It has been an exciting couple of weeks watching as more states legalize marijuana across the country. As of November 2020, there were four more states that approved ballot measures effectively legalizing ‘adult-use' cannabis in Arizona, Montana, New Jersey, and South Dakota. In addition, Mississippi approved a measure for a medical marijuana program.
Even more recently, on March 31st the state of New York legalized recreational use. New Mexico is also expected to legalize recreational marijuana after Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signs bill HB2 which was passed by lawmakers at the end of last week. With more and more states joining the ‘cannabis club’ in legalizing the recreational market, it can be hard to keep up with all the changes.
Since the widely anticipated and celebrated ‘420 Holiday’ coming up in just a couple of weeks, it might be helpful to review the states that will be legally enjoying the ‘holidaze’ this year.
Here are the states where you (an adult over the age of 21) can enjoy cannabis on 4/20 this year:
- Alaska
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Illinois
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Montana*
- New Jersey*
- New York*
- Oregon
- Vermont*
- Washington
- Washington D.C.
*no recreational dispensaries yet
The majority of people living in legalized states will be able to walk into a dispensary on April 20th and purchase cannabis for adult use. There are a few states where this is not yet possible, such as Montana, New Jersey, New York, and Vermont (all of which have legalized recreational cannabis within the last 24 months). Unfortunately, no one in South Dakota will be able to legally participate this year due to legislative opposition of the ballot measure passed by voters in November. However, efforts have been made to progress the medical marijuana program, which is set to go into effect July 1 of this year.
There is a chance New Mexico will legalize recreational cannabis before the 4/20 holiday, although it would not matter much as the bill, expected to be signed into law, wouldn’t become effective until June 29 of this year. Virginia is also important to keep an eye on, as they are expected to enact recreational cannabis this year, as lawmakers put together legislation that would become effective in 2024. It is predicted that Governor Ralph Northam will ask the legislature to legalize adult-use and possession for July 1st of this year.
For those that are able to participate in this holiday, we hope you are able to enjoy yourself safely, and responsibly. For those that are not, know your time is coming, and it seems to be coming sooner than we think!
At enVgrow we applaud the states joining into the cannabis industry and are excited at the opportunity to help more organizations optimize their cultivation operations. Whether you are new to the industry or an experienced professional, we’re here to help you continuously improve and reach your goals. If you’d like to learn more, please speak with one of our friendly team members or sign up for a customized product demonstration on our website.
Featured Photo from Business Insider.