Cannabis: Laws, Regulations & Policy

Federal Law vs. State Law

It is important to understand that marijuana is still illegal under federal law, specifically Title 21 United States Code Controlled Substances Act.

H.R.3617: Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement
"This bill decriminalizes marijuana. Specifically, it removes marijuana from the list of scheduled substances under the Controlled Substances Act and eliminates criminal penalties for an individual who manufactures, distributes, or possesses marijuana."
Title 21 United States Code, Section 812: Controlled Substances Act
Marijuana Legalization
This 2018 article from CQ Researcher provides an overview of marijuana legalization and the tension between federal and state law.
Cannabis Overview, State Laws 2022
From the National Conference of State Legislatures
Where cannabis legalization efforts stand across the country
August 2022 article from Politico.com

Marijuana and Hemp (Cannabis) Law
Information from the Oregon State Bar
Recreational Marijuana: Personal Use FAQs
Published by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, the governing agency for the state.

Marijuana Policy Project
MPP, which was founded in January 1995, is the largest organization in the U.S. that’s focused solely on ending marijuana prohibition.

Reefer Madness: The Constitutional Consequence of the Federal Government's Inconsistent Marijuana Policy
by Z. Ford. Published in 2018, Tex. A&M Law Review, 6, 671.
“Good moral characters”: how drug felons are impacted under state marijuana legalization laws.
Research by Beverly Yuen Thompson, published in Contemporary Justice Review. Sep 2017, Vol. 20 Issue 3, p. 211-226.
Marijuana, federal power, and the states
By Jonathan Alder, published in Case Western Reserve Law Review, Spring 2015, Vol. 65 Issue 3, p. 505-539.
What will federal marijuana reform look like?
By Alex Kreit, published in
Case Western Reserve Law Review. Spring 2015, Vol. 65 Issue 3, p.689-718.