization to complete prohibition. By June 2026, 24 states allow adult-use marijuana, while only four still ban it outright with no medical or decriminalized exception.
Quick Answer
Marijuana Laws by State 2026
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1
24 states allow recreational marijuana as of 2026. Ohio opened retail dispensaries in August 2024, the most recent state to do so. Colorado and Washington were the first, both legalizing in November 2012.
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2
New Jersey allows the highest recreational possession limit at 6 oz per person. Missouri and New York each permit 3 oz. Most states that have legalized cap public possession at 1 oz.
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3
Idaho, Kansas, South Carolina, and Wyoming are the only 4 states where marijuana is fully illegal, with no medical, decriminalized, or CBD exception. Oklahoma allows medical patients to carry 3 oz on their person, the highest personal possession limit in any non-recreational state.
Map
Marijuana Legal Status by State 2026
| Rank | State | Legal Status |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | Fully Legal |
| 1 | Arizona | Fully Legal |
| 1 | California | Fully Legal |
| 1 | Colorado | Fully Legal |
| 1 | Connecticut | Fully Legal |
| 1 | Delaware | Fully Legal |
| 1 | Illinois | Fully Legal |
| 1 | Maine | Fully Legal |
| 1 | Maryland | Fully Legal |
| 1 | Massachusetts | Fully Legal |
| 1 | Michigan | Fully Legal |
| 1 | Minnesota | Fully Legal |
| 1 | Missouri | Fully Legal |
| 1 | Montana | Fully Legal |
| 1 | Nevada | Fully Legal |
| 1 | New Jersey | Fully Legal |
| 1 | New Mexico | Fully Legal |
| 1 | New York | Fully Legal |
| 1 | Ohio | Fully Legal |
| 1 | Oregon | Fully Legal |
| 1 | Rhode Island | Fully Legal |
| 1 | Vermont | Fully Legal |
| 1 | Virginia | Fully Legal |
| 1 | Washington | Fully Legal |
| 2 | Hawaii | Medical and Decriminalized |
| 2 | Louisiana | Medical and Decriminalized |
| 2 | Mississippi | Medical and Decriminalized |
| 2 | Nebraska | Medical and Decriminalized |
| 2 | New Hampshire | Medical and Decriminalized |
| 2 | North Dakota | Medical and Decriminalized |
| 3 | Alabama | Medical Only |
| 3 | Arkansas | Medical Only |
| 3 | Florida | Medical Only |
| 3 | Kentucky | Medical Only |
| 3 | Oklahoma | Medical Only |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | Medical Only |
| 3 | South Dakota | Medical Only |
| 3 | Utah | Medical Only |
| 3 | West Virginia | Medical Only |
| 4 | North Carolina | Decriminalized |
| 5 | Georgia | CBD Only |
| 5 | Indiana | CBD Only |
| 5 | Iowa | CBD Only |
| 5 | Tennessee | CBD Only |
| 5 | Texas | CBD Only |
| 5 | Wisconsin | CBD Only |
| 6 | Idaho | Fully Illegal |
| 6 | Kansas | Fully Illegal |
| 6 | South Carolina | Fully Illegal |
| 6 | Wyoming | Fully Illegal |
24 states are dark green for full recreational legalization. The 4 fully illegal states — Idaho, Kansas, South Carolina, and Wyoming — are shown in grey-red. New Jersey leads all states with a 6-oz recreational possession limit.
