An act establishing a sensible state marijuana policy

Last updated: June 27, 2024

Because less than half of U.S. states allow citizen-initiated ballot measures, in most states, the only way to reform cannabis laws is via the state’s legislature. Polls show over two-thirds of Americans support making cannabis use legal and around 90% support allowing medical cannabis, but lawmakers lag behind the public.

Only 24 states have legalized cannabis for adults. Twelve states are even further behind the times — lacking even a medical cannabis law. And 19 states continue to jail their residents for even simple possession of cannabis.

While most state legislatures have adjourned for the year, some are still underway. Below is a list of states where bills were proposed in 2024 to legalize cannabis for adults, to decriminalize cannabis (i.e., issuing a fine-only ticket for simple possession), or to legalize medical cannabis. You can find additional cannabis policy bills — including to expand existing decriminalization, medical cannabis, and legalization laws — at the bottom of each of our state webpages, courtesy of BillTrack50.

Unfortunately, no new state has legalized cannabis or medical cannabis this year, though Hawai’i and New Hampshire came close. In November, voters will have an opportunity to legalize cannabis themselves in at least two states — Florida and South Dakota. Signature drives are underway for ballot measures in Arkansas (medical expansion), Nebraska (medical), and North Dakota (legalization).

Cannabis Legalization Legislation

States with proposed bills to legalize cannabis for adults: 16

• Georgia — HR 1168 and HR 1254 would have referred a constitutional amendment to voters to legalize and regulate cannabis for adults’ use. HB 388 would have removed penalties for possession of less than an ounce of cannabis. The legislature adjourned, and all three bills died without even being referred to a committee.
• Hawai’i — HB 2600 and SB 3335were AG-drafted bills that would have legalized and regulated cannabis for adults 21 and older. SB 3335 passed four Senate committees and then the full Senate in a 19-6 vote. SB 3335 advanced out of three House committees, with floor votes between them, before dying in the Senate Finance Committee. This was the first year a legalization bill received a hearing in a committee of the Hawai’i House of Representatives.
• Indiana — HB 1282, HB 1350, HB 1410, SB 0107, and SB 0099 would have legalized and regulated cannabis for adults 21 and older. HB 1349 would have removed penalties for possession of up to two ounces of cannabis. None of the bills received a hearing or vote before the legislature adjourned.
• Iowa — SF 73 and HF 442 would have legalized and regulated cannabis for adults. SJR 6 proposed a state constitutional amendment, which would be referred to voters if approved by the legislature, to legalize cannabis for adults. They did not advance out of a committee before a deadline.
• Kansas — HB 2367 would have legalized and regulated cannabis sales for adults. It died in the Committee on Interstate Cooperation without receiving a hearing.
• Kentucky —HB 420 and SB 382 would have legalized and regulated cannabis for adults. HB 72 and SB 73 would have allowed the growing and possession of small amounts of cannabis (and included expungement provisions), but they did not include the commercial sale of cannabis. SB 362 and HB 160 proposed voter-referred state constitutional amendments to legalize cannabis for adults. The bills died without receiving a hearing.
• Louisiana — HB 978 and HB 707 would have set up a framework to regulate cannabis sales for adults. They were contingent on separate legislation passing in a future year to legalize cannabis. HB 649 would have put the question of legalizing cannabis for adults’ use to voters during the November 2024 election. HB 649 did not receive a hearing or vote. HB 978 advanced from committee to the House floor where it was defeated in a 36-57 vote. HB 707 passed the Committee on Health and Welfare, then died without receiving a hearing in the Appropriations Committee.
• Mississippi — HB615 would have legalized and regulated cannabis for adults. SB 2357 would legalize possession of up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis, without allowing sales or gifting. SB 2620 removes marijuana from scheduling in the state and removes penalties for possession. All three died in committee without receiving a hearing.
• Nebraska — LB 22 would have legalized possession and use of marijuana. LB 634 would have legalized and regulated cannabis. Both bills received a hearing in the Judiciary Committee, but were indefinitely postponed. The legislature adjourned without voting on them.
• New Hampshire — HB 1633 would legalize and regulate cannabis for adults 21 and older. On April 11, 2024, the House passed the bill in a landslide 239-136 vote. In May, the Senate revised HB 1633 to include provisions needed to avoid Gov. Sununu’s veto and to secure the votes of four Senate Republicans who had voted "no" in 2023. The Senate passed legalization for the first time ever, in a 14-10 vote. On May 30, the House rejected the Senate changes and called a committee of conference, which negotiated a compromise. On June 13, the last day of the 2024 legislative session, the Senate approved the compromise bill, 14-10. Then, the House narrowly voted to table the compromise bill (178-173). A motion was made to remove the bill from the table and give it a debate, but it was defeated 162-189.
• North Carolina — H626 and S346 would have regulated and legalized cannabis sales for adults 21 and older. H626 died in the House Committee on Rules, Calendar and Operations without a vote. S346 died in the Senate Committee on Rules and Operations without a vote.Pennsylvania —SB 846, HB 1080, HB 2210, and HB 1082 would legalize and regulate sales for adults 21 and older. The House bills have been referred to the Health Committee, while SB 846 has been referred to Law and Justice. While the Health Committee has not heard any individual bills, it has held a series of informational hearings on cannabis legalization, sometimes including a second committee.
• Pennsylvania has a year-round legislative session.
• South Carolina — S. 211 would have legalized and regulated cannabis for adults. It died in the Senate Medical Affairs Committee without receiving a hearing or vote.
• Tennessee — HB 2413, SB 2468, HB 0085, and SB 0168 would have legalized and regulated adult-use cannabis. They did not advance out of committee before adjournment.
• Wisconsin — AB 506 and SB 486 would have legalized and regulated cannabis for adults and created medical cannabis programs. AB 1207 and SB 1113 would have removed penalties for possession of up to 28 grams of cannabis. All four died in committee without receiving a hearing or vote.
• West Virginia — SB 386 and HB 4873 would have legalized and regulated cannabis for adults. SJR8 would have created a constitutional amendment, putting the question of legalizing cannabis for adults to voters. All three died in committee without receiving a hearing or vote.

