The fight to legalize marijuana has been going on for decades in the United States. Recently it seems that state governments are starting to pay attention. Several states across the U.S. are starting to abandon outdated drug laws and take a more lenient stance on marijuana. Some states have decriminalized the possession and use of personal amounts of marijuana, while several others have legalized the drug for medical use. Many of the crimes associated with marijuana have been reduced from felony level charges to misdemeanors or small fines. It appears that state governments are finally making the commonsense legislation changes that marijuana advocates have been proposing for decades.

One of the first states to decriminalize marijuana was Alaska. In 1975 the state government removed all penalties for cannabis possession under one ounce. The sell of less than one ounce of marijuana was changed from a felony to a misdemeanor offensive. Later that same year the Alaska Supreme Court upheld the new law on the grounds that the state's anti drug laws were unconstitutional. This law is still in place today despite several attempts by marijuana opponents to have it amended. Their cannabis laws also allow the possession of up to 25 marijuana plants in the home. Alaska has been a pioneer in marijuana decriminalization and has had great success with these long running policies.

California was another state that joined the fight for decriminalization of marijuana early on. In 1975 the state passed a bill that changed the penalty for possession of less than an ounce of cannabis from a felony to a misdemeanor. Medical marijuana laws were passed in 1996 in California that legalized the use, cultivation, and sale of cannabis for medical reasons. In 2009 the state legislature  proposed a bill that would legalize, regulate, and tax marijuana. This bill unfortunately didn't receive enough votes to pass. Less than a year later the Governor signed a law to decriminalize the possession of marijuana and change the crime from a misdemeanor to a simple citation and small fine. The fight for reasonable cannabis laws never stops in California and there are plans for another legalization bill in the coming year.

Following the lead of California and Alaska, the state of Colorado also passed marijuana laws in 1975 that lessened the penalties of cannabis offenses. Possession of less than an ounce of marijuana was lowered to a petty offense punishable by a small fine. In a 2000 general election the state voted to pass a comprehensive medical marijuana program. Then in 2005 a statewide initiative was passed that repealed all municipal penalties for possession of less than an ounce of cannabis. With the help of pro-cannabis activists Colorado has become one of the most pot friendly states in the nation.

Other states that have recently passed laws decriminalizing or legalizing cannabis for medical reasons include Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oregon, and New York. It seems that marijuana advocates are winning some important battles but still have a long way to go. The most important thing a single person can do to help in this cause is to vote. Pay attention to your government officials and vote in all local elections.