Since Colorado became the first state to legalize marijuana for adult recreational use in 2012, 36 states have passed laws allowing it for medical or recreational purposes.
Approximately 68% of Americans are in favor of legalizing marijuana, according to a recent Gallup poll. The country has been steadily moving in the direction of ending marijuana prohibition and for a while, it seemed like the South was the outlier.
That’s not to say the region hasn’t attempted some reforms. Up until this year, Louisiana and Arkansas were the only states in the South with medical marijuana programs. Mississippi and North Carolina both have laws decriminalizing possession of marijuana in small quantities, according to the Marijuana Policy Project, a research and advocacy organization.