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Florida Leads the Nation in Marijuana Curiosity: State-By-State Legalization Searches in 2024
Marijuana legalization remains a widely debated issue in the U.S., with 88% of Americans supporting its medical or recreational use, according to the Pew Research Center. As public opinion shifts, many are eager to understand where their state stands on the matter.
In 2024, Florida emerged as the state with the highest interest in marijuana legalization, based on search data we analyzed using Ahrefs. Let’s look at public interest in marijuana legalization across the U.S.
Key Takeaways
- In 2024, Florida led the nation in marijuana legalization curiosity, with 13,000 monthly searches for the term “Is marijuana legal in Florida?” This is more than double the volume of the second-highest state, Tennessee.
- Six of the top ten states with the highest search volumes in 2024 — Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Georgia — are in the South, suggesting growing regional engagement with marijuana policy discussions.
- California and Nevada, where recreational marijuana is already legal, have some of the lowest search volumes and declining interest over the past year.
- States with legal gray areas — like Puerto Rico (16.34% growth) and Indiana (13.97%) — are seeing a surge in searches.
- Tennessee and Texas experienced the sharpest declines in interest, with Tennessee’s search volume dropping by 87.34% in three months and Texas seeing a 60.51% decline over the same period.
Florida Tops the List for Marijuana Legalization Searches
Florida led the nation in curiosity about marijuana legalization in 2024, according to search data analyzed using Ahrefs. The keyword “Is marijuana legal in Florida?” got 13,000 monthly searches, making it the most searched marijuana legalization query in the U.S.
This shows that there’s a huge amount of public interest in the state’s marijuana laws, especially as Florida continues to debate its stance on legalization. Here’s what the data shows:
- In 2024, Florida led by a wide margin, with 13,000 monthly searches. The state’s search volume is more than double that of Tennessee, the second-highest state.
- The South dominates the top 10, with 6 out of the top 10 states located in the region. These states make up over 60% of the total search volume.
- While Florida leads in search volume, its 12-month growth rate of 9.7% is lower than states like Tennessee (13.54%) and Missouri (13.84%), suggesting that other states are gaining momentum in their legalization debates.
- As the only non-Southern state in the top 5, Ohio’s 5,400 monthly searches suggest a lot of curiosity about marijuana laws in the Midwest.
- Despite having strict medical marijuana laws, Texas shows strong interest, with 4,700 monthly searches for “Is marijuana legal in Texas?”
Why Is Florida Seeing the Highest Level of Interest?
Florida may have claimed the highest ranking because of several factors:
- Current legal status. Marijuana is illegal for recreational use in Florida, but medical marijuana is legal, as per laws passed in 2016. This discrepancy is likely behind the high public curiosity about the issue.
- Ongoing legislative debates. Florida has seen repeated efforts to legalize recreational marijuana, with the latest amendment — Amendment 3 — being rejected in November 2024. This likely kept the topic in the public eye in the past few months.
- Population size. As the third-most populous state in the U.S., Florida’s large population most likely contributes to higher search volumes.
Regional Trends in Marijuana Legalization Searches
The search data we sourced through Ahrefs shows a massive increase in curiosity about marijuana legalization across the country.
Here are the states with the highest interest in marijuana legalization for the keyword “Is marijuana legal in X state?” over 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months:
Annual Trends
- Florida’s search volume grew by 9.7% over 12 months.
- Southern states like Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina show some of the highest growth rates, with 12-month increases of 13.54%, 13.36%, and 13.23%, respectively.
- Ohio and Missouri are leading the Midwest, with 12-month growth rates of 11.77% and 13.84%.
- Puerto Rico saw the highest 12-month growth at 16.34%, despite its smaller search volume. The territory allows medical use of marijuana but not recreational. This legal gray area may be the driver behind the increased interest in legalization.
- Indiana and Kentucky show strong growth, with 12-month increases of 13.97% and 12.96%.
Bi-annual and Quarterly Trends
- Florida’s search interest for marijuana legalization climbed 4.52% over 6 months, but the momentum slowed, dropping to 2.19% in the past 3. The decline follows the failed Amendment 3 vote in November 2024, which would have allowed recreational use.
- Kansas has the highest growth rate in marijuana legalization interest, with 3.65% in the past 3 months and 7.67% over 6 months.
- Mississippi and Puerto Rico have seen high growth, with Mississippi at 3.28% (3 months) and 6.90% (6 months) and Puerto Rico close behind at 3.44% and 7.28%.
- Nearly all states with the highest growth in marijuana legalization interest are in the Midwest or the South — regions where marijuana laws are often stricter. Iowa (3.25%, 6.85%), Indiana (3.01%, 6.32%), Missouri (2.99%, 6.27%), and Arkansas (2.93%, 6.10%) all show steady interest increases.
- Tennessee’s 2.94% 3-month growth and 6.15% 6-month growth show continued public engagement despite the state’s restrictive marijuana laws. North Carolina follows a similar trend at 2.90% and 6.08%.
