The 1877 bargain ended federal occupation of the South and Northerners efforts to ensure the rights of Southern blacks. Todaythe Government of the United States abandoned you, the Republican governor of South Carolina told his African American supporters, as the last federal soldiers departed.
Already, 25 states have legalized medical marijuana, while four statesâAlaska, Colorado, Oregon, and Washingtonâhave legalized recreational pot, as has Washington, D.C. Several more states could soon be joining those ranks.
The District of Columbia has fully legalized recreational and medical marijuana, but recreational commercial sale is currently blocked by Congress. Twelve states have both medical marijuana and decriminalization laws. Ten states, Guam, and Puerto Rico have only legalized medical marijuana. Three states and the U.S. Virgin Islands have only decriminalized possession laws. The remaining twenty-two states and two inhabited territories state that marijuana possession and sales are illegal and prohibited entirely.