During his 2024 State of the Union address, President Joe Biden affirmed his position that the U.S. needs to change the way it polices cannabis, stating "‘No one should be jailed for using or possessing marijuana." This past week, he reiterated those beliefs in a video released to social media, while announcing that the federal government had reclassified cannabis from a Schedule I drug to Schedule III.

What does that mean, exactly? Reclassifying cannabis as a Schedule III drug is a major change in federal policy, but it is not the same as federal legalization. Instead, it means cannabis is no longer classed with more serious Schedule I (drugs considered to have "no medical use" and a high potential for abuse; examples include heroin and ecstasy). Schedule III drugs are considered to have a mild to low risk of physical or psychological dependance.

While the reclassification won't federally legalize the drug, nor change its legal status at the local level in states that have legalized medical or recreational use, it could make it easier for scientists to research its benefits for medical use, as well as allow business to claim more credits and deductions on their federal taxes.

Federal policy is following public sentiment

Biden's recent announcement mirrors changing public opinion on the drug, and follows a surge in state-level legalization efforts. In the wake of the November 2023 election, when voters in the conservative state of Ohio overwhelmingly voted to legalize the recreational use of cannabis, nearly half of U.S. states have now legalized the recreational use of cannabis.

Ohio was the third state, following Delaware and Minnesota, to pass legalization measures in 2023, bringing the number of states where recreational use is permitted to 24; cannabis (as opposed to THC-free CBD) is still (more or less) wholly illegal in 12 states, while the remainder allow for legal medical use, with varying restrictions.

Here’s a rundown of where weed is legal for recreational and medical use (and where it isn’t) as of May 2024.

States that legalized weed in 2023

In addition to Ohio, which legalized recreational cannabis via a ballot measure, Delaware and Minnesota changed their laws via legislation earlier this year.

• Ohio: During the November election, 57% of Ohio voters approved the legalization of recreational cannabis (a similar vote having failed back in 2015). The law allows adults over 21 to possess 2.5 grams of cannabis and grow up to six plants for personal use. As Politico notes, the will of the voters could theoretically be overturned by the legislature or the courts(which happened after South Dakota voters approved legal weed in 2021, only for the measure to later be declared unconstitutional).

• Delaware: In April 2023, Delaware Gov. John Carney allowed two bills legalizing recreational marijuana to pass into law without signing them. The laws had previously passed both houses of the legislature by overwhelming supermajority votes. Possession of a “personal use quantity” of cannabis was immediately legalized, with recreational sales expected to begin in September 2024.

• Minnesota: On May 30, 2023, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signed a legalization bill that had previously been approved by the legislature with bi-partisan support. While efforts to establish a regulated local market are still ongoing, possession of up to 2 ounces of cannabis became legal in August.

States that have legalized recreational marijuana

In 24 states, including 2023's new additions, weed is treated like alcohol—it’s legal for adults (21 and over) to purchase and is regulated and taxed by the government. The specifics of what you can purchase and possess (and where) vary a bit by state. These states also have medical marijuana.

• Alaska

• Arizona

• California

• Colorado

• Connecticut

• Delaware

• Illinois

• Maine

• Maryland

• Massachusetts

• Michigan

• Minnesota

• Missouri

• Montana

• Nevada

• New Jersey

• New Mexico

• New York

• Ohio

• Oregon

• Rhode Island

• Vermont

• Virginia

• Washington

Recreational weed is also legal in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.

Areas that have legal weed but no sales

In the District of Columbia, it’s legal to possess and grow limited amounts of weed, but there are no commercial sales outside of medical marijuana from a limited number of licensed dispensaries.

States that have medical cannabis laws

A number of states have legalized medical marijuana but do not allow broader recreational use.

