The year was 1973. What was the first state in the U.S. to decriminalize marijuana?

Long before the modern era of recreational dispensaries, one state took a groundbreaking step away from the prevailing "war on drugs." In 1973, the Beaver State became the first in the nation to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of cannabis. The landmark legislation reclassified having up to one ounce from a serious felony, which could carry prison time, to a simple civil violation punishable by a fine of up to $100, much like a minor traffic ticket.

This progressive move was heavily influenced by the 1972 Shafer Commission, a national report appointed by President Nixon that surprisingly recommended decriminalization at the federal level. While the federal government ignored the advice, Oregon's bipartisan lawmakers acted. The new law aimed to reduce the immense burden on the criminal justice system and stop saddling individuals, particularly young people, with life-altering felony records for minor, non-violent offenses.

This pioneering "Oregon Decriminalization Bill" set a precedent that a number of other states would follow throughout the 1970s, including Alaska, California, and Colorado. It represented the first major crack in the wall of marijuana prohibition in the United States and laid the early groundwork for the broader legalization debates that would emerge decades later.