On Friday, Delaware became the 20th state to decriminalize or legalize marijuana. The legal change means that in most cases, people with small amounts of pot won’t be punished with jail or prison time.
Delaware just decriminalized marijuana. Here’s where other states stand.
Here’s where all states stand, legally, when it comes to marijuana:
There’s a difference between legalization and decriminalization: Legalization removes all penalties for marijuana possession below a certain threshold (usually a few ounces of pot), and it typically — although not in Washington, DC — allows the sales of marijuana for recreational purposes. Decriminalization generally removes incarceration and more stringent penalties for pot possession, but it often leaves a fine in place. Ordinarily, public use remains prohibited under both legalization and decriminalization.
The marijuana map could go through some major changes in the next few years. Advocates plan to put legalization on the ballot in at least five states, including California, in 2016, and to lobby legislatures for legalization in other states, including Delaware.
