US moves further toward legalizing Marijuana, marking major shift in drug policy

KATHMANDU: The United States is moving closer than ever to fully normalizing marijuana, signaling a historic shift in drug policy that reflects changing public attitudes, economic priorities, and criminal justice reforms. While marijuana remains illegal at the federal level, recent policy decisions and legislative momentum have effectively legalized its use across large parts of the country, transforming an industry once driven underground into a regulated, multibillion-dollar sector.

Today, recreational marijuana is legal in a majority of US states, while medical marijuana is permitted in most of the country. Millions of Americans can now legally buy, possess, and use cannabis under state law—something that was unthinkable just two decades ago, when strict penalties and long prison sentences defined US drug enforcement.

The most significant recent development is the US government’s move to reconsider marijuana’s classification under federal law. The Biden administration has supported reclassifying cannabis from the most restrictive category—reserved for substances with “no accepted medical use”—to a less severe schedule. While this does not amount to full federal legalization, experts say it is a powerful signal that Washington is acknowledging marijuana’s medical value and the failures of decades-long prohibition.

“This is a turning point,” say policy analysts. “Once the federal government admits cannabis is not in the same category as heroin or cocaine, the entire legal and regulatory framework begins to shift.”

The economic impact is already substantial. The legal marijuana industry employs hundreds of thousands of workers across cultivation, processing, retail, logistics, and compliance. States that have legalized cannabis are collecting billions of dollars in tax revenue, much of which is being redirected toward education, healthcare, infrastructure, and substance abuse treatment programs.

Criminal justice reform has been another major driver behind legalization. For years, civil rights groups highlighted how marijuana laws disproportionately affected minority and low-income communities. Legalization has led to mass expungement of past marijuana-related convictions in several states, allowing thousands to rebuild their lives without the burden of criminal records.

Public opinion has also shifted decisively. Polls consistently show that a clear majority of Americans now support legal marijuana, reflecting generational change and broader acceptance of personal choice and harm-reduction approaches. What was once politically toxic is now a mainstream policy position, embraced by leaders across party lines at the state level.

Still, challenges remain. Because federal law has not fully caught up with state reforms, marijuana businesses face banking restrictions, tax complications, and legal uncertainty. Interstate commerce of cannabis remains illegal, creating fragmented markets and regulatory inconsistencies. Lawmakers in Congress continue to debate comprehensive federal legalization, but progress has been slow.

Internationally, the US shift is being closely watched. As one of the world’s most influential policymakers on drug control, America’s gradual acceptance of marijuana is reshaping global conversations on cannabis regulation, medical use, and decriminalization. Countries in Europe, Latin America, and Asia are reassessing their own laws in light of changing US policy.

For millions of Americans, legalization has already changed daily life—from pain patients accessing regulated medical cannabis to entrepreneurs building legitimate businesses. For the rest of the world, it marks the steady unraveling of a prohibition-era mindset that dominated global drug policy for nearly a century.

The United States may not have fully legalized marijuana nationwide yet, but the direction is clear: cannabis is moving out of the shadows and into the legal mainstream, reshaping law, economics, and society along the way.