Does everyone want pot legalized? Nope.

We often think that when a state legalizes marijuana, most of the citizens agree with the decision. Here are some surprising facts you might not know: 

• After Maine legalized the recreational sale of marijuana in 2018, over 90% of municipalities enacted ordinance to prohibit those sales.

• In 2014, it was estimated that 90% of towns in Colorado prohibited the sale of marijuana after the state legalized. That number shrunk to approximately 75% in 2018. In 2025, it is still estimated to be 63%. Many of those municipalities do not allow marijuana cultivation as well.

• Over 70% of New Jersey municipalities enacted some form of restrictive ordinance aimed at reducing or prohibiting marijuana from being sold in their jurisdictions after legalization in 2020.

• According to the California Department of Cannabis Control, 54% of cities and counties prohibit any type of marijuana business in their jurisdictions (retail, growers, distributors, etc.), and 57% prohibit retail marijuana sales.

• When New York legalized marijuana, the state enacted a strict policy and timeline for municipalities to "opt-out." However, more than half of local municipalities managed to opt-out before the very short deadline and prohibit marijuana retailers and/or consumption areas in their jurisdictions. Approximately 86% of these municipalities prohibited both retailers and consumption sites. Municipalities on Long Island had the highest rate of opt-outs (83%) and the second highest was the mid-Hudson region (71%).