• Alabama

• Arkansas

• Delaware*

• Florida

• Hawaii*

• Kentucky

• Louisiana

• Minnesota*

• New Hampshire*

• New Mexico*

• North Dakota*

• South Dakota

• Ohio*

• Oklahoma

• Pennsylvania

• Puerto Rico

• South Dakota

• Utah

• Virginia*

• West Virginia

*According to the Marijuana Policy Project, these states have also decriminalized marijuana, reducing or removing jail time for possession of limited amounts of weed.

States that have decriminalized weed

Nebraska and North Carolina have laws that decriminalize marijuana to a degree, meaning penalties for first-time possession of small amounts of weed are reduced. Both have a suspended sentence for a first offense—Nebraska imposes a fine and a possible drug education course. Medical marijuana legislation has failed in both states.

States that have (almost) nothing

The remaining states do not permit broad medical or recreational marijuana—nor is weed decriminalized—though all except for Idaho allow access to low-THC products containing CBD for medical use (which, while technically “legal medical cannabis,” isn’t quite the same thing as a robust legal medical market).

• Georgia

• Idaho

• Indiana

• Iowa

• Kansas

• Nebraska

• North Carolina

• South Carolina

• Tennessee

• Texas

• Wisconsin

• Wyoming

The legal status of hemp-derived cannabis

All of the above references cannabis containing delta 9 THC, the intoxicating substance in the cannabis plant. However, new extraction techniques have allowed manufacturers to create synthetic forms of cannabis derived from hemp plants, including delta 8 THC and, more recently, THCa.

These substances are federally "legal" due to a loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill that allowed for the cultivation of hemp. While some states have tried to rein in these products with local legislation, they continue to proliferate, providing a (more or less) legal alternative to tried-and-true cannabis—though the lack of regulations governing their manufacture has raised questions about their safety.

Originally published in 2020, this article has been updated periodically to reflect changing laws around the country. It was most recently updated in May 2024.

If you've put any amount of work into planting outdoors, the last thing you want is for pests to take up residence and use your yard like their own personal pantry. Unless you take an active approach to warding them off, animals like deer, rabbits, and raccoons can quickly decimate your flowers, fruits, and vegetables.

You probably don't want to spray your space with a bunch of chemicals that can harm you, your plants, or even pests—so try one (or several) of these safer strategies instead.

Build a physical barrier

A fence may be the most effective approach to keeping critters away from your plants, as they can't eat them if they can't reach them. Deer fencing is tall—typically 7 feet—with a narrow weave and can be made of wire or heavy plastic, while chicken wire can keep rabbits away. Make sure your wire fence is at least 4 feet tall, buried 6 inches deep to deter burrowing, and bent away from the garden to prevent jumping and climbing. You can also use domes or chicken wire cages over the tops of your beds. These aren't the most attractive solutions, but they work.

Growing in greenhouses or fenced-in raised beds with high walls can also limit critter damage. Or, if you want a more natural physical barrier, put a spiky bush or hedge native to your area around the plants you want to protect.

Finally, tall grasses and shrubs around the edges of your yard or garden can create a natural barrier to entry while also providing a low-stakes snack option for pests. If they fill up on these plants, they may do less damage to the ones you care more about.

Use smells and tastes they detest

If you're going to plant things critters like to eat, you should also plant some they don't—highly fragrant plants can work well. Rabbits dislike flowers like lilac, zinnias, daffodils, lavender, and snapdragons as well as onions and garlic. Sage and other herbs can also keep critters away. For deer, try placing containers of mint around the edges of your garden, as they are repelled by the smell. Anything textured or spiky can also act as a natural deterrent.

Aside from plants, there are other smells and natural substances that can repel critters. Farmer's Almanac has a long list of suggestions for rabbits (and another for deer) but some of the most common are talcum powder, Irish Spring soap, and cayenne pepper, which can be mixed with water and sprayed around your plants or garden beds. Peppermint oil applied to hard surfaces or mint tea bags placed near plants may repel deer. Make sure you reapply after it rains.

