$6 billion question: Which states are likely to legalize recreational marijuana in 2021?
Recreational marijuana legalization victories at the ballot box in Arizona and New Jersey this month have set the table for adult-use legalization in a handful of nearby states in 2021 – with more than $6 billion in business opportunities possibly up for grabs within a few years.
Related Knowledge Center: Cannabis: a legal overview
Spurred by legalization approved by referenda in Colorado and Washington state in 2012, a growing number of states have legalized adult recreational use of cannabis — 14 (and the District of Columbia) to date, as well as an additional 20 that permit sale of cannabis prescribed for medicinal purposes. More are expected to follow: All cannabis legalization initiatives on the ballot in 2020 — four recreational and two medical — were approved by voters. Other states have taken the more limited step of decriminalization.
Meanwhile, the conflict between these state laws and federal policy — cannabis remains illegal under federal law — remains unresolved: the Justice and Treasury departments have adopted informal policies of non-interference with state laws.
Related Knowledge Center: Cannabis: New York state
Medical cannabis is legal in New York state.
Related Knowledge Center: Cannabis: Connecticut
Related Knowledge Center: Cannabis: Pennsylvania
Medical cannabis is legal in Pennsylvania.