Weed used to be cool. That sentence sounds weird to type now. In a way, it was cool because it was illegal. Smoking bud didn't just get you high, it was also a way of breaking taboos.

As of May 2021, marijuana sale, use, and consumption are still banned at the federal level in the United States. Today, 17 states have legalized recreational marijuana. 36 US states have legalized marijuana for medicinal use as well. 

For the longest time; in fact since October 1937, cannabis consumption, use and sale was strictly illegal in the United States. Then President Franklin Delano Roosevelt passed the Marijuana Tax Act outlawing cannabis in all it forms.

Today it is classified a schedule I drug, putting it alongside drugs like cocaine and heroin. Because of the power and influence the United States has has all over the world, marijuana was also then banned in most countries over which it had an influence.

This is still true for a lot of nations, even though countries such as Netherlands, Canada and Uruguay and more have started decriminalizing it in the past few years. 

Several workplaces in canada and other countries still conduct tests to check for weed consumption. 

Much as they tried, the Bud proved more powerful and more righteous than any man-made law and as a result, today marijuana legalization has progressed and in the near future, it looks it will become fully legal.  

It's become so normal and mainstream that even 'Dogemaster and STEM bro' Elon Musk smokes it. There are new weed bars and cafes opening each day. Whether you prefer edibles or weed, there are a lot of options available.

The quality and variety available is also Walmart-esque as there are so many strains and edible forms available online as well as offline. 

The weed industry has also ballooned as a result. The size of the legal cannabis industry is around $10.9 billion as of 2019. This growth has slowed due to the ravages of Covid-19. 

However, most financial projections still show that the industry will grow to be around $50 to $75 billion by the year 2027.

As it has become easier and accessible to procure weed and to start weed businesses, we made you a list of the different states in the US where weed has been legalized. We have also mentioned in this article the extent to which its use is now allowed.

The 2016 election was bad for several reasons (mainly a big Orange One) but it did have a nice silver lining. Cannabis use was legalized in eight states, starting from the first step when Colorado first kicked off the movement in the year 2012.

The first day of 2020 saw Illinois become the 11th state in America to legalize weed. On the day of the 2020 election, when the presidential vote had the world in knots over who would win, the Ganja-man had won already by a handsome margin as another four states were added to the number of the states that had legalized weed.

Some 66% of Americans also viewed the legalization of weed in a positive way as per this Gallup poll. Well, here is a quick look into what states have made Mary Jane legal and how legal they’ve made it.

States where full retail sale are approved for adult use

In any of these states, you can blaze without any worries. Whether you have glaucoma, joint pain or even just wanna smoke a spliff with a couple of beers, you can go ahead and do so.

If you wanna sell weed commercially, you can legally open a weed dispensary and sell weed as well as edibles, online or offline. You can also buy and sell accessories like vape pens and other rolling paraphernalia. 

In most states where it is legal recreationally, you can also grow hydroponic marijuana at home or in the backyard of your house.

States where weed is legalized with full retail sales yet to begin 

The standout case here is South Dakota, as they made a full about turn. They used to have Footloose style abstinence. That changed completely when the state turned into 'Snoop Dog land' as they completely legalized weed in all its forms.  

It is estimated that Vermont will start rolling out dispensary licenses by October 2022. That means that if you’re in one of these states, you will no longer be prosecuted for consuming weed, although you still can’t legally buy it.

The turnouts in all of these states were overwhelmingly in favor of the green. Nearly 60% of the votes in all these states approved Bud on the Ballot Box.

States where only medicinal marijuana is legalized.

21 states have taken the first step in legalizing medicinal marijuana. This was the least expected measure as many people use it for alleviating chronic physical pain or cancer treatment induced nausea.

Weed also helps many cope with a number of issues like glaucoma as well as mental or psychological distress. The munchies have shown a lot of potential in appetite loos issues.     

Here is a list of all 21 states that have only legalized medicinal marijuana:

The big shocker in these 21 was Mississippi, traditionally considered the most conservative and old fashioned state in the union. A whopping 68% of those on the voter rolls choose to ‘go green’.

Five of these states are expected to have recreational marijuana usage on the block in the November 2022 midterm elections as per Ballotpedia, when they are mostly expected to go one step further to full legalization. These five states are Arkansas, Florida (already a very big hub of medicinal marijuana), North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Misssissipi.

States where both medicinal and recreational marijuana is still illegal  

As expected, most of these states are traditionally Republican and largely conservative politically, on a statewide as well as national basis. 

Most polls however show that only a little under 50% of the voters are in favor of medicinal marijuana. The road ahead is a bit tough as it would require decriminalization of marijuana a federal level to ease the current restrictions.

The Long View regarding Marijuana as a Legal business

Marijuana industry has already taken flight in many places as we discussed in the beginning of the article. The biggest beneficiary of the consistent advances will especially benefit those who have joined the industry in the initial phase, which is still technically underway.

By extension, if you have or acquire any marijuana stock in the near future, you can expect it to blow up in a major way. Sooner or later, it looks like all the states in the 'US of A' will be consuming this millennia old herb in one form or another.

Today, one in three Americans live in a state where adults have access to legal recreational marijuana - that is 93 million people. New York, Florida, and Ohio might be next in line to look into passing efforts of legalization around 2021.

It’s no longer a question of if the marijuana industry gets big. It's just a question of when.

At AllinBud, we want weed to become legal all over the world. To that end, our blog cover all topics weed. We have recipes for making weed butter, different ways to smoke weed, how to choose a grinder and a lot more.

Also, check out our Weed stashboxes. So pretty, so safe!