Legal Medical Marijuana States
Why are some states not on this list? Our list includes states that have legalized use of the marijuana plant for medical purposes, or have been listed by the by the Marijuana Policy Project as having an effective medical marijuana program. States that limit use to the nonpsychoactive marijuana extract called cannabidiol (CBD) are not included on this list, although we do keep track of those legal CBD states in our resource States with Laws Specifically about Legal Cannabidiol (CBD). Also not included are states whose legalization laws require physicians to “prescribe” marijuana (an illegal act under federal law) vs. “recommend” marijuana (considered protected free speech between doctor and patient), as well as states that have passed “affirmative defense” laws in which arrested marijuana users are allowed to mention medical use in their defense. From the 1970s to the 1990s, several states passed symbolic laws that liberalized their medical marijuana policies to some degree. For exampl