In addition, Florida, South Dakota, and possibly North Dakota will have citizen initiatives to legalize cannabis on the ballot in 2024. Twenty-four states, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have already passed laws to legalize and regulate cannabis. One of the 24 states — Virginia — only has legal possession and home cultivation, with no legal sales. In 2024, the General Assembly passed but Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) vetoed a bill (SB 448) to create legal, regulated access to cannabis for adult-use consumers.

Bills to Remove Possible Jail Time — Often Imposing a Fine — for Simple Possession (“Decriminalization”)

States with decriminalization bills: 8

• Alabama — SB 42 would have reduced the penalty for simple possession of cannabis to a violation punishable by a fine of up to $200. It died in the Senate Judiciary Committee without receiving a hearing or vote.
• Florida — S0094 would have removed criminal penalties for the first, second, and third offense for possession of 20 grams or less, and replaced them with a civil fine. It died in the Criminal Justice Committee without receiving a hearing or vote.
• North Carolina — S705 would have decriminalized small amounts of cannabis in addition to many other criminal justice reforms.
• South Carolina — H 3561 would have reduced the penalty for up to an ounce of cannabis or 10 grams of hashish to a civil citation and made other drug policy reforms. It was referred to the House Judiciary Committee. H 3803 would have reduced the penalty for possession of up to an ounce of cannabis, or up to 10 grams of hashish, to a fine-only offense, with a first offense carrying between $100-200. Both bills died in committee without receiving a hearing.
• Tennessee — HB 309 and SB 1072 would have reduced the penalty for simple possession of cannabis to a civil fine of $25 or community service. HB 309 was voluntarily withdrawn for consideration on February 28, 2023, and was not revived before the legislature adjourned in 2024. SB 1072 was defeated in a 2-7 vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
• West Virginia — SB 303 would have reduced the penalty for possession of up to 15 grams to a civil violation. It died in the Senate Judiciary Committee without receiving a hearing or vote.
• Wisconsin — AB 861 would have reduced the penalty for up to 14 grams (just under 1/2 oz) to a “forfeiture” of up to $100, while reducing the maximum jail time for first-offense possession of larger amounts to up to 90 days. It died in the Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety without receiving a hearing or vote.
• Wyoming — HB 204 would have made possession of up to three ounces of cannabis a civil offense punishable by up to a $100 fine. Under current law, possession of up to three ounces or less of cannabis is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 12 months imprisonment and up to a $1,000 fine. The bill failed to meet the required ⅔ majority for introduction, so it is dead for the 2024 budget session.

While none of these bills were enacted, the Louisiana Legislature and governor improved an existing decriminalization law by decriminalizing paraphernalia for cannabis.

Thirty-one states and Washington, D.C. have decriminalized or legalized cannabis possession. Check out MPP’s report on the 19 states that have not even stopped jailing cannabis consumers.

Effective Medical Cannabis Bills

States with bills to create comprehensive medical cannabis programs: 7

• Georgia — HB 337 would establish a comprehensive medical program. The bill carried over from 2023.
• Indiana — SB 0126 and HB 1146 would establish comprehensive medical cannabis programs.
• Kansas — SB135 would establish a comprehensive medical cannabis program.
• Nebraska — LB 588 would establish a comprehensive medical cannabis program. It carried over from 2023.
• North Carolina — S3 would establish a comprehensive medical cannabis program. The Senate passed it on second reading on February 28, 2023, in a 36-10 vote. On March 1, the Senate passed the bill on third reading, sending it to the House. S 3 carried over from 2023.
• South Carolina — H3226 and H3486 would establish comprehensive medical cannabis programs. Both have been referred to the House “3M” committee (Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs). S 423 would also establish a comprehensive medical cannabis program. On February 21, 2023, it was “polled out” of the Committee on Medical Affairs. On February 14, 2024, it passed the full Senate in a 24-19 vote. .All three bills carried over from 2023.
• Tennessee — HB 172, HB 1441, and SB 1461 would establish a comprehensive medical cannabis program. These bills carried over from 2023.

Thirty-eight states , D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have effective medical cannabis laws.

Don't see your state?

If you live in a state that still prohibits cannabis and no lawmakers have taken the lead to change that, send your state legislators a note to ask them to stand up for humane and sensible cannabis policies. Take a few moments to email them in support of medical cannabis, decriminalization, or legalizing and regulating cannabis.

If you live in a state that has already legalized and regulated cannabis for adults, check out the state’s page to find out what bills are pending to improve (or undermine) the law.