Alabama
Alabama has very narrow medical marijuana laws. The state only allows CBD products. Qualifying health conditions include:
- Debilitating epilepsy
Alaska
Alaska allows medical and recreational weed. Here are the health conditions that qualify for medical marijuana in Alaska:
- Cachexia
- Cancer
- Chronic pain
- Glaucoma
- HIV or AIDS
- Multiple sclerosis
- Nausea
- Seizures
Arizona
Arizona failed to legalize recreational weed in 2016. But the state does have a medical marijuana program. Here are the qualifying conditions:
- Alzheimer’s disease
- ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease)
- Cachexia
- Cancer
- Chronic pain
- Crohn’s disease
- Glaucoma
- Hepatitis C
- HIV or AIDS
- Nausea
- Persistent muscle spasms
- PTSD
- Seizures
Arkansas
In 2016, voters in Arkansas approved new medical marijuana laws. In August 2017, the state received its first dispensary application. Qualifying health conditions for medical marijuana in Arkansas include:
- ALS
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Cachexia
- Cancer
- Chronic or debilitating disease
- Crohn’s disease
- Fibromyalgia
- Glaucoma
- Hepatitis C
- HIV/AIDS
- Intractable pain
- Multiple sclerosis
- Peripheral neuropathy
- PTSD
- Seizures
- Severe arthritis
- Severe nausea
- Severe and persistent muscle spasms
- Tourette’s syndrome
- Ulcerative colitis
- Any medical condition or its treatment approved by the Department of Health
California
California has one of the largest, most active medical marijuana programs anywhere. Patients with these conditions can qualify for a medical marijuana card:
- Anorexia
- Arthritis
- Cachexia
- Cancer
- Chronic Pain
- HIV or AIDS
- Glaucoma
- Migraine
- Persistent Muscle Spasms
- Severe Nausea
- Seizures
- Any debilitating illness where the medical use of marijuana has been “deemed appropriate and has been recommended by a physician.”
Colorado
Like California, Colorado has a longstanding medical marijuana program. That program is complemented by a strong recreational presence. Here are the qualifying conditions:
- Cachexia
- Cancer
- Chronic pain
- Chronic nervous system disorders
- Glaucoma
- HIV or AIDS
- Nausea
- Persistent Muscle Spasms
- Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome
- Seizures
Connecticut
Connecticut’s medical marijuana program was signed into law in 2012. Here are the qualifying conditions:
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- Cachexia
- Cancer
- Cerebral Palsy
- Complex regional pain syndrome
- Crohn’s disease
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Epilepsy
- Glaucoma
- HIV or AIDS
- Intractable spasticity
- Irreversible Spinal Cord Injury with Objective Neurological Indication of Intractable Spasticity
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Post-surgical back pain with a condition called chronic radiculopathy
- Postlaminectomy syndrome
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Severe psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis
- Sickle cell disease
- Terminal Illness Requiring End-Of-Life Care
- Ulcerative colitis
- Uncontrolled Intractable Seizure Disorder
- Other medical conditions may be approved by the Department of Consumer Protection.
