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by Team TCP

Updated June 6, 2024 (SOURCE)​​

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TO START – DID YOU KNOW?

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Despite these state laws, cannabis possession is still a federal crime. As far as federal law is concerned, buying marijuana in a state-authorized storefront is just as illegal as purchasing it from a drug dealer.
 

Is marijuana legal at the federal level? (SOURCE)

No. Marijuana is classified at the federal level as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act, meaning that the government believes it to have no medical use and a high potential for abuse. Cultivating, distributing, and possessing marijuana violates federal drug laws. States that have legalized either recreational or medical marijuana have done so in direct conflict with the federal government, creating tension between the rights of states to create their own laws and the authority of the federal government.

 

Pros/Cons (SOURCE)

Proponents of legalizing recreational marijuana say it will add billions to the economy, create hundreds of thousands of jobs, free up scarce police resources, and stop the huge racial disparities in marijuana enforcement. They contend that regulating marijuana will lower street crime, take business away from the drug cartels, and make marijuana use safer through required testing, labeling, and child-proof packaging. They say marijuana is less harmful than alcohol, and that adults should have a right to use it if they wish.

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Opponents of legalizing recreational marijuana say it will increase teen use and lead to more medical emergencies including traffic deaths from driving while high. They contend that revenue from legalization falls far short of the costs in increased hospital visits, addiction treatment, environmental damage, crime, workplace accidents, and lost productivity. They say that marijuana use harms the user physically and mentally, and that its use should be strongly discouraged, not legalized. Read more background…

 

Pro & Con Arguments

Pro & Con Arguments: https://marijuana.procon.org/

 

States where recreational marijuana is legal: (SOURCE)

 

States have their own processes for licensing dispensaries, but in all states where marijuana is legal, businesses that sell marijuana must have a license from the state to do so.

The sales are regulated and taxed by the states at varying rates. Some states implement an excise tax on the sales, which are taxes on a particular good – in this case, marijuana – levied on the seller, which typically passes it on to the consumer by including it in the product's price.

Provisions outlining the amount of marijuana an adult can legally possess, if adults can grow their own marijuana plants and how the tax revenue is spent vary from state to state.

Colorado - legalization measure approved November 2012

Adults over the age of 21 in Colorado can possess and give away up to an ounce of marijuana and grow up to six plants each, though residences are limited to 12 plants total no matter how many people live there. Using marijuana in public is illegal.

Retail purchases at licensed dispensaries are subject to standard sales tax, plus an additional 10% marijuana sales tax. A 15% excise tax is applied to the wholesale price of retail marijuana – that is, the price that businesses pay cultivators.

 

Washington - legalization measure approved November 2012

In Washington, adults over 21 can buy and possess up to an ounce of marijuana, 16 ounces of marijuana-infused edibles in solid form, 72 ounces of marijuana-infused liquid products, and 7 grams of marijuana concentrates. It's illegal to consume marijuana in public, and recreational users can't grow the plants at home.

Retail sales are legal at licensed dispensaries and there is a 37% excise tax on those sales.

 

Alaska - legalization measure approved November 2014

Alaskan adults over the age of 21 can possess and give away up to an ounce of marijuana and can grow up to six marijuana plants, though only three of those plants can be mature. It's illegal to consume the drug in public.

Retail sales are legal at licensed dispensaries. The state levies an excise tax on the drug that the cultivator is responsible for paying.

 

Oregon - legalization measure approved November 2014

Adults in Oregon who are over 21 years old can possess up to an ounce of marijuana if they are in public and up to 8 ounces at home. Adults can also have up to 16 ounces of a marijuana product if it is in solid form, like an edible, or up to 72 ounces of a marijuana product in liquid form. Adults can grow up to four cannabis plants. It's illegal in Oregon to use marijuana in a public place.

Marijuana retail sales are legal at licensed dispensaries and taxed at 17%, and cities and counties can add up to an additional 3% tax in some cases.

 

Washington, D.C. - legalization measure approved November 2014

It is legal for adults over 21 to possess up to 2 ounces of marijuana and to give up to 1 ounce of marijuana to another person. Adults can also grow up to six marijuana plants, three of which can be mature.

Recreational cannabis sales are not legal in D.C., as Congressional Republicans have consistently included language in appropriations bills that prevents the District from establishing an independent regulatory board. Without licensed retailers, D.C.'s adult-use marijuana trade relies on gifting services.

 

California - legalization measure approved November 2016

It is legal in California for an adult over 21 to possess, purchase or give away up to an ounce of cannabis and as much as 8 grams of concentrated cannabis. Adults can also cultivate up to six live cannabis plants. Smoking or ingesting marijuana is illegal in public places, as is using the drug while in a car.

Retail sales of cannabis at licensed dispensaries are subject to standard state sales tax and an excise tax of 15%. Local governments may also enact additional taxes on cannabis businesses.

