As the countdown begins for some people toward “4/20”, AIP Marketing Alliance has learned that more states are legalizing marijuana for recreational and medicinal usage at a quicker pace based on a growing number of users nationwide.

The results of a Yahoo News/Marist national survey revealed that approximately 35 million Americans use marijuana on a monthly basis. In addition, 55 million Americans in total had reported using marijuana within the past year. Year-over-year, 7 more states have legalized marijuana usage in 2022, with more states adopting medicinal usage, including CBD.

On the DISA website, you can review the current states who have legalized marijuana, medical and decriminalized, medical, decriminalized, CBD only, and illegal. You can click here to view this map.

• These 19 states have fully legalized marijuana as of April 2022: Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, Montana, Colorado, New Mexico, Illinois, Michigan, Virginia, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Maine. Last year, only 12 states legalized marijuana for individuals over age 21.
• Marijuana is illegal in Idaho, Wyoming, Kansas, and South Carolina. The other states have varying statuses based on state limits and laws, including medical usage.

With this in mind, insurance carriers also have noticed the growing trend of marijuana legalization at the state level, and some carriers have adjusted their insurance underwriting guidelines to assist users in applying for life insurance. AIPMA cannot speak on behalf of these carriers, but our team has created a Marijuana Underwriting Guidelines Chart to help you in providing some life insurance options to your marijuana-using clients and prospects.

This financial professional approved chart reflects some of AIPMA’s contracted carriers and breaks down usage/factors by medicinal and recreational users. We also have a similar chart for cigar smokers and chewing tobacco users.

If you would like this document, please contact AIPMA’s Business Development team at (800) 783-5206 Press #2 or email marketing@aipma.com.

Disclaimer: This article is for educational use only. It does not condone or approve marijuana usage. The information in the Marijuana Underwriting Guidelines Chart reflects only as a quick reference guide and does not include everything that could affect the final underwriting decision. AIPMA is not associated with DISA or other resources mentioned within this blog article.