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The 25 most-read Los Angeles Times cannabis stories of 2021

Marijuana in multiple forms and pizza create a blissed-out face.
(Illustration by Jan Molen / Los Angeles Times; Getty Images)
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In 1996, California became the first U.S. state to legalize access to medical marijuana, lighting the fuse on a movement that, a quarter of a century later, finds recreational cannabis use by those 21 and older legal in 18 states and the District of Columbia.

In a nod to the Golden State’s 25-year-long experiment with legal weed (recreational possession and consumption was approved at the ballot box in November 2016, and legal recreational sales began across the state on Jan. 1, 2018), here’s a look at the 25 most-read, cannabis-related stories published by the Los Angeles Times in 2021, listed in descending order.

The wide range of stories that touch on everything from illegal desert pot farms to YouTube weed influencers reflects how much a part of the Golden State’s pop-culture landscape the plant has become. And if you don’t see your favorite weed-focused story of the last year below (two of my favorites — one about the origins of the Proto Pipe, the other an explainer on minor cannabinoids — didn’t quite make the cut), you can always head over to The Times’ recently revamped online archive of cannabis content and scroll until your eyes glaze over (so to speak).

That’s also where you’ll find episodes of a new Los Angeles Times video series, the Green Room, which explores California’s cannabis commerce and culture.

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