 

Maine - legalization measure approved November 2016

People over 21 in Maine can use and possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana and grow up to six flowering and 12 immature marijuana plants.

A regulated retail market became operational in October 2020, though several owners saw limited product supplies. Maine imposes a 15% excise tax and a 10% sales tax on marijuana.

 

Massachusetts - legalization measure approved November 2016

Adults over 21 in Massachusetts can have up to an ounce of marijuana on their person and up to 10 ounces at home. Home cultivation is also permitted: Residents can grow up to six plants per person and up to 12 plants in a household of two or more people.

Sales are legal at licensed dispensaries. Sales are subject to standard state sales tax, as well as a state excise tax of 10.75%. Towns and cities can also levy up to a 3% tax on marijuana sales.

 

Nevada - legalization measure approved November 2016

Nevadans over 21 can have up to an ounce of marijuana and up to an eighth of an ounce of concentrated marijuana. Adults may also grow up to six plants, or 12 plants per household. It's illegal to use marijuana in public or in a car.

Retail sales are legal at licensed dispensaries, and are subject to a 10% excise tax on top of state sales tax.

 

Michigan - legalization measure approved November 2018

It is legal for adults over 21 in Michigan to grow, consume and possess marijuana. The law allows individuals to grow up to 12 plants in a household, and to possess up to 2.5 ounces of the drug and 15 grams of concentrated marijuana.

The state's Marijuana Regulatory Agency began accepting applications for retail licenses in late 2019. Michigan now operates licensed retailers for recreational cannabis use, as well as provisioning centers for medical use, according to David Harns, interim communications director for Michigan's Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.

 

Vermont - legalization measure approved January 2018

It is legal to grow and possess marijuana in Vermont, but not to buy or sell it – that'll change in October 2022, when retailers will start receiving licenses. Adults over 21 can have up to an ounce of marijuana and can grow two mature and four immature marijuana plants per household.

 

Guam - legalization measure approved April 2019

Adults over the age of 21 can possess up to an ounce of marijuana and can grow up to six plants, though no more than three can be mature.

Guam's Cannabis Control Board scrambled to establish trading guidelines earlier in 2020, but their progress was stopped at the time by the coronavirus pandemic. While sales remain illegal, adults are allowed to gift up to an ounce of cannabis.

 

Illinois - legalization measure approved May 2019

As of January 2020, it's legal for Illinois residents over 21 to possess 30 grams of marijuana, 5 grams of concentrated cannabis and products containing up to 500 milligrams of THC. Adults who are not Illinois residents can have half those amounts while in the state. Consumption remains illegal in public places.

Residents could initially purchase marijuana for adult use from licensed dispensaries, followed by a gradual rollout of recreational retail licenses. Sales are taxed based on how much THC the marijuana contains: Cannabis with more than 35% THC will be taxed at 25% while cannabis with less THC will be taxed at 10%. Though marijuana has become more potent over the years, it's still unusual for a strain to exceed 35% THC. Cannabis-infused products will be subject to a 20% tax. Local municipalities can also levy up to a 3% tax on sales.

 

New Jersey - legalization measure approved November 2020

New Jersey was among four new states to simultaneously back marijuana legalization measures on Election Day 2020. Nearly 67% of voters approved a ballot initiative to legalize marijuana. The measure outlines that only adults over the age of 21 would be able to use cannabis. It authorized the existing state commission on medical cannabis to govern the market for recreational use, and made the cannabis trade subject to state and local taxes. On Feb. 22, 2021, Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation formally establishing the state's recreational marketplace, while reducing penalties for underage possession of marijuana and alcohol.

 

Montana - legalization measure approved November 2020

Montana's Election Day 2020 ballot featured two popular-vote measures that would regulate the use of recreational marijuana. Initiative 190 – which legalized the possession and use of limited amounts of cannabis by adults 21 and over – was approved by nearly 57% of voters, according to the Montana secretary of state. Montana Constitutional Initiative 118 – which allows the state legislature to set an age for marijuana use and consumption – passed with 58% of the vote.

 

South Dakota - legalization measure approved November 2020, struck down by state Supreme Court November 2021

South Dakota’s Constitutional Amendment A appeared on the 2020 ballot, passing with roughly 54% of the vote. The measure allows adults over 21 years old to possess and distribute up to 1 ounce of cannabis. A simultaneous measure to legalize medical marijuana was approved by nearly 70% of voters, according to the Sioux Falls-based Argus Leader. But in late November 2021, the state Supreme Court nullified the voter-passed amendment that would have allowed for recreational marijuana use, as reported by The Associated Press. The decision followed a lawsuit backed by Republican Gov. Kristi Noem.

 

Arizona - legalization measure approved November 2020

Arizona's Proposition 207 would allow limited marijuana use, possession and cultivation by adults over age 21; ban smoking it in public; establish state and local regulation of marijuana licensees; and allow marijuana offenses to be expunged. About 60% of voters supported the measure on Election Day.