Delaware
Delaware passed the Delaware Medical Marijuana Act in May 2011. Since then, it’s served patients with the following conditions:
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
- Cachexia
- Cancer
- Chronic pain
- HIV/AIDS
- Intractable epilepsy*
- Nausea
- Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Seizures
- Severe and persistent muscle spasms
Florida
After new medical marijuana laws passed in the 2016 elections, Florida’s program has been going through significant changes. Here are the qualifying conditions in Florida:
- ALS
- Cancer
- Crohn’s disease
- Chronic nonmalignant pain*
- Epilepsy
- Glaucoma
- HIV/AIDS
- Multiple sclerosis
- Muscle spasms
- Parkinson’s disease
- PTSD
- Seizures
- Terminal illness (patients diagnosed with no more than 12-months to live)
- Other debilitating medical conditions comparable to those enumerated
Georgia
Georgia is not known for being very liberal when it comes to cannabis laws. In Georgia, patients can only use certain CBD products that are extremely low in THC. Here are the qualifying health conditions for the state’s limited medical marijuana program:
- AIDS
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
- Autism
- Cancer
- Crohn’s disease
- Hospice care patients
- Mitochondrial disease
- Multiple sclerosis
- Parkinson’s disease
- Severe or end-stage Peripheral neuropathy
- Seizure disorder
- Sickle cell disease
- Tourette’s syndrome
Hawaii
There has a flurry of medical marijuana activity in Hawaii in recent years as the state issued multiple licenses for new medical marijuana dispensaries. Here are the state’s qualifying health conditions:
- Cachexia
- Cancer
- Chronic pain
- Crohn’s disease
- Epilepsy
- Glaucoma
- HIV or AIDS
- Lupus
- Multiple sclerosis
- Nausea
- Persistent muscle spasms
- Post-traumatic stress
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Seizures
Illinois
Illinois has a robust medical marijuana program. The state also chose to decriminalize cannabis in 2016. Qualifying conditions include:
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
- Arnold Chiari malformation
- Cachexia/wasting syndrome
- Cancer
- Causalgia
- Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy
- Complex regional pain syndrome type 2
- Crohn’s Disease
- Dystonia
- Fibromyalgia
- Fibrous dysplasia
- Glaucoma
- Hepatitis C
- HIV/AIDS
- Hydrocephalus
- Hydromyelia
- Interstitial Cystitis
- Lupus
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Myasthenia Gravis
- Myoclonus
- Nail-patella syndrome
- Neurofibromatosis
- Parkinson’s disease
- Post-traumatic stress
- Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD)
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Sjogren’s syndrome
- Spinal cord disease
- Spinocerebellar Ataxia (SCA)
- Syringomyelia
- Tarlov cysts
- Tourette’s syndrome
- Traumatic brain injury and post-concussion syndrome
Indiana
Indiana’s medical marijuana program is limited to CBD products only. These are the health conditions that qualify for Indiana’s program:
- Severe epilepsy resistant to other treatments
- Dravet syndrome
- Lennox-Gastaut syndrome
Iowa
Patients with one of the following conditions and the proper recommendations can use certain CBD extracts:
- AIDS/HIV
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Cancer
- Cancer-related chronic pain, nausea, or cachexia
- Crohn’s disease
- Multiple sclerosis
- Parkinson’s disease
- Intractable epilepsy
- Terminal illness
- Untreatable pain
Kentucky
Kentucky is another state with a narrow and fairly restrictive medical marijuana program. The state’s qualifying conditions include:
- Intractable epilepsy
Louisiana
In Louisiana, patients with one of the following conditions may qualify to use non-smokable forms of cannabis:
- Cachexia
- Cancer
- Crohn’s disease
- Epilepsy
- HIV/AIDS
- Muscular dystrophy,
- Multiple sclerosis
- Seizure disorders/spasticity
Maine
Voters in Maine approved the legalization of recreational weed in 2016. Currently, patients with one of these conditions can also qualify for medical marijuana:
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
- Cachexia or wasting syndrome
- Cancer
- Chronic pain
- Crohn’s disease
- Epilepsy
- Glaucoma
- Hepatitis C
- HIV or AIDS
- Huntington’s disease
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Nausea
- Nail-patella syndrome
- Parkinson’s disease
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Maryland
In Maryland, patients may qualify for medical marijuana if they have one of these conditions:
- Cachexia
- Anorexia
- Chronic Pain
- Nausea
- Seizures
- Severe or persistent muscle spasms
Massachusetts
Massachusetts is scheduled to start selling recreational weed by July 2018. Until then, you can get medical marijuana if you have one of the following conditions:
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
- Cancer
- Crohn’s disease
- Glaucoma
- HIV or AIDS
- Hepatitis C
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Parkinson’s disease
- Other conditions as determined in writing by a qualifying patient’s physician.
Michigan
Michigan has a strong and active medical marijuana program. But big changes could be coming soon as the state revamps its licensing practices. Qualifying health conditions for medical marijuana in Michigan include:
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
- Cachexia or wasting syndrome
- Cancer
- Chronic pain
- Crohn’s disease
- Glaucoma
- HIV or AIDS
- Hepatitis C
- Nail-patella
- Nausea
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Seizures
- Severe and persistent muscle spasms
Minnesota
In Minnesota, medical marijuana patients are only allowed to use non-smokeable forms of cannabis. Here are the qualifying health conditions:
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
- Cancer/cachexia
- Crohn’s disease
- Glaucoma
- HIV/AIDS
- Intractable pain
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Seizures
- Severe and persistent muscle spasms
- Terminal illness
- Tourette’s Syndrome
Mississippi
Mississippi is not known for permissive cannabis laws. Currently, only patients with the following conditions can use CBD oil:
- Intractable epilepsy
Missouri
Missouri also allows patients to use only CBD oil. Here are the qualifying health conditions:
- Intractable epilepsy
Montana
In 2016, voters in Montana approved a new medical marijuana program. Qualifying health conditions for medical marijuana in the state now include:
- Cachexia or wasting syndrome
- Cancer
- Chronic pain
- Crohn’s disease
- Glaucoma
- HIV/AIDS
- Nausea
- Seizures
- Severe or persistent muscle spasms
Nevada
Now that Nevada has legalized recreational weed, it’s pretty straightforward to get cannabis. But patients with one of these conditions can still qualify for the state’s medical marijuana program:
- AIDS
- Cachexia
- Cancer
- Glaucoma
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Persistent muscle spasms or seizures
- Severe nausea or pain
- Other conditions are subject to approval.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire’s medical marijuana laws were signed in 2013. Now, the qualifying health conditions for medical marijuana in the state include:
- ALS
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Cachexia
- Cancer
- Chemotherapy-induced anorexia
- Chronic Pain (effective August 16, 2017)
- Chronic pancreatitis
- Crohn’s disease
- Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (effective August 27, 2017)
- Elevated intraocular pressure
- Epilepsy
- Glaucoma
- Hepatitis C (currently receiving antiviral treatment)
- HIV/AIDS
- Lupus
- Moderate to severe vomiting
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Nausea
- Parkinson’s disease
- Persistent muscle spasms
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (effective August 27, 2017)
- Seizures
- Severe pain (that has not responded to previously prescribed medication)
- Spinal cord injury or disease
- Traumatic brain injury
- Wasting syndrome
New Jersey
Qualifying health conditions for medical marijuana in New Jersey include the following:
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
- Cancer (includes associated chronic pain and/or severe nausea)
- Crohn’s disease
- Glaucoma
- HIV/AIDS (includes associated chronic pain and/or severe nausea)
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Seizure and/or spasticity disorders
- Any terminal illness if a doctor has determined the patient will die within a year.
New Mexico
New Mexico allows patients with one of the following conditions to use cannabis and to grow as many as four mature weed plants at a time:
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease)
- Anorexia/cachexia
- Arthritis
- Cancer
- Cervical dystonia
- Chronic pain
- Crohn’s disease
- Epilepsy
- Glaucoma
- Hepatitis C
- HIV/AIDS
- Hospice patients
- Huntington’s disease
- Intractable nausea/vomiting
- Multiple sclerosis
- Painful peripheral neuropathy
- Parkinson’s disease
- Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
- Spinal cord damage
New York
New York’s medical marijuana program has come under fire for not being accessible enough. But as the state works to add more dispensaries and to expand the program, it could become a more helpful system for patients with one of these conditions:
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
- Cancer
- Chronic pain
- Epilepsy
- HIV/AIDS
- Huntington’s Disease
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Neuropathies
- Spinal cord damage
North Carolina
North Carolina’s laws let patients with certain conditions use CBD oil:
- Intractable epilepsy
North Dakota
North Dakota legalized medical marijuana during the elections of 2016. Qualifying conditions include:
- Agitation from Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Cachexia or Wasting syndrome
- Cancer
- Chronic or debilitating disease
- Crohn’s disease
- Epilepsy
- Fibromyalgia
- Glaucoma
- Hepatitis C
- HIV/AIDS
- Intractable nausea
- Multiple sclerosis
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Seizures
- Severe and persistent muscle spasms
- Severe debilitating pain
- Spinal stenosis
Ohio
Ohio signed a medical marijuana bill in 2016, and it is expected to be up and running sometime in 2018.Qualifying health conditions for medical marijuana in Ohio include:
- Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease)
- Cancer
- Chronic traumatic encephalopathy
- Crohn’s disease
- Epilepsy or other seizure disorders
- Fibromyalgia
- Glaucoma
- Hepatitis C
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Pain that is either of the following nature: (i) Chronic and severe; or (ii) Intractable
- Parkinson’s disease
- Positive status for HIV
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Sickle cell anemia
- Spinal cord disease or injury
- Tourette’s syndrome
- Traumatic brain injury
- Ulcerative colitis
Oklahoma
Oklahoma’s medical marijuana program remains very limited. Currently, only patients with the following conditions can use CBD oil:
- Pediatric epilepsy
Oregon
Oregon is a hotbed for cannabis. The state has already legalized recreational weed, but patients with the following conditions can also qualify for medical cannabis:
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Cachexia
- Cancer
- Chronic pain
- Glaucoma
- HIV or AIDS
- Nausea
- Persistent muscle spasms
- Post-traumatic stress
- Seizures
- Other conditions are subject to approval.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania legalized medical cannabis during the spring of 2016. Currently, qualifying health conditions for medical marijuana in the state include:
- ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease)
- Autism
- Cancer
- Crohn’s disease
- Epilepsy
- Glaucoma
- HIV/AIDS
- Huntington’s disease
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Intractable seizures
- Intractable spasticity
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Neuropathies
- Parkinson’s disease
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Sickle cell anemia
- Severe chronic or intractable pain
- Terminal illness, defined as 12 months or fewer to live.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island’s medical marijuana laws were signed in 2006. Now, qualifying health conditions for medical marijuana in Rhode Island include:
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Cachexia
- Cancer
- Chronic pain
- Crohn’s disease
- Glaucoma
- Hepatitis C
- HIV/AIDS
- Nausea
- Persistent muscle spasms
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Seizures
- Other conditions are subject to approval.
South Carolina
South Carolina’s CBD-only medical marijuana program offers limited forms of treatment for the following conditions:
- Dravet Syndrome
- Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome
- Refractory epilepsy
Tennessee
In Tennessee, you can use CBD oil if you have the following conditions:
- Intractable seizures
Texas
Texas has taken a long time to develop a medical marijuana program. In September 2017, the state finally issued its first medical marijuana license. Currently, qualifying health conditions include:
- Intractable epilepsy
Utah
Utah has struggled getting a more comprehensive, accessible medical marijuana program into place. Currently, patients with certain conditions may use CBD oil:
- Intractable epilepsy
Vermont
Vermont has a relatively open approach to cannabis. In fact, the state came close to legalizing recreational weed, but for now, qualifying health conditions for medical marijuana in Vermont include:
- Any patient receiving hospice care
- Cachexia or wasting syndrome
- Cancer
- Crohn’s disease
- Glaucoma
- HIV or AIDS
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Parkinson’s disease
- PTSD
- Seizures
- Severe or chronic pain
- Severe nausea
Virginia
In Virginia, patients with these conditions can use a very precisely defined and tightly controlled form of CBD:
- Intractable epilepsy
Washington
In Washington, recreational and medical weed are legal. Here are the health conditions that qualify for medical cannabis:
- Cachexia
- Cancer
- Crohn’s disease
- Glaucoma
- Hepatitis C
- HIV or AIDS
- Intractable pain
- Persistent muscle spasms, and/or spasticity
- Nausea
- PTSD
- Seizures
- Traumatic brain injury
- Any terminal or debilitating condition.
West Virginia
West Virginia’s medical marijuana laws are not yet operation. They’re scheduled to go into effect in 2018. For now,Qualifying health conditions for medical marijuana in West Virginia include:
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Cancer
- Crohn’s disease
- HIV/AIDS
- Epilepsy
- Huntington’s disease
- Intractable seizures
- Multiple sclerosis
- Neuropathies (chronic nerve pain)
- Parkinson’s disease
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Severe chronic or intractable pain
- Spinal cord damage
- Sickle cell anemia
- Terminal illness
Wisconsin
Wisconsin has a CBD-only medical marijuana program. Here’s what qualifies:
- Any medical condition for which a patient receives the proper doctor recommendations.
Wyoming
Wyoming’s CBD-only medical laws apply to patients with:
- Intractable epilepsy
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C. has surprisingly liberal cannabis laws. Qualifying health conditions for medical marijuana in Washington, D.C. include:
- Any condition that a doctor deems debilitating and for which the doctor gives proper recommendations.
As this list makes clear, medical marijuana can