Marijuana Laws by State 2026 Table
50 entries
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|
Rank
|
State
|
Legal Status
|
Recreational
|
Medical
|
Decriminalized
|
Possession Limit
|
Year Enacted
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Alaska
|
Fully Legal | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1 oz recreational | 2015 |
| 1 |
Arizona
|
Fully Legal | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1 oz recreational | 2020 |
| 1 |
California
|
Fully Legal | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1 oz recreational | 2016 |
| 1 |
Colorado
|
Fully Legal | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1 oz recreational | 2012 |
| 1 |
Connecticut
|
Fully Legal | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1.5 oz recreational | 2021 |
| 1 |
Delaware
|
Fully Legal | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1 oz recreational | 2023 |
| 1 |
Illinois
|
Fully Legal | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1 oz recreational | 2019 |
| 1 |
Maine
|
Fully Legal | Yes | Yes | Yes | 2.5 oz recreational | 2016 |
| 1 |
Maryland
|
Fully Legal | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1.5 oz recreational | 2022 |
| 1 |
Massachusetts
|
Fully Legal | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1 oz recreational | 2016 |
| 1 |
Michigan
|
Fully Legal | Yes | Yes | Yes | 2.5 oz recreational | 2018 |
| 1 |
Minnesota
|
Fully Legal | Yes | Yes | Yes | 2 oz recreational | 2023 |
| 1 |
Missouri
|
Fully Legal | Yes | Yes | Yes | 3 oz recreational | 2022 |
| 1 |
Montana
|
Fully Legal | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1 oz recreational | 2020 |
| 1 |
Nevada
|
Fully Legal | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1 oz recreational | 2016 |
| 1 |
New Jersey
|
Fully Legal | Yes | Yes | Yes | 6 oz recreational | 2020 |
| 1 |
New Mexico
|
Fully Legal | Yes | Yes | Yes | 2 oz recreational | 2021 |
| 1 |
New York
|
Fully Legal | Yes | Yes | Yes | 3 oz recreational | 2021 |
| 1 |
Ohio
|
Fully Legal | Yes | Yes | Yes | 2.5 oz recreational | 2023 |
| 1 |
Oregon
|
Fully Legal | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1 oz recreational | 2014 |
| 1 |
Rhode Island
|
Fully Legal | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1 oz recreational | 2022 |
| 1 |
Vermont
|
Fully Legal | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1 oz recreational | 2018 |
| 1 |
Virginia
|
Fully Legal | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1 oz recreational | 2021 |
| 1 |
Washington
|
Fully Legal | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1 oz recreational | 2012 |
| 2 |
Hawaii
|
Medical and Decriminalized | No | Yes | Yes | 4 oz medical (per 15 days) | 2024 |
| 2 |
Louisiana
|
Medical and Decriminalized | No | Yes | Yes | 2.5 oz medical (per 14 days) | 2021 |
| 2 |
Mississippi
|
Medical and Decriminalized | No | Yes | Yes | 3 oz medical (per 14 days) | 2022 |
| 2 |
Nebraska
|
Medical and Decriminalized | No | Yes | Yes | 5 oz medical (program est.) | 2024 |
| 2 |
New Hampshire
|
Medical and Decriminalized | No | Yes | Yes | 2 oz medical (per 10 days) | 2017 |
| 2 |
North Dakota
|
Medical and Decriminalized | No | Yes | Yes | 3 oz medical (per 14 days) | 2019 |
| 3 |
Alabama
|
Medical Only | No | Yes | No | Varies by condition and product | 2021 |
| 3 |
Arkansas
|
Medical Only | No | Yes | No | 2.5 oz medical (per 14 days) | 2016 |
| 3 |
Florida
|
Medical Only | No | Yes | No | 2.5 oz medical (per 35 days) | 2016 |
| 3 |
Kentucky
|
Medical Only | No | Yes | No | 30-day supply (physician-set) | 2023 |
| 3 |
Oklahoma
|
Medical Only | No | Yes | No | 3 oz medical (on person) | 2018 |
| 3 |
Pennsylvania
|
Medical Only | No | Yes | No | 30-day supply per visit | 2016 |
| 3 |
South Dakota
|
Medical Only | No | Yes | No | 3 oz medical (per 14 days) | 2020 |
| 3 |
Utah
|
Medical Only | No | Yes | No | 4 oz medical (per 30 days) | 2018 |
