Nearly 80% of Americans live in a county with at least one cannabis dispensary, despite it remaining illegal at the federal level.
According to new research from the Pew Research Center, the majority of US citizens now live in an area with access to either adult-use or medical cannabis.
Just 12 years after Colorado and Washington became the first states to legalize adult-use cannabis sales, 54% of Americans now live in a state where adult-use cannabis sales are legal.
Furthermore, nearly three quarters (74%) now live in a state where it is legal for adult-use or medical purposes.
As of February 2024, there are 24 states (plus the district of Columbia) that have legalized adult-use cannabis, while a further 14 allow the drug for medical use only.
A reported 88% of American adults now believe the drug should be legal, with 59% of those believing it should be legal for recreational and medical use and 30% believing it should be available for medical use only.
The research then delves into the location of dispensaries across the country, with 76% found to be located in states that have legalized adult-use cannabis, and a further 23% in medical-only states.
Notably, two of the top five states with the largest number of dispensaries, Oklahoma and Florida, have been legalized only for medical purposes.
