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Welcome to the Alcohol Policy Information System

The Alcohol Policy Information System (APIS) provides detailed information on a wide variety of Alcohol-Related Policies in the United States at both State and Federal levels, as well as policy information regarding the Recreational Use of Cannabis. The information and resources available on this site are geared toward alcohol and cannabis policy researchers and others interested in alcohol and cannabis policy issues.

Underage Drinking

APIS provides convenient access to policy topics that pertain to underage drinking, in order to encourage research, evaluation, and outreach efforts in this important area.

What's New

December 21, 2023 - The policy information on this website has been updated to include legislative and regulatory changes that took effect on or before 1/1/2023, and supplemental resources were added or revised. For a summary of policy changes to Alcohol Policy Topics, see Policy Changes at a Glance.

For a full list of changes since the launch of the site on June 23, 2003, see the website Change Log.

COVID-19

APIS provides two resources to document policies adopted by States during the COVID-19 pandemic that affect the availability of alcohol. The Digest of State Alcohol-Related Laws During the COVID-19 Emergency provides capsule narratives of State-level restrictions on sales of alcoholic beverages. The Dataset of State Alcohol-Related Laws During the COVID-19 Emergency presents policy information in a spreadsheet format to facilitate quantitative analyses. The Digest and Dataset present data from the onset of the pandemic through the lifting of emergency policies. See APIS COVID-19 coverage.

Alcohol Policy Topics

Detailed State-by-State information is available for the following alcohol policy topics, or you may browse all topics.

 

Cannabis Policy Topics

Detailed State-by-State information on the Recreational Use of Cannabis is presented in two tables:

Advertising, Marketing and Mass Media

Cannabis Product Control

Cultivation and Distribution

  • Cultivation Restrictions – see Column 7.
  • Industry Makeup – see Column 6.
  • Vertical Integration Prohibited – see Column 5.

Packaging and Labeling

  • Health and Safety Warning Requirements – see Column 9.
  • Packaging Requirements – see Column 10.

Product Testing, Specification and Certification

  • Inventory Tracking Requirements – see Column 7.
  • Use and Testing for Pesticides – see Column 8.

Retail Sales

Taxation, Fees, and Pricing

Transportation

  • Impaired Driving Prohibitions – see Column 13.
  • Open Container Restrictions – see Column 15.

Underage and Adult Offenses

  • Prohibitions on Underage Purchase, Possession, Consumption, and Furnishing – see Column 12.
  • Restrictions on Public Consumption – see Column 13.

In addition, APIS has developed the Cannabis Policy Taxonomy (CPT), an inventory and taxonomy of cannabis policies.

 

Information is available on States that have recently adopted laws legalizing the recreational use of cannabis since the most recent update of this website.