The legalization of marijuana is a movement to de-criminalize the use and cultivation of marijuana.

Overview

It is currently illegal to cultivate, sell or use marijuana-- a drug extracted from the Indian hemp plant Cannabis sativa in the United States by federal law.^[1] There is an unresolved question of law regarding states' rights to regulate and legislate the use of marijuana.

A limited exception has been made in about 14 states for whereby it is legal to use marijuana for medicinal purposes. In addition, some states have decriminalized the possession of marijuana. A person found to be in possession of a small quantity of marijuana in one of these states may only face civil misdemeanor charges and a fine.

By contrast, in some of the more conservative states, federal laws and mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines are still enforced which can result in incarceration for a first offense of possession of marijuana in any quantity. Currently, there is an effort in California to get the legalization of marijuana on the November 2010 election ballot ^[2] which, if successful, would legalize the use of marijuana and tax its sale.
 

Table of State Marijuana Laws

(source: The National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML))
 

References

1. ↑ http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/uscode/21/13/I/A/801
2. ↑ http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/12/marijuana-legalization-initiative-headed-for-2010-ballot-organizers-say.html

External Links

• National Substance Abuse Index
• U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration

Related Resources on FindLaw

• Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970, 21 U.S.C. § 801 et. seq.

Related Blogs on FindLaw

See Also

• Medical marijuana
• National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws
• Narcotics Acts
• Eleventh Amendment