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 ExpungementH.R.8454 - Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act"This act establishes a new, separate registration process to facilitate research on marijuana. Specifically, the act directs the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to follow specified procedures to register (1) practitioners to conduct marijuana research, and (2) manufacturers to supply marijuana for the research. The act allows certain registered entities (including institutions of higher education, practitioners, and manufacturers) to manufacture, distribute, dispense, or possess marijuana or cannabidiol (CBD) for the purposes of medical research. Additionally, the act directs the DEA to register manufacturers and distributors of CBD or marijuana for the purpose of commercial production of an approved drug that contains marijuana or its derivative."
- Cannabis Overview, State Laws 2022From the National Conference of State Legislatures
- Where cannabis legalization efforts stand across the countryAugust 2022 article from Politico.com
Oregon Law & Policy Resources
- Marijuana and Hemp (Cannabis) LawInformation from the Oregon State Bar
- Recreational Marijuana: Personal Use FAQsPublished by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, the governing agency for the state.
Policy Related Advocacy Groups
- Marijuana Policy ProjectMPP, which was founded in January 1995, is the largest organization in the U.S. that’s focused solely on ending marijuana prohibition.
- Drug Policy AllianceThe Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) promotes alternatives to the war on drugs in the U.S.
- NORMLNORML’s mission is to move public opinion sufficiently to legalize the responsible use of marijuana by adults, and to serve as an advocate for consumers to assure they have access to high quality marijuana that is safe, convenient and affordable.
U.S. Cannabis Legalization Map
Recommended Legal Review Article Database
Selected Research Articles Related to Marijuana Legalization
- Policy influence and the legalized cannabis industry: learnings from other addictive consumption industriesby Peter Adams, et al., published in Addiction, Mar 2021, Vol. 116, Issue 11, p. 2939-2946.
- The grassroots of grass: Cannabis legalization ballot initiative campaign contributions and outcomes, 2004–2016by Daniel Orenstein and Stanton Glantz, published in Journal of Health, Politics, Policy & Law, Feb 2020, Vol. 45, Issue 1, p. 73–109.
- Marijuana, federal power, and the statesBy 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. - “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.
- Reefer Madness: The Constitutional Consequence of the Federal Government's Inconsistent Marijuana Policyby Z. Ford. Published in 2018, Tex. A&M Law Review, 6, 671.