By Steven Voser

American states are constantly changing their stance on cannabis and its legality. While this makes for an exciting time for cannabis users eager to access dispensaries and other sources of legal weed, it has also turned the legal cannabis landscape into a minefield. In this article, we take an updated look at cannabis in the US, and walk you through the ins and outs of American cannabis law as it stands in early 2023.

Note: US cannabis laws are constantly changing. We'll do our best to update this article as needed.


By state, as of 2023
      Recreational and Medical         Medical         Not Legalized


Rules vary in each jurisdiction, check state and local laws. CBD only states not included.

Whether you're living in the US or simply travelling there, having a solid understanding of American cannabis laws is a sound idea for any stoner. Use the map above to learn the ins and outs of state cannabis laws.

As of 2023, 29 states have legalized cannabis for medical use. Meanwhile, nine states and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational cannabis. Trends continue to support legalization, with the latest polls showing that almost 90% of people in the US believe that cannabis should be legal to some degree[1]. US President Joe Biden has also openly shared his support for making changes to federal cannabis legislation. In October 2022[3], Biden pardoned thousands of people trialled for possessing cannabis and initiated a review charged with revising how cannabis is classified under federal law.

Why the Fuss? — Understanding Why US Cannabis Laws Are So Complex

US cannabis laws are so complex because all 50 states are separate sovereigns with individual constitutions, governments, and courts; this means they retain the power to make their own laws regarding anything that hasn't been addressed by the federal constitution.

And even though cannabis is a controlled substance under US federal law, many states have enacted laws permitting its use for industrial, medical, or even recreational purposes. Under the doctrine of preemption (Article VI of the US Constitution), federal cannabis laws technically overrule any state laws, and the federal government could (and has) penalised the possession, cultivation, use, and/or sale of cannabis in any state, even those that deem cannabis legal or decriminalised.

Nonetheless, the DEA (the federal government's Drug Enforcement Agency) doesn't always act out this power, leaving states to operate their pseudo-legal cannabis systems in a state of limbo.

Who Can Access Medical Weed in the US?

Individual states have different policies regarding who can access medical marijuana. In most cases, state medical marijuana programmes have a list of conditions that, under state laws, qualify for treatment with cannabis. The list of qualifying conditions varies from one state to another, but may include:

  • Alzheimer's disease
  • Epilepsy and other seizure disorders
  • Crohn's disease
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Glaucoma
  • Severe nausea or vomiting from cancer or HIV/AIDS treatment
  • Severe chronic pain

In states with legal medical marijuana, patients can either access FDA-approved cannabinoid-based drugs like Epidiolex (CBD) and dronabinol (THC)—both of which are formulated in a laboratory—or plant-based cannabis (such as marijuana flowers, tinctures, or extracts) sold at licenced dispensaries. If you believe you qualify for medical marijuana and are considering using it as a treatment, make sure to read up on your state laws and consult with a doctor.

US Dispensaries

Who Can Access Recreational Weed in the US?

In the nine states with legal recreational cannabis and D.C., weed is sold via licenced dispensaries. Depending on the state, these dispensaries may be arranged somewhat differently and offer a different selection of products for medical patients and recreational patients. Recreational cannabis dispensaries sell to adults aged 21 years and over, and may stock a variety of cannabis flower, extracts, edibles, and topicals, depending on what is legal in that particular state.

Can You Buy Weed Online in the US?

Yes. In some states, cannabis can be bought online, either directly from a dispensary's website or using a delivery services app such as Weedmaps, Greenrush, and Eaze. Some dispensaries, on the other hand, may take orders online but ask customers to pick up their products in-shop.

What Is the Average Price of Weed in the US?

Weed prices across the US vary considerably. Dispensaries manage their own prices, and different states have different marijuana tax schemes that also have a big impact on the retail price of cannabis. According to a 2018 article in Forbes[3], the average price of an “eighth” of cannabis flower (3.54g) in the US is $40. The District of Columbia[4] has been repeatedly reported as having the highest cannabis prices in the US, clocking in at $590 per ounce (28.35g), or $73.35 per eighth.

So far, we've covered how to get weed as a recreational user or medical patient in the US. But what about growers wanting to buy seeds? For many US growers, the legality surrounding cannabis seeds is murky at best.

Under federal law, cannabis seeds are considered a cannabis product in the same way that flowers or hash are. Hence, cannabis seeds technically classify as a controlled substance. In states with legal weed, however, seeds are sometimes sold at dispensaries or via websites from breeders/collectives. However, transporting seeds across state lines has long been considered a big no-no. That was, however, until last year, when the DEA released a letter clarifying the legality of cannabis seeds.

The letter states that any cannabis seed containing less than 0.3% THC classifies as hemp rather than marijuana, and therefore is legal under the 2018 Farm Bill. Note, however, that this letter is not a law, leaving the legality of transporting and buying seeds still somewhat nebulous. While many international seed banks ship to the US from their country of origin, customs will confiscate any seeds they find in the mail. Hence, we recommend buying seeds from companies located inside the US, and to avoid bringing them over state lines.

What's the Best Way to Buy Cannabis Seeds Online in the US?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we're proud to announce that we've set up shop in the US. Since our seeds all contain less than 0.3% THC and are shipped from our warehouses in the states, we can legally ship our beloved strains to growers in all regions of the country.

Royal Queen Seeds Has Landed in the US!

The US is home to a rich cannabis culture and some of the most revered new strains. As one of Europe's largest and most well-known seedbanks, we're proud to have set up shop in the US and be part of the action. Browse our full selection of seeds and grow products today, and get growing!

Buy F1 Hybrids
External Resources:
  1. Overwhelming support for legal recreational or medical marijuana in U.S. | Pew Research Center https://www.pewresearch.org
  2. Biden overhauls U.S. policy on marijuana, pardons prior federal offenses | Reuters https://www.reuters.com
  3. Here's How Much Marijuana Costs in the United States vs Canada https://www.forbes.com
  4. High quality cannabis prices by U.S. state 2022 | Statista https://www.statista.com
  5. DEA Says Marijuana Seeds Are Considered Legal Hemp As Long As They Don't Exceed THC Limit - Marijuana Moment https://www.marijuanamoment.net
Disclaimer:
This content is for educational purposes only. The information provided is derived from research gathered from external sources.

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Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

support@royalqueenseeds.com


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: support@royalqueenseeds.com.

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to support@royalqueenseeds.com.

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: