Background 

Cannabis legalization is a social justice issue, and understanding its complicated history can help put context to its importance today. Historically, and in areas where cannabis remains illegal, racial and ethnic minorities have experienced disproportionately higher rates of arrest and incarceration for cannabis-related offenses. Below is a history of cannabis in the U.S., how the landscape for cannabis use changed, as well as how it came back around in many states. Learn more about cannabis's complicated history in the U.S.