Scare them away (gently)

Startling critters when they enter your yard or approach your garden may deter them from getting close to your plants. Motion-activated lights and sprinklers that can easily be moved to different locations are a good option, such as solar-powered lights that stake into the ground. If you have a rabbit problem, try small mirrors or jars filled with water in and around your garden may scare them off. Ultrasonic devices can also deter deer without hurting them.

Keep your yard tidy

A neat yard offers fewer options for critters to take up residence. Consider keeping compost in a closed bin, and clean up piles of brush and leaves. Fill in holes that could be rabbit dens, and block entry to the space under your deck or porch.

Of course, none of these methods are foolproof, and some may work only temporarily or in combination with one another. It's best to be realistic about the problem and effectiveness of solutions.

Finally, keep in mind that some creatures can actually be beneficial for your yard, as they both enhance the diversity of your outdoor ecosystem and keep harmful pests at bay. For example, birds can be effective pollinators and provide pest control services by eating mosquitos, aphids, and even rodents. Toads, frogs, lizards, and worms can also help your garden grow.

Most frequent flyers are well-acquainted with airline and hotel loyalty programs. But if you don't travel often, or if you have to book a flight, stay, or car rental with a company you don't typically use, you may not think to sign up for rewards membership (even if it's free).

Sure, you do have to create an account and remember to book reservations under your membership, but as The Points Guy points out, these extra steps can be worthwhile to receive some basic benefits—at no cost—when you travel. While you won't get the perks reserved for those who travel often enough to earn elite status, if an airline, hotel, or rental car company has a loyalty program, you'll still save a little bit of money and time as a basic member.

Rewards accrual and pooling

The main reason to join travel loyalty programs is to earn points and miles, which can be redeemed for future travel as well as other benefits and savings if you don't have a big enough balance for another flight or don't use the airline or hotel often. Most airlines offer better mileage accrual rates to basic members than non-members, and many also allow you to pool your miles with family and friends for better redemption options. British Airways, Emirates, JetBlue, and United allow mileage pooling. Finally, you can take advantage of mileage transfers to partner airlines (and via credit card rewards) and earn points off other purchases (such as Lyft rides when you connect your Delta SkyMiles account).

Hotel rewards programs may seem even less worthwhile than airline loyalty memberships that net you points and miles, but many operate the same way in terms of accruing points toward future stays and improved status. Many hotel brands offer more points earned per dollar spent to members of loyalty programs, and some even offer pooling.

Finally, rental car rewards members generally get points with each booking, which can be used toward discounted or free rentals.

Priority check-in and boarding

Some airline loyalty programs offer the ability to cut the lines during check-in and boarding (as well as customer service calls), which can save time on busy travel days and ensure you get overhead bin space for your carry-on bag. For example, American Airlines AAdvantage puts basic members in Group 6 of 9 for boarding, and British Airways Executive Club members are allowed free seat selection up to 24 hours before departure. JetBlue TrueBlue members can earn early boarding as well.

Free in-flight wifi and perks

Delta Air Lines SkyMiles members get free wifi on most domestic flights, with service expected to be expanded to regional and international routes later this year. Singapore Airlines and Emirates also offer in-flight wifi discounts to rewards members, and Singapore Airlines has discounted baggage and seat selection fees.

Waived wifi and resort fees

Basic members of hotel loyalty programs may also be eligible for free wifi and waived resort fees with complimentary access to property amenities. All Hilton Honors, IHG One Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy, World of Hyatt, and Wyndham Rewards members are eligible for these perks where applicable.

Early hotel check-in/late checkout

Crashing early on arrival day or sleeping in late on departure day can help your hotel stay work for your itinerary. Members of Accor Live Limitless get priority check-in at Fairmont properties; IHG One Rewards members receive 2 p.m. late checkout; and Preferred Hotels & Resorts members get both (when available). Hilton Honors members can check in via app and select their room.