| 3 |
West Virginia
|
Medical Only | No | Yes | No | 30-day supply (physician-set) | 2017 |
| 4 |
North Carolina
|
Decriminalized | No | No | Yes | Under 0.5 oz (civil fine) | 1977 |
| 5 |
Georgia
|
CBD Only | No | No | No | 20 fl oz low-THC oil (with card) | 2015 |
| 5 |
Indiana
|
CBD Only | No | No | No | Hemp-derived CBD only | 2018 |
| 5 |
Iowa
|
CBD Only | No | No | No | 4.5g THC per 90 days | 2014 |
| 5 |
Tennessee
|
CBD Only | No | No | No | Hemp-derived CBD only | 2019 |
| 5 |
Texas
|
CBD Only | No | No | No | 0.5% THC limit (CUP patients) | 2019 |
| 5 |
Wisconsin
|
CBD Only | No | No | No | Hemp-derived CBD only | 2018 |
| 6 |
Idaho
|
Fully Illegal | No | No | No | Illegal | 1971 |
| 6 |
Kansas
|
Fully Illegal | No | No | No | Illegal | 1972 |
| 6 |
South Carolina
|
Fully Illegal | No | No | No | Illegal | 1971 |
| 6 |
Wyoming
|
Fully Illegal | No | No | No | Illegal | 1971 |
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Clean, print-ready version of Marijuana Laws by State 2026.
States with Recreational Marijuana Legal in 2026
24 states allow recreational marijuana as of 2026. Ohio opened retail dispensaries August 6, 2024 under Issue 2, becoming the most recent state to do so. Colorado and Washington were first, both legalizing in November 2012.
10 states joined between 2020 and 2024: Arizona, Montana, and New Jersey in 2020; Connecticut, New Mexico, New York, and Virginia in 2021; Maryland and Rhode Island in 2022; Minnesota and Delaware in 2023; and Ohio in 2023. Vermont was the first to legalize through the legislature rather than a ballot initiative, doing so in 2018.
New Jersey allows the highest public possession limit at 6 oz. Missouri and New York each permit 3 oz. Maine, Michigan, and Ohio allow 2.5 oz. Most states cap on-person possession at 1 oz.
States Where Marijuana Is Still Fully Illegal
Four states have no legal marijuana provision of any kind in 2026: Idaho, Kansas, South Carolina, and Wyoming. No medical program, decriminalization, or dispensary system exists in any of the four. Possession carries criminal charges in all four states.
North Carolina is not in this group despite having no medical program. Possession of less than 0.5 oz has carried only a $200 civil fine since 1977. Florida remains medical-only after Amendment 3, a recreational legalization measure, received 55.9% of the vote in November 2024 — short of the state's required 60% supermajority.
Medical-Only and CBD-Only States
Nine states operate medical programs without recreational legalization: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, and West Virginia. Oklahoma's program allows patients to carry 3 oz on their person and 6 oz at home, the most permissive personal possession limits in any non-recreational state.
Six states permit only low-THC CBD products: Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin. Iowa's program is the most restrictive: cardholders may purchase only 4.5g of THC per 90-day period. Texas's Compassionate Use Program covers specific qualifying conditions but caps product THC at 0.5%.
Quick Answers
What states have legalized recreational marijuana in 2026
Is marijuana legal in Texas in 2026
Which states is marijuana fully illegal in
What state allows the most marijuana to carry legally
Is medical marijuana legal in Florida
What is the difference between decriminalized and legal marijuana
Methodology
Legal status reflects effective state law as of June 2026, including enacted ballot measures and signed legislation. Possession limits reflect the on-person personal use limit under state law; medical limits reflect the dispensary purchase or patient possession maximum per the applicable period. CBD-only states permit hemp-derived products consistent with the 2018 Farm Bill. Federal law still classifies marijuana as Schedule I regardless of state law.
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