When did your state legalize marijuana?
With nearly half of all Americans now living in a state that has legalized adult use of cannabis, it can be difficult to keep track of which state legalized when.
That’s why we’re keeping an eye on it for you. Here’s our running tally of each state’s legalization vote, the first day it was legal for all adults to possess marijuana, and the first day cannabis retail stores opened.
For more information on state legalization and your state’s current cannabis laws, restrictions and regulations, visit Leafly’s ultimate guide to legalization.
We will update this list as more states become legal. Click on the state name below to delve deeper into that state’s current cannabis laws.
Related
Leafly’s guide to marijuana legalization
Recreational (adult use) Legalization
| Federal State | choice date | ownership | shops open |
| Alaska | November 4, 2014 | November 5, 2014 | October 29, 2016 |
| Arizona | November 3, 2020 | November 30, 2020 | January 22, 2021 |
| California | November 8, 2016 | November 9, 2016 | January 1, 2018 |
| Colorado | November 6, 2012 | December 10, 2012 | 1st of January 2014 |
| Connecticut | June 22, 2021* | July 1, 2021 | open |
| Illinois | May 31, 2019 | May 31, 2019 | January 1, 2020 |
| Maine | November 10, 2016 | January 1, 2016 | October 9, 2020 |
| Massachusetts | November 8, 2016 | December 15, 2016 | November 20, 2018 |
| Michigan | November 6, 2018 | November 16, 2018 | December 1, 2019 |
| Montana | November 3, 2020 | January 1, 2021 | January 1, 2022 |
| Nevada | November 8, 2016 | January 1, 2017 | July 1, 2017 |
| New Jersey | November 3, 2020 | January 1, 2021 | April 21, 2022 |
| New Mexico | April 12, 2021* | April 12, 2021 | April 1, 2022 |
| new York | March 31, 2021* | March 31, 2021 | open |
| Oregon | November 4, 2014 | November 5, 2014 | October 1, 2016 |
| Rhode Island | May 25, 2022* | May 25, 2022* | open |
| Vermont | January 22, 2018* | July 1, 2018 | open |
| Virginia | April 11, 2020 | July 1, 2021 | open |
| Washington | November 6, 2012 | December 6, 2012 | July 8, 2014 |
* Denotes a state that has been legalized through the state legislature. The date given is the date the governor signed the law into law.
Bruce Barcott
Leafly senior editor Bruce Barcott oversees news, investigations and feature projects. He is a Guggenheim Fellow and the author of Weed the People: The Future of Legal Marijuana in America.
Check out Bruce Barcott’s articles
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