Expedited rental car check-in

The best perk of a rental car rewards membership is the ability to skip the line at check-in, which can save a lot of time at busy airport counters. Hertz Gold Plus Rewards basic members can also choose their preferred car, and National Car Rental Emerald Club members can select any vehicle available on the lot with a midsize reservation.

When you move in the real world, you usually fill out a change of address form with the post office, and boom!—your mail appears at your new home. If only it was as easy to change your email address. Whether you’re leaving an outdated service, moving to a new job, or just want to get rid of the silly username you created in high school, here’s how to make the transition to a new email address simple and orderly.

Pick an email you’ll actually keep

First, make sure your new email address is one you’ll actually use for a long time. That might involve finally getting your own domain and associating your email address with your real name. Something like firstname@lastname.com has a lot more staying power than yourname@yahoo.com. This way, you won’t deal with an email provider and you don’t have to worry about changing your email address ever again.

That might sound daunting to set up, but it’s actually pretty easy to get your own domain name and set up an email address you can use in a more familiar interface like Gmail (or your app of choice). Having an email address through your domain registrar might cost you a little extra each month for the privilege, but it’s a small price to pay for a custom email.

If you don’t want to spend the money on a domain, we’d recommend going with one of the big free providers like Gmail or Outlook. Basically, you want to avoid the email address you get from your school, the email address your ISP gives you, or your company’s email address. Work and school emails are fine, but they might not last forever. You need something you can always come back to.

As for your actual email address, make it as easy to remember and as “grown-up” as possible. That means avoiding cringe-worthy names like “thorinsparkles2000@gmail.com” or “zeldafan1969@outlook.com.”

Instead, stick to some variation of your given name whenever possible. You can add something to it if it’s already taken on whatever service you choose, but don’t use something potentially embarrassing or anything that gives away too many personal details about you: your birth year, your political affiliation, or your favorite sports team, for example.

Migrate your old inbox to your new one

In a lot of cases, you can migrate your old emails and contacts to your new email address pretty easily. We can’t cover how to do this with every single webmail and domain provider out there, but here’s how you’d migrate to a new account with Gmail. (The process should be pretty similar with other services.)

How to migrate your email to Gmail

Once you set up a new Gmail account, you can import email and contacts into that account like so:

• Sign in to your Gmail account and click the gear icon, then select Settings.

• Open the Accounts and import tab.

• In the “Check mail from other accounts” section, select Add a mail account.

Credit: Emily Long

• Enter your old email address, click Next, make a selection, and hit Next again.

• Select the options you want (label incoming messaging, always use a secure connection, etc.).

Credit: Emily Long

• Click Add Account.

All your old emails will now be pulled into your new account. You’ll also get any new emails that come through, so you don’t need to worry about email forwarding. This process can be a little slow, so if you need to get the emails still going to your old address quickly, we’d recommend setting up a forwarding system on your old email account as well (see the next section for how to do that).

Gmail also has a separate “Import mail and contacts” option that can also pull in the aforementioned data from other accounts. Consider giving this a try, too.

How to Conquer Your Email After a Vacation Read More

Keep your old email alive—set up email forwarding

Next, it’s time to set up a system so that anything sent to your old email account gets forwarded to your new one. You’ll need to do this on your old email account (if you switched to Gmail, you already set this up in the last step). This is different for each email provider, but here’s how to set up email forwarding from Gmail and Outlook.

How to set up email forwarding from your old Gmail account

Credit: Emily Long

If you switch from Gmail to another service, you want to forward those emails to a new account. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open Gmail and click the gear icon.

2. Select Settings.

3. Select the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.

4. Click Add a forwarding address.

5. Enter your new email address.

6. Click Next > Proceed > OK.

7. You’ll get a verification email at your new email address—click the link to confirm.

8. Refresh your browser and go back to Forwarding and POP/IMAP > Forwarding > Forward a copy of incoming mail to to select what you want to have happen to the Gmail copy of your messages.

