Recreational marijuana

Introduction
Terminology
Early history of cannabis in the United States
Trend towards outlawing marijuana, early 1900s
Marijuana, 1938–1960s
President Nixon and the 1970 Controlled Substances Act
NORML, Holland, and decriminalization
Marijuana at the end of the 20th century
Recreational marijuana legalization at the state level
Federal response to state legalization
International laws
Pros
- Pro 1: Legalizing recreational marijuana results in a safely regulated drug.
- Pro 2: Legalizing recreational marijuana ends the costly and often racist enforcement of marijuana laws and cripples the illegal marijuana market.
- Pro 3: Legalizing recreational marijuana boosts the economy by creating new tax revenue and jobs.
- Pro 4: Most Americans agree recreational marijuana should be legal.
Cons
- Con 1: Legalizing recreational marijuana comes with serious social costs.
- Con 2: Legalizing recreational marijuana dramatically increases growth of the plant, which is bad for the environment.
- Con 3: Legalizing recreational marijuana creates a “Big Marijuana” industry, while boosting illegal marijuana sales and use.
- Con 4: Health experts do not believe recreational marijuana should be legal, because marijuana isn’t safe.
State-by-state recreational marijuana laws
Marijuana studies
- February 20, 2026 - Teen cannabis use tied to increased risk of psychiatric disorders
- November 26, 2025 - Review of 15 years of cannabis research reveals little evidence of medical benefit and an increase in medical problems
- November 18, 2025 - Cannabis use may lead to decreased alcohol use
- October 28, 2025 - Smoking cannabis in youth associated with more medical problems later in life
- October 2025 - American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists advise against cannabis use during pregnancy
- September 30, 2025 - Cannabis extract better than opioids for back pain
- September 29, 2025 - Cannabis extract shown to help chronic low back pain
- June 17, 2025 - Cannabis use associated with major adverse cardiovascular events
- June 2, 2025 - Marijuana use among older adults has increased
- June 1, 2025 - Cannabis hospitalizations associated with increased risk of new dementia diagnosis
- May 28, 2025 - Chronic cannabis use associated with endothelial dysfunction
- May 14, 2025 - Cannabis use and cannabis use disorder common among older veterans
- April 10, 2025 - Smoking remains most popular method of cannabis consumption
- February 6, 2025 - Cannabis use disorder hospitalizations linked to premature death
- February 4, 2025 - Cannabis use disorder association with schizophrenia has increased
- January 28, 2025 - Heavy marijuana use associated With lower brain activation during working memory tasks
- January 2025 - Cannabis use linked to arrhythmias
- June 18, 2024 - Cannabis-related healthcare encounters increased
- March 9, 2024 - Cannabis flowers’ THC content regularly mislabeled in dispensaries
- February 28, 2024 - Cannabis use associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes
- August 1, 2023 - Daily cannabis smoking perceived as safer than daily tobacco smoking
- May 4, 2023 - Young men with cannabis use disorder have increased risk of developing schizophrenia
- April 2023 - Cannabis-related ER visits increased
- May 26, 2021 - Perceived risk of regular cannabis use declines among older adults
Assessment quiz
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Discussion questions
Sources

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Images

A woman wearing glasses and a straw hat exhales smoke while holding a joint, standing among tall cannabis plants in an outdoor plantation.

Close-up of green, serrated marijuana leaves on a plant growing outdoors.

Map of the United States displaying the legal status of marijuana by state as of late 2024. States where marijuana is legal for adult use are shaded green, states where it is illegal are shaded orange, and states with conditionally decriminalized possession are marked with a lighter orange. Additional symbols indicate where marijuana is legal for medicinal use or where only low-THC medicinal use is permitted.

Recreational marijuana: Media

Should recreational marijuana be legal?

Images

Marijuana

Marijuana

Should recreational marijuana be legal?

© LightcrafterArtistry/stock.adobe.com

A woman wearing glasses and a straw hat exhales smoke while holding a joint, standing among tall cannabis plants in an outdoor plantation.

Marijuana smoking

A woman smoking marijuana.

© ArtistGNDphotography—E+/Getty Images

Close-up of green, serrated marijuana leaves on a plant growing outdoors.

Marijuana

Close-up of marijuana plant (Cannabis sativa).

© Norman Posselt/Getty Images

Reefer Madness

Reefer Madness

Poster for Reefer Madness (1936), directed by Louis J. Gasnier.

George A. Hirliman Productions

Map of the United States displaying the legal status of marijuana by state as of late 2024. States where marijuana is legal for adult use are shaded green, states where it is illegal are shaded orange, and states with conditionally decriminalized possession are marked with a lighter orange. Additional symbols indicate where marijuana is legal for medicinal use or where only low-THC medicinal use is permitted.

The legality of marijuana in the United States.

A map of the United States showing the legality of marijuana.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc./Kenny Chmielewski

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