A federal proposal to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug has raised the hopes of some pot backers that more states will embrace cannabis. A total of 24 states already have legalized recreational marijuana for adults and an additional 14 states allow it for medical use. The proposed federal change would not make marijuana legal. But cannabis supporters hope removing it from the same classification as heroin could cause policymakers to view it more favorably in a dozen states where marijuana remains generally off limits. Ballot initiatives to legalize recreational or medical marijuana are being pursued this year in several states.