Now, when someone emails you at your old Gmail address, you’ll receive that email at your new email address. If you want to receive only select forwarded emails, you can set up filter-specific email forwards so you don’t bring along any junk or spam to your new email.

How to set up email forwarding from your old Outlook account

Credit: Emily Long

Email forwarding is easy to set up in Outlook:

1. At the top of the page in your web browser, select the Settings gear icon.

2. Select Mail > Forwarding.

3. Select Enable forwarding and enter your new email address.

4. Select Save.

Now, any email sent to your old Outlook address will go to your new one.

Update your email address on all your accounts

One of the biggest pains with a new email address is that you have to update your information in all your online accounts. This means you need to log in and change your email address everywhere on the web—from Facebook to your bank. It’s tough to remember everywhere you have accounts.

This process is much easier if you use a password manager, which should give you a long list of all the sites where you have accounts. Take an afternoon to log in to each of them and update your email address. And don’t forget to update your info in your preferred password manager while you’re at it so it isn’t using your old email address for your logins.

If you don’t use a password manager, it’s a little harder to find all your accounts. The easiest way to do this is to search through your old email for phrases like “confirm your email,” “unsubscribe,” “your new account” or “welcome to.” This should provide you with a solid list of websites you have accounts at, email newsletters you’ve subscribed to, and just about everything else.

Tell your friends and family

Finally, it’s time to break it to your friends and family that they need to update their address books with your new email address.

Depending on how many people you need to contact and your relationship with them, you might want to send out a few different emails to announce your big change: one for your family, one for friends, and one for business associates. Send the emails from your new email address and BCC everyone else on your list so you don’t accidentally share a bunch of email addresses that people might not want shared.

Finally, it’s time to throw an auto-responder on your old email address and let it die gracefully. Just head into your old account and create one (it’s also known as a vacation responder in some services) with a message that tells recipients about your new email address.

Credit: Emily Long

In some cases, you might need to follow up on your change-of-address email to make sure your initial note didn’t end up in someone’s spam or junk folder, but you should now be well on your way to ditching that old email address and moving on to something you’ll actually want to keep for a long while.

If you’re looking for the Wordle answer for May 18, 2024 read on. We’ll share some clues, tips, and strategies, and finally the solution. Today’s puzzle is harder; I got it in six. Beware, there are spoilers below for May 18, Wordle #1,064! Keep scrolling if you want some hints (and then the answer) to today’s Wordle game.

How to play Wordle

Wordle lives here on the New York Times website. A new puzzle goes live every day at midnight, your local time.

Start by guessing a five-letter word. The letters of the word will turn green if they’re correct, yellow if you have the right letter in the wrong place, or gray if the letter isn’t in the day’s secret word at all. For more, check out our guide to playing Wordle here, and my strategy guide here for more advanced tips. (We also have more information at the bottom of this post, after the hints and answers.)

Ready for the hints? Let’s go!

Does today’s Wordle have any unusual letters?

We’ll define common letters as those that appear in the old typesetters’ phrase ETAOIN SHRDLU. (Memorize this! Pronounce it “Edwin Shirdloo,” like a name, and pretend he’s a friend of yours.)

There are three common letters from our mnemonic today. One is fairly common, the other is less common.

Can you give me a hint for today’s Wordle?

Like shrimp.

Does today’s Wordle have any double or repeated letters?

There are no repeated letters today. 

How many vowels are in today’s Wordle?

There is one vowel and one "sometimes" vowel. 

What letter does today’s Wordle start with?

Today’s word starts with B. 

What letter does today’s Wordle end with?

Today’s word ends with Y. 

What is the solution to today’s Wordle?

Ready? Today’s word is BRINY.

How I solved today’s Wordle

After RAISE and TOUCH, I tried BLIND to eliminate possible consonants. From here, I had only three possible solutions: I thought BRING was the most likely, followed by BRINK, and I finally guessed BRINY.