 

New York - legalization measure approved March 2021

Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act on March 31, 2021. The law allows individuals age 21 or older to possess up to 3 ounces of cannabis for recreational purposes, establishes two regulatory agencies to oversee its sale and distribution, and clears the way for individuals convicted of marijuana-related offenses to have their records expunged. Democrats in the State Assembly had been introducing legalization bills since 2013, but their efforts were unsuccessful due to disagreements with Cuomo, according to the New York Times.

 

Virginia - legalization measure approved April 2021

On April 7, 2021, both chambers of Virginia's General Assembly passed SB1406, with amendments put forth by Gov. Ralph Northam. Since the legislature approved the governor's amendments, no further action was needed to pass the law, a staff member for Northam confirmed. The amended legislation will allow Virginians age 21 or older to possess up to 1 ounce of recreational marijuana as of July 1, 2021. While the law will also allow residents to grow up to four cannabis plants, the measure as enacted doesn't establish a framework for licensing retail sales of adult-use marijuana.

 

New Mexico - legalization measure approved April 2021

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed HB2 on April 12, allowing adults over age 21 to grow cannabis plants at home and possess up to two ounces outside their homes as of June 29, according to Linda Trujillo, the state's regulation and licensing superintendent. State-licensed dispensaries started selling recreational marijuana on April 1, 2022. Home growers of cannabis are able to cultivate up to six plants per person, or 12 total per household.

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Connecticut - legalization measure approved June 2021

Connecticut legalized recreational cannabis on June 22, 2021, when Gov. Ned Lamont signed SB1201. When the measure takes effect on July 1, individuals aged 21 or older will be able to possess up to 1.5 ounces of recreational cannabis, in addition to another five ounces in a home or vehicle. Retail sales are not expected to begin until the summer of 2022 at the earliest, while the state sets up its retail regulations. Prior low-level marijuana offenses will also be expunged under the new law.

 

Rhode Island - legalization measure approved May 2022

Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee signed into law on May 25, 2022, a state legislature bill that legalizes, regulates and taxes cannabis in the state. The law legalizes possession of up to an ounce of cannabis and cultivation of up to three cannabis plants in a private residence for adults 21 and older, according to the Marijuana Policy Project. It establishes a timeline to create a market to be overseen by a new regulatory commission, and as of May, sales are expected to begin by December 2022.

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Retail marijuana could hit the shelves in Vermont in the fall of 2022, according to television station WCAX. The District of Columbia is set to have a regulated recreational market as soon as August 2022, but a proposed budget in Congress could keep a ban on sales in the district in place. Meanwhile, Guam officials in November 2021 got closer to launching the territory’s own industry by contracting with Metrc, a provider of cannabis regulatory systems.

[ READ: Recreational Marijuana: A Business Boon for States? ]

 

The Pros and Cons of Smoking Marijuana Daily (SOURCE)

Positive and negative effects

Doctor explains the positive and negative effects of smoking marijuana daily.

 

Dr. Mitchell states, "Marijuana has long been a subject of debate. Some legalization proponents argue that marijuana can have positive medicinal effects, while others contend that the drug is harmful and addictive. There is no easy answer, and both sides of the argument have merit. However, a thoughtful discussion of the pros and cons of smoking marijuana can help shed light on the issue. On the one hand, marijuana has been shown to relieve pain and nausea in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. On the other hand, it has also been effective in treating glaucoma and epilepsy.

 

On the other hand, marijuana smoking has been linked to an increased risk of lung cancer. Additionally, marijuana use can result in cognitive impairments, including memory problems and difficulty concentrating. Ultimately, whether or not to smoke marijuana is a personal decision. However, before deciding, one must be aware of the potential benefits and risks."

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SEE DR’S PRO’S AND CONS HERE.

 

What A National Medical Marijuana Registry Could Mean For Those On The List (SOURCE)

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has applied to create a national database of medical marijuana users in order to understand more about marijuana and how it is used to treat medical conditions in America. This would be the most broad registry of its kind, and could help generate significant new data on the subject.

 

It is only natural, however, that a medical marijuana patient may see this new registry and feel a bit uneasy. Sure, many states with medical marijuana programs have their own registry, but there has never been a registry pool with such a variety of potential uses in existence like the one NIDA plans to create. This begs the question: If you currently use medical marijuana, what does this mean for your future?

 

This database could cover a broad range of medical cannabis users, but individuals have no need to worry about their medical privacy in this matter. For one, this database involves an application process and is voluntary. According to NIDA’s request for application (RFA), it “seeks applications to develop and maintain a medicinal cannabis use registry to assess the medical conditions reported as reasons for using medicinal cannabis, how and what products are being used, and the associated medical outcomes.”

 

CONTINUE FULL READ HERE.

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We want your input.  Email us at TCPcontact1@gmail.com