- South Carolina (2.88%, 6.02%) and Kentucky (2.82%, 5.91%) show steady increases, while Virginia (2.80%, 5.85%) and Louisiana (2.76%, 5.74%) suggest a growing regional conversation about cannabis policy.
- Though largely dominated by Southern and Midwestern states, Minnesota (2.79%, 5.78%) and New Hampshire (2.78%, 5.85%) are two outliers. Their consistent growth may indicate shifts in public perception in the Northeast and Upper Midwest.
- Ohio’s search interest rose 5.40% over 6 months, but growth nearly halved, landing at 2.60% in the last 3. This decline comes after the excitement surrounding the state’s recreational marijuana legalization in November 2023.
- Wisconsin experienced a sharp 78.3% increase in marijuana legalization interest in the last 3 months. This might be because Senator Diane Hesselbein announced her plans to introduce a medical marijuana legalization bill in the coming legislative session in December 2024.
Which States Saw the Lowest Growth in Marijuana Legalization?
While many states have seen growing curiosity about marijuana legalization, some have experienced a decline in search interest. Here are the states where interest has decreased over the past year, based on Ahrefs’ search volume data:
| State | 3-month growth (%) | 6-month growth (%) | 12-month growth (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | -87.34 | -77.10 | 0.03 |
| Texas | -60.51 | -63.45 | 7.39 |
| Arizona | -41.96 | -51.51 | 20.79 |
| Georgia | -41.90 | -51.44 | 20.87 |
| Louisiana | -39.96 | -49.97 | 22.62 |
| Oklahoma | -35.96 | -46.71 | 26.56 |
| Illinois | -28.64 | -40.06 | 35.05 |
| California | -7.95 | -14.21 | -23.43 |
| Nevada | -1.99 | -3.85 | -7.29 |
| Wisconsin | -6.34 | -11.59 | 78.30 |
- Tennessee’s search interest in marijuana legalization fell by 87.34% in 3 months, adding to a 77.10% drop over 6 months. This is one of the biggest drops in the country.
- Despite being the second most populous state in the country, Texas dropped over 60% interest in the past 6 months. This could indicate that residents assume legalization is unlikely in the near future.
- Arizona’s long-term interest (20.79% over 12 months) remains relatively high, yet search volume is now declining sharply (-41.96% in 3 months and -51.51% in 6 months), indicating that legalization has fallen off the public’s radar.
- Louisiana’s numbers fell 39.96% over 3 months, continuing a 49.97% decline in 6 months. Despite a 22.62% increase in the past year, interest seems to be fading fast.
- Oklahoma’s search interest dropped 35.96% in 3 months after a 46.71% decline over 6 months.
- California experienced a consistent decline across all timeframes (-7.95% in 3 months, -14.21% in 6, and -23.43% over a year), suggesting an ongoing decrease in search volume.
- Illinois recorded a 40.06% drop in search interest over 6 months despite strong annual growth (35.05%).
- Unlike other states, Nevada’s declines are much smaller — a 1.99% drop in 3 months, 3.85% in 6 months, and 7.29% over a year.
- Despite a 6.34% drop in 3 months and an 11.59% decline in 6 months, Wisconsin’s 12-month growth is an enormous 78.30%. While recent interest is declining, the state has seen one of the biggest long-term increases in marijuana legalization-related searches.
States With the Lowest Interest in Marijuana Legalization
While the national conversation around marijuana legalization continues to grow, not all states are equally interested. Some states show significantly lower search volumes, which means lower public curiosity about the topic.
Here’s what the data says:
- The lowest search volumes are concentrated in states with either well-established laws (California, Nevada) or historically strict policies (Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Louisiana).
- Wisconsin, Oklahoma, and Louisiana rank at the bottom with just 1,300 monthly searches. However, Wisconsin has seen massive long-term growth — 78.3% over 12 months — meaning interest is still developing despite low search volume numbers.
- Nevada (1,500 searches) and California (1,600 searches) likely have lower search interest because marijuana legalization has already been established.
- Despite Texas‘ large population, its search volume remains low at 2,300 searches. This indicates that public curiosity about legalization isn’t as strong as in other states.
Final Words
Florida has emerged as the leader in marijuana legalization interest in the country, with 13,000 monthly searches.
The South and Midwest dominate the rest of the conversation, with Tennessee, Missouri, and Ohio showing increasing growth in search interest, while states with established programs, like California and Nevada, see declining curiosity.
As debates over legalization continue, these trends make it clear that marijuana legalization is an issue close to the heart of many Americans in 2024 and 2025 — one that could redefine public policy and social norms in the years to come.
Methodology
The data for this analysis was sourced using Ahrefs, an SEO tool that tracks search volume and keyword trends. We focused on the keyword “Is marijuana legal in [state]?” to measure public interest in marijuana legalization across all 50 U.S. states, as well as Puerto Rico.
The search volume data represents monthly averages for 2024, with growth rates calculated over 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month periods to identify trends. It was ranked by search volume, growth rates, and regional trends.