Cannabis timeline · 1970 to 2026
Reform and science
12 milestones from 1970 to 2026: the Controlled Substances Act; oregon decriminalizes small possession; the Netherlands separates soft and hard drugs; and more.
1970
The Controlled Substances Act
Signed on October 27, 1970, the law listed marihuana in Schedule I, the strictest federal category, and took effect on May 1, 1971.
1973
Oregon decriminalizes small possession
Oregon became the first US state to stop treating possession of small amounts of marijuana as a crime, replacing jail time with a fine.
1976
The Netherlands separates soft and hard drugs
The Netherlands revised its Opium Act to treat cannabis as a soft drug apart from hard drugs, the basis for tolerated coffeeshop sales.
Formal coffeeshop tolerance criteria date to 1996.
1988–1992
The body's own cannabinoid system is found
Researchers reported a cannabinoid binding site in rat brain in 1988, and in 1992 a Hebrew University team isolated anandamide, a natural molecule that binds it.
1996
California approves medical cannabis
California voters approved Proposition 215, letting patients use and grow cannabis on a physician's recommendation. It became the best-known early state medical cannabis law.
Other early measures exist, including Arizona's in 1996, so 'first' is contested.
2012
Colorado and Washington approve adult use
Voters in Colorado and Washington approved the first US state laws legalizing adult recreational marijuana. Colorado's licensed stores opened on January 1, 2014.
Sources (2)
2013
Uruguay regulates cannabis nationally
Uruguay's Senate passed a law creating a state-regulated cannabis market, enacted in December 2013, and it is widely reported as the first national legalization.
'First country' comes from news and think-tank reporting, not an official source.
2018
The Farm Bill defines hemp
The farm bill signed on December 20 set hemp apart as cannabis with no more than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC and told USDA to build a national hemp program.
Sources (2)
2018
Canada legalizes cannabis nationally
Canada's Cannabis Act took effect on October 17, 2018, legalizing and regulating adult cannabis nationwide, with provinces and territories setting age limits and retail rules.
2018
The FDA approves Epidiolex
The FDA cleared Epidiolex, a purified-CBD prescription medicine for seizures in two rare epilepsy syndromes, the first approved drug made from a cannabis-plant ingredient.
Sources (2)
2024
Germany partly legalizes cannabis
From April 1, 2024, German adults may legally possess limited amounts of cannabis and grow up to three plants, and cultivation clubs were permitted from July.
2026
Medical marijuana moves to Schedule III
On April 23, 2026 the DOJ and DEA moved FDA-approved marijuana products and state-licensed medical marijuana products to Schedule III. A broader rescheduling hearing ended July 15, and since September 29 the case has been stayed while the judge considers pending motions, so the wider question of marijuana's schedule is not settled.
Legal status changes quickly. Check current sources before relying on this.
Written from the listed sources. Not legal or medical advice. Reviewed October 19, 2026.