Wordle 1,064 6/6

🟨⬛🟩⬛⬛
⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛
🟩⬛🟩🟩⬛
🟩🟩🟩🟩⬛
🟩🟩🟩🟩⬛
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle was medium difficult. The hint was “someone who helps you with math,” and the answer contained all common letters.

The answer to yesterday’s Wordle was TUTOR.

A primer on Wordle basics

The idea of Wordle is to guess the day’s secret word. When you first open the Wordle game, you’ll see an empty grid of letters. It’s up to you to make the first move: type in any five-letter word. 

Now, you can use the colors that are revealed to get clues about the word: Green means you correctly guessed a letter, and it’s in the correct position. (For example, if you guess PARTY, and the word is actually PURSE, the P and R will be green.)

• Yellow means the letter is somewhere in the word, but not in the position you guessed it. (For example, if you guessed PARTY, but the word is actually ROAST, the R, A and T will all be yellow.)

• Gray means the letter is not in the solution word at all. (If you guessed PARTY and everything is gray, then the solution cannot be PURSE or ROAST.)

With all that in mind, guess another word, and then another, trying to land on the correct word before you run out of chances. You get six guesses, and then it’s game over.

The best starter words for Wordle

What should you play for that first guess? The best starters tend to contain common letters, to increase the chances of getting yellow and green squares to guide your guessing. (And if you get all grays when guessing common letters, that’s still excellent information to help you rule out possibilities.) There isn’t a single “best” starting word, but the New York Times’s Wordle analysis bot has suggested starting with one of these:

• CRANE

• TRACE

• SLANT

• CRATE

• CARTE

Meanwhile, an MIT analysis found that you’ll eliminate the most possibilities in the first round by starting with one of these:

• SALET

• REAST

• TRACE

• CRATE

• SLATE

Other good picks might be ARISE or ROUND. Words like ADIEU and AUDIO get more vowels in play, but you could argue that it’s better to start with an emphasis on consonants, using a starter like RENTS or CLAMP. Choose your strategy, and see how it plays out.

How to win at Wordle

We have a few guides to Wordle strategy, which you might like to read over if you’re a serious student of the game. This one covers how to use consonants to your advantage, while this one focuses on a strategy that uses the most common letters. In this advanced guide, we detail a three-pronged approach for fishing for hints while maximizing your chances of winning quickly.

The biggest thing that separates Wordle winners from Wordle losers is that winners use their guesses to gather information about what letters are in the word. If you know that the word must end in -OUND, don’t waste four guesses on MOUND, ROUND, SOUND, and HOUND; combine those consonants and guess MARSH. If the H lights up in yellow, you know the solution.

One more note on strategy: the original Wordle used a list of about 2,300 solution words, but after the game was bought by the NYT, the game now has an editor who hand-picks the solutions. Sometimes they are slightly tricky words that wouldn’t have made the original list, and sometimes they are topical. For example, FEAST was the solution one Thanksgiving. So keep in mind that there may be a theme.

Wordle alternatives

If you can’t get enough of five-letter guessing games and their kin, the best Wordle alternatives, ranked by difficulty, include:

• Wheeldle, which lets you play one puzzle after another

• Dordle and Quordle, which ask you to play two (Dordle) or four (Quordle) puzzles at the same time, with the same guesses. There is also Octordle, with eight puzzles, and Sedecordle, with 16.

• Waffle, which shows you several five-letter words, scrambled in a grid; you play by swapping the letters around until you solve.

• Absurdle, which changes the solution after each guess, but needs to stay consistent with its previous feedback. You have to strategically back it into a corner until there is only one possible word left; then you guess it, and win.

• Squabble, in which you play Wordle against other people with a timer running. You take damage if you spend too much time between guesses; winner is the last one standing.

• Antiwordle, in which you are trying not to guess the day’s solution. You’re required to reuse any letters that you (oops) guessed correctly, so the longer it takes you, the better you are at the game.