24 States Have Legalized Adult-Use Cannabis: What Does This Mean?

On Tuesday, November 7, 2023, Ohio became the twenty-fourth state to legalize adult-use cannabis. Three states have legalized adult-use cannabis this year, which is the same rate as last year.

With the growing number of votes for cannabis legalization, the optimism of country-wide federalization is high. But with pushback from red states, there is no doubt we still have time to go till we see a fully legal country.

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There have been large talks about cannabis legalization not only on state levels but also on a federal level. Biden’s administration has been very open about cannabis legalization medically.

Over a year ago, Biden first announced his plan to pardon non-violent cannabis offenders federally, urging governors to do the same and calling on the “Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Attorney General to initiate the administrative process to expeditiously review how marijuana is scheduled under federal law.”

But since the statement, no real change has been seen.

A recent Gallup poll on Wednesday, November 8, 2023, shows that 70% of U.S. adults favor legalization. Which is up from 68% in recent years. This tells us that the demand for cannabis legalization is at an all-time high yet the movement towards complete legalization is extremely slow.

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With nearly half the states legalizing adult-use cannabis, we are making steps toward a completely legalized country. The question still remains, but with the majority demanding legal cannabis, it can only be a matter of time.