In the United States, there are several approaches to marijuana usage. This makes it exceedingly important that individuals pay attention to state laws. Not only are these laws different state-to-state, but they are also constantly changing as public opinion on marijuana evolves.
Support for marijuana legalization has skyrocketed in the last several decades. In 1969, only 12% of people in the United States supported marijuana legalization. In 2000, this number climbed to 30%, and then to 66% in 2018. In 2023, 70% of Americans voiced support for the legalization of marijuana.
Evolution of State Marijuana Laws
State marijuana laws reflect this trend; currently, over half of the population of the United States lives in a state that has legalized recreational marijuana. Some of the most lenient states are Colorado, Washington and Oregon.
However, there are still several states with stricter laws. In Idaho, marijuana is fully illegal. Possession of marijuana can land you 1 year in a prison with a $1,000 fine, and distribution of marijuana can result in five year imprisonment and/or a fine up to $15000.
Other states sit in the middle. For example, a handful of states have legalized medical marijuana, while recreational marijuana remains fully illegal or decriminalized. Other states have decriminalized both medical and recreational marijuana, without fully legalizing either.
There are also important considerations when it comes to marijuana in the workplace. Almost 11% of employed adults in the United States admit to using marijuana. In states with legalized marijuana, almost half of marijuana users admit to using marijuana at or before work.
Some states carry out pre-employment drug tests; however, many states are banning these tests. In Washington DC, for example, pre-employment drug tests are illegal, but employers can carry out marijuana screenings once a job offer has been made.
To further complicate the issue, drug test facilities are seeing increasing numbers of invalid tests. In fact, there was a 45% increase in invalid tests between 2023 and 2022. This trend is another factor that states will need to consider as they write new marijuana legislation.
Conclusion
Public opinion on marijuana continues to evolve, and the state laws regarding the drug are evolving in step. There are more changes on the horizon, and individuals should pay attention to updates to their state laws.
Source: US Drug Test Centers
About Author
Brian Wallace is the Founder and President of NowSourcing USA, an industry-leading content marketing agency that makes the world’s ideas simple, visual, and influential. Brian has been named a Google Small Business Advisor for 2016-present, joined the SXSW Advisory Board in 2019-present, Joined WiseToast as Business consultant in2024-present and became an SMB advisor for Lexmark in 2025.
