Which states will legalize cannabis in 2024

Which states will legalize cannabis in 2024

Although President Biden doesn't seem keen on endorsing federal marijuana legalization anytime soon, at the beginning of 2024, we're still on the precipice of an extraordinary crossroads: Ohio legalizing adult-use marijuana in November was the 24th state to do so. This means nearly half of all U.S. states have legalized marijuana. 

In addition, 38 states have legalized medical marijuana. When it comes to the number of Americans living in states with legalized recreational cannabis, we've officially crossed the halfway mark.

By the end of 2024, more states may be drafting bills or sending measures to voters to legalize adult or medical marijuana, turning the U.S. map on cannabis primarily green.

Read on to learn more about the states we're focusing on, the specifics of the measures themselves, and where these campaigns stand.

Florida

Florida is in the midst of a legal battle over the fate of a legalization voter initiative, and the group Smart & Safe Florida has raised $40 million for a campaign to put measures on the 2024 ballot. 

In fact, nearly all of the funding came from MMJ's dispensary franchise, Truelieve. Specific details of the measure are scarce, but possession of up to 3 ounces of marijuana and up to 5 grams of concentrated marijuana would be allowed under the measures if passed.

Opponents of the ballot measure argue that it violates the single-subject requirement for such initiatives. The state Supreme Court heard arguments in the case in November and must make a decision for or against it by April 1. Stay tuned!

Hawaii

Fortunately, Hawaii has a governor who supports legalization. Unfortunately, members of the state House recently rejected the bill to legalize SB 669, even though the state Senate passed it with near-unanimous support. 

Legislative sessions last two years in Hawaii, and supporters are still holding out hope that SB 669 will be revived in 2024. In its current form, the bill would allow medical dispensaries to be turned into recreational stores, add a 10 percent sales tax and a 10 percent excise tax, legalize possession of up to an ounce of marijuana, and weed growing, among other things.

Idaho

In Idaho, which has some of the toughest marijuana laws in the nation, the Kind Idaho activist group has until April to gather 63,000 signatures to put a measure legalizing medical marijuana on the 2024 ballot. The measure decriminalizes possession of 4 ounces, legalizes weed cultivation of up to 6 plants, increases excise taxes by 4 percent, and allows for a wide range of eligibility conditions to be listed.

Kentucky

Hey, this one doesn't even need to look into a crystal ball. In March, Gov. Andy Beshear (D) signed medical marijuana into law. The state will accept the permit and start the project in 2024; It will be launched on January 1, 2025.

Nebraska

Is it the third time lucky for Nebraskans? A group of tireless advocates in Nebraska is once again working to put a medical marijuana initiative on the 2024 ballot. They have until July to collect 87,000 signatures for two separate measures; One adds legal protections for patients, and the other requires the state to set regulations for health plans. Then, if activists meet the signature requirement, they may have to clash (again) with the state's prohibitionist legislature and 17th-century governor. Good Luck, Nebraska!

Pennsylvania

Despite Pennsylvania having one of the strongest pro-legalization senators and a pro-legalization governor in the country, and despite all but one of its neighbors having legalized, The Keystone state's lawmakers could not get the bill across the finish line. Enough Republicans won't budge to get a bill through the state legislature, and Democrats can't unite behind a proposal. Hopefully, 2024 will be the year PA will break the deadlock and unite with its neighbors on marijuana legalization.

South Dakota

Legalization advocates in South Dakota won't take "no" for an answer. In 2020, the Mount Rushmore State voted 52-48 to legalize adult and medical marijuana, but the state's prohibitionist (and arguably anti-democratic) Gov. Kristi Noem (R) successfully overturned the adult-use measure. Then, a separate measure failed at the ballot box in 2022. Now, two different groups of activists are gathering signatures to put separate legalization measures on the 2024 ballot.