Policy

Guns and Pot: Which States Are Friendly to Both?

The guns 'n' dope Venn diagram

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Freedom!
Guns and Dope Party

A Reddit user recently posted a graphic called "The Venn Diagram of Cultural Politics," showing which states allow at least some citizens to use marijuana, which states recognize gay marriages, and which do both. The chart got us wondering: Which places embrace the personal freedoms beloved by the left and the right? Where can you buy both a vibrator and a Big Gulp? Where can a gay couple not just marry but avoid a high sin tax on the cigarettes they smoke after sex? Where can you carry a gun while passing a joint?

The image below tackles that last question. If you include states that have legalized marijuana for medicinal purposes only, there are now 24 states that permit pot. There are 42 states where an adult non-felon's right to carry a concealed gun is either unrestricted or subject only to permissive "shall issue" laws. Sixteen states fall into both categories.

If you narrow the question, though—limiting yourself to places that allow marijuana even without a prescription and concealed carry even without a permit—the intersection shrinks to contain just one state. The Guns and Dope Party has found its regional base.

Jason Keisling

This chart was updated to note New York and Minnesota's restrictions on smokeable pot.