Explore America's Weed Rush data

Marijuana possession arrests charted over three decades

Marijuana possession arrest rates in most states nearly tripled during the 1990s and only recently began to subside. Explore arrest data spanning 34 years to see how states compare and how gender and race have been a factor.

State-by-state medical and recreational marijuana use provisions

Voters and state lawmakers have approved a patchwork of state medical and recreational marijuana laws, each with different restrictions, allowances and regulations. Explore the medical marijuana particulars from qualifying conditions to specific legal provisions of each state — as well as the variations among states that allow recreational use of the drug.

Medical marijuana testing practices by state

In states that allow marijuana, some require the products to be tested. Others don't. Some require particular testing for particular cannabinoids, pesticides or mold. See which states require which tests.

State-by-state drugged driving laws

Driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal in every state. But as marijuana consumption laws have been relaxed across the country, states have adopted different standards and different punishments. Explore provisions from each state.

Marijuana on Twitter

Opinions tweeted about cannabis over several years show consistency in supporting more relaxed marijuana laws , but an evolution in the topics most discussed. The business and industry of marijuana, as well as political advocacy favoring the issue, have increasingly become the focus of those using Twitter to discuss cannabis. At the same time, health has become less of a concern. States with more relaxed marijuana laws also show more Twitter activity on the topic.

Public opinion on cannabis

Americans' opinion of marijuana laws shows legalization has gained ground. While a majority supports medical use, the issue of recreational use splits the public nearly evenly. And while support for medical marijuana is shared across political party lines, support for recreational use shows a partisan correlation.

Drug research broken down

The National Institutes of Health and its agencies have spent $3.5 billion investigating the benefits and risks of drugs. A review of the dollars spent by agency, by drug and broken down by abuse- and non-abuse-related research shows how marijuana fits into the broader drug research world.

Decriminalization in the nation's capital

As states consider relaxing marijuana laws, the hub of the nation's government adopted a more permissive attitude, allowing consumption and personal growing of marijuana, though not retail sales. See where marijuana arrests have continued in the city.

Los Angeles' dispensary chase

In Southern California's most populous city, law enforcement has closed down dispensaries only to have them open elsewhere - a nearly futile effort to tighten regulations on an industry largely unchecked. Research done at UCLA shows the dispensaries moved into lower income and minority dense areas as police cracked down on dispensaries in other communities.

Marijuana-related Stop, Question and Frisk activity

Between 2007 and 2014, New York City police stopped, questioned and frisked people around 3.7 million times. Only a fraction of those stops - about 150,000 - had some relation to marijuana. But when data from the New York City Police Department and the United States Census Bureau is mapped over eight years, clusters of marijuana-related police stops map closely to minority-dense areas.

A look at monthly stop, arrest and summons figures also shows the city's police activity has changed over the same period.

A timeline of the ups and downs of Montana’s medical marijuana program

The political volatility of medical marijuana is no more evident than in Montana, where the state's medical marijuana program has been challenged by lawmakers and in the courts. As a result, participation in the program has gone up and down. See what the numbers show about the use of the state's medical marijuana program.