We, at the Dispensary Experts, received hundreds of e-mails every week- and some occasional letters, too. They all want to ask the same question. Is weed legal in my state? Can I buy pot in my state? What states is weed legal in?

Well, the answer to that is straight forward- but not so easy. Marijuana laws tend to polarize the popular opinion like no other laws. People are either for it or against it- with nobody really trying to make the two end meet. Anyway, that’s beside the point. The purpose of this piece is to review the current state of medical and recreational marijuana in the United States of America as a whole.

As of March, 2015, there are three states that allow for the use of marijuana for medical and personal uses are only 3. The states with legal weed are:

• Colorado
• Alaska
• Washington

Oregon is soon to join this list and Washington DC, with recent political and social upheavals, already allows for the use of marijuana on a personal level with commercial activities surrounding it banned.

Other than these mentioned states, 19 other states permit the use of marijuana for medical purposes. Medical marijuana can thus be deemed to be a widespread phenomenon, with many states launching Compassionate Care plans through respective Health departments.

There are varieties in state-specific laws too when it comes to medical marijuana. Some states have drafted and passed broader laws allowing for a wider range of conditions and diseases while some states are still developing their laws to include more conditions and diseases.

Some states are on the fringes of legalizing personal uses of marijuana. These states include Oregon and Maine. Some states have already decriminalized the possession of smaller quantities of marijuana and reduced the gravity of the act to minor status, much like a traffic violation.

Here’s an overall analysis of states that have been most lax about marijuana usage for personal purposes:

Colorado

Revolutionary bill, Amendment 64 has made Colorado the first place not only in the US, but in the world to have legalized possession, production, dispensation and cultivation of marijuana for personal usage.

Alaska

Alaska allows for the possession of marijuana for personal reasons, but the possession should be of small quantities and not for commercial purposes.

Washington

The state of Washington is also one of the first states to have legalized marijuana for personal uses.

Summary:

Please be advised fully with the Department of Health for your state before deciding whether marijuana is legal in your state or not.