Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Timeline of Gallup polls in US on legalizing marijuana. [1]In the United States, cannabis is legal in 39 of 50 states for medical use and 24 states for recreational use. At the federal level, cannabis is classified as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act, determined to have a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use, prohibiting its use for any purpose. [2]
Notes: · Reflects laws of states and territories, including laws which have not yet gone into effect. Does not reflect federal, tribal, or local laws. · Map does not show state legality of hemp-derived cannabinoids such as CBD or delta-8-THC, which have been legal at federal level since enactment of the 2018 Farm Bill
In most cases, the absence of a state law does not present a preemption conflict with a federal law. [23] The federal government criminalized marijuana under the Interstate Commerce Clause, and the application of these laws to intrastate commerce were addressed squarely by the U.S. Supreme Court in Gonzales v. Raich, 545 U.S. 1, in 2005.
Although a proposal to reclassify marijuana would not make it legal, “it is a historic and meaningful change at the federal level that I think is going to give many state lawmakers a little less ...
The NAACP has been strong supporters of the Respect State Marijuana Laws Act – H.R. 1523 and has reached out to members of congress to get this act passed. [160] This act is designed to decrease penalties for low-level marijuana possession and supports prohibiting federal enforcement of marijuana laws in states which have lesser penalties. [161]
Also, since 2014, Congress has allowed states to legalize medical marijuana without restriction or prosecution despite being in conflict with preempting federal law.
According to Voice of America, "The impetus for the legislation was a decision by Attorney General Jeff Sessions in January to rescind Obama-era Justice Department guidelines that encouraged prosecutors to adopt a hands-off approach to marijuana law enforcement in states where the substance was legal", referring to the Cole Memorandum provisions rescinded on January 4, 2018.
Cultivating, distributing and possessing marijuana violates federal drug laws. However, the recreational use of cannabis has been legalized in 23 states, three U.S. territories, and D.C. so far.