The United States has come a long way since California’s legalization of medical cannabis in 1996. In 2012, Colorado and Washington became the first states to legalize recreational cannabis. As of June 2025, 40 states, three territories and the District of Columbia allow for medical use of cannabis products, and 24 states, three territories and the District of Columbia allow adult-use cannabis for non-medical purposes. Although the country has seen rapid change over the course of the last two decades, the country has not settled on a uniform set of standards for the legalization of cannabis, as states from coast to coast have different legalization legislation, criminalization potential and regulatory requirements.

Other countries with full medical and recreational cannabis legalization have a lot to teach the United States — full legalization allows for safer regulation requirements, business and economic growth, standardized testing and packaging, safer banking and more. It’s time to make cannabis less of a taboo topic, and more of a unified, regulated benefit.

Click here to read the full article written by Kristina Dahmann, John Oberle, and Carly Ringlespaugh published in Marijuana Venture.