06/05/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/05/2025 10:33
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Thirty-nine states, three territories and the District of Columbia allow the medical use of cannabis products as of Feb. 1, 2025. See Table 1 below for additional information.
Twenty-four states, three territories and the District of Columbia allow or regulate cannabis for non-medical adult (recreational) use as of the same date.
Nine states allow the use of "low THC, high cannabidiol" products for medical reasons in limited situations or as a legal defense. (See Table 2 below for more information). Low-THC programs are not counted as comprehensive medical cannabis programs. NCSL uses criteria similar to other organizations tracking this issue to determine if a program is "comprehensive":
Notes: The District of Columbia allows limited adult possession and growing, no regulated production or sales.
In response to California's Prop 215, the Institute of Medicine issued a report in 1999 that examined potential therapeutic uses for cannabis. The report found that: "Scientific data indicate the potential therapeutic value of cannabinoid drugs, primarily THC, for pain relief, control of nausea and vomiting, and appetite stimulation. Smoked marijuana, however, is a crude THC delivery system that also delivers harmful substances. The psychological effects of cannabinoids, such as anxiety reduction, sedation and euphoria can influence their potential therapeutic value. Those effects are potentially undesirable for certain patients and situations and beneficial for others. In addition, psychological effects can complicate the interpretation of other aspects of the drug's effect."
Further studies have found cannabis is effective in relieving some of the symptoms of HIV/AIDS, cancer, glaucoma, and multiple sclerosis.
In early 2017, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released a report based on the review of over 10,000 scientific abstracts from cannabis health research. They also made 100 conclusions related to health and suggest ways to improve cannabis research.
The National Academies released a second report, Cannabis Policy Impacts Public Health and Health Equity, in 2024, following a review of regulatory frameworks for the cannabis industry. The report suggests ways to "minimize public health harms through a stronger federal leadership and robust research agenda."
States with medical cannabis laws generally have some form of patient registry, which may provide some protection against arrest for possession up to a certain amount of products for personal medicinal use.
Some of the most common policy questions regarding medical cannabis include how to regulate its recommendation, dispensing and registration of approved patients. Some small cannabis growers or are often called "caregivers" and may grow a certain number of plants per patient. This issue may also be regulated on a local level, in addition to any state regulation.
At the federal level, cannabis remains classified as a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act, where Schedule I substances are considered to have a high potential for dependency and no accepted medical use, making distribution of cannabis a federal offense. However, federal administrations have generally not interfered with state regulated cannabis programs.
In May 2024, the Department of Justice posted a proposal to transfer marijuana from schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act to schedule III, to better align with the comments by the Department of Health and Human Services that marijuana has accepted medical use and a lower abuse potential and level of physical or psychological dependence than other schedule I substances. The DOJ under the Biden Administration accepted public comment through July 2024 and considered action.
State (click state name to jump to program information) |
Statutory Language (year) | State Allows for Retail Sales/Non Medical Adult Use |
Alabama |
SB 46 (2021) Act 2021-450 |
|
Alaska |
Measure 8 (1998) SB 94 (1999) Statute Title 17, Chapter 37 |
Yes. Ballot Measure 2 (2014) Marijuana Regulations |
Arizona |
Proposition 203 (2010) |
Yes. Proposition 207 (2020) |
Arkansas |
Issue 6 (2016) |
|
California |
Proposition 215 (1996) SB 420 (2003) |
Yes. Proposition 64 (2016) |
Colorado Medical program info -Non medical adult use info |
Amendment 20 (2000) |
Yes. Amendment 64 (2012) |
Connecticut |
HB 5389 (2012) |
Yes. SB 1201 (2021) |
Delaware |
SB 17 (2011) |
Yes. Nonmedical adult-use legislation HB 1 and HB 2 (2023) passed the legislature and enacted without governor's signature. |
District of Columbia |
Initiative 59 (Passed by voters but blocked by the Barr Amendment in 1998) L18-0210 or Act B18-622 (2010) |
Yes. Initiative 71 (2014) |
Florida |
Amendment 2 (2016) |
|
Guam |
Joaquin (KC) Concepcion II Compassionate Cannabis Use Act (2013) Proposal 14A (2014) |
Yes. Bill No. 32-35 (2019) |
Hawaii |
SB 862 (2000) |
|
Illinois |
HB 1 (2013) |
Yes. SB 0007 (2020) |
Kentucky |
SB 47 (2023) |
|
Louisiana |
SB 271 (2017) |
|
Maine |
Question 2 (1999) LD 611 (2002) Question 5 (2009) LD 1811 (2010) LD 1296 (2011) |
Yes. Question 1 (2016) page 4 Chapter 409 (2018) |
Maryland |
HB 702 (2003) SB 308 (2011) HB 180/SB 580 (2013) HB 1101- Chapter 403 (2013) SB 923 similar to HB 881 (2014) |
Yes. Question 4 (2022) |
Massachusetts |
Question 3 (2012) Regulations (2013) |
Yes. Question 4 (2016) |
Michigan |
Proposal 1 (2008) |
Yes. Proposal 18-1 (2018) |
Minnesota |
SF 2471 Chapter 311 (2014) |
Yes. HF 100 (2023) |
Mississippi |
SB 2095 (2022) |
|
Missouri |
Amendment 2 (2018) |
Yes. Amendment 3 (2022) |
Montana |
Initiative 148 (2004) SB 423 (2011) Initiative 182 (2016) |
Yes. Initiative 190 (2020) |
Nebraska |
Measure 437 (2024)- Legalizes medical marijuana |
No. |
Nevada |
Question 9 (2000) NRS 453A NAC 453A |
Yes. Question 2 (2016) page 25 |
New Hampshire |
HB 573 (2013) HB 89 (2021) |
|
New Jersey |
SB 119 (2010) Program information |
Yes. Public Question 1 passed by voters in 2020 to allow legislature to enact legislation and NJ AB 21 (2021) |
New Mexico |
SB 523 (2007) Medical Cannabis Program |
Yes. HB 2 (2021) |
New York |
A6357 (2014) |
Yes. AB 1248A/SB 854 (2021) |
North Dakota |
Measure 5 (2016) NDCC 19-24.1 NDAC 33-44 |
|
Northern Mariana Islands |
Does not have a medical program. |
Yes. HB 20-178 HD 4- Public Law 20-66 (2018) |
Ohio |
HB 523 (2016) |
Yes. Issue 2 (2023) |
Oklahoma |
SQ 788 (2018) |
|
Oregon |
Oregon Medical Marijuana Act (1998) Oregon Health Authority Public Health Division Chapter 333-008-0010 |
Yes. Measure 91 (2014) Chapter 475 C |
Pennsylvania |
SB 3 (2016) |
|
Puerto Rico |
Public Health Department Regulation 155 (2016) |
|
Rhode Island |
Chapter 28.6 Medical Marijuana Act (2007) |
Yes. Chapter 28.11 Rhode Island Cannabis Act (2022) |
South Dakota |
Initiated Measure 26 (2020) |
|
US Virgin Islands |
SB 135 (2017) signed by governor (2019) |
Yes. The Virgin Islands Cannabis Use Act 34-0345 (2022) |
Utah |
Prop 2 (2018) replaced by HB 3001 (2018) Third Special Session Utah Medical Cannabis Code |
|
Vermont |
SB 76 (2004) SB 7 (2007) SB 17 (2011) |
H.511 (2018) S.54 (2020) establishes sales regulations. Governor's letter about S.54 going into effect without signature. Additional information: Governor's Marijuana Advisory Commission Final Report (2018) |
Virginia |
H 1460 (2020) S 646 (2020) H 1617 (2020) S 976 (2020) |
Yes. HB2312 and SB1406 (2021) |
Washington |
Initiative 692 (1998) SB 5798 (2010) SB 5073 (2011) |
Initiative 502 (2012) WAC Marijuana rules: Chapter 314-55 WAC |
West Virginia |
SB 386 (2017) |
State | Program Name and Statutory Language (year) | Definition of Products Allowed |
Georgia |
HB 1 (2015) |
Cannabis oils with low THC: below 5% THC and at least an equal amount of CDB. |
Indiana |
HB 1148 (2017) |
At least 5% CBD by weight. No more than 0.3% THC by weight. |
Iowa |
HF 524 (2017) now Section 124E |
Less than 0.3% THC. |
Kansas* (Not marked on map above because the state does not regulate the production or sale of low-CBD products.) |
SB 28 Clare and Lola's law (2019) |
Concentrated cannabidiol with THC of no more than 5% relative of weight by third party testing. |
North Carolina |
HB 1220 (2014) Epilepsy Alternative Treatment Act- Pilot Study HB 766 (2015) Removes Pilot Study designation |
"Hemp extracts" with less than 0.9% THC by weight and is composed of at least 5% cannabidiol by weight and contains no other psychoactive substance. |
South Carolina |
SB 1035 (2014) Medical Cannabis Therapeutic Treatment Act- Julian's Law |
Cannabidiol or derivative of marijuana that contains 0.9% THC and over 15% CBD, or at least 98% cannabidiol and not more than 0.9% THC by volume that has been extracted from marijuana or synthesized in a laboratory. |
Tennessee |
SB 2531 (2014) Creates a four-year study of high CBD/low THC cannabis at Tenn. Tech Univ. HB 197 (2015) Tennessee Medical Cannabis Commission Report (2022) |
"Cannabis oil" with less than .9% THC as part of a clinical research study. |
Texas |
SB 339 (2015) Texas Compassionate Use Act HB 3703 (2019) |
"Low-THC Cannabis" with not more than 0.5% by weight of tetrahydrocannabinols. |
Wisconsin |
AB 726 Act 267 (2013) |
Exception to the definition of prohibited THC by state law, allows for possession of "cannabidiol in a form without a psychoactive effect." THC or CBD levels are not defined. |
Wyoming |
HB 32 (2015) |
Supervised medical use of "hemp extracts" with less than 0.3% THC and at least 5% CBD by weight. |
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