Cannabis State-of-Play

Introduction

Almost as rapidly as federal prohibitions on the sale and use of cannabis took hold in the United States in the mid-20th century, culminating in adoption of the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 (CSA) and the inclusion of "marijuana" in Schedule I, the country has seen increasingly liberalized laws at the state level during the early 21st century.

Thirty-seven states now allow the medicinal use of cannabis and, with passage of ballot measures in Maryland and Missouri this November, twenty-one states and the District of Columbia have legalized cannabis for adult recreational use, driven by rapidly growing acceptance of cannabis use for medicinal and recreational purposes. Today, nearly half of all Americans live where it is legal — at least at the state level — to consume marijuana, and, as of last year, over five million Americans had registered as medical marijuana patients in those states, territories, and the District of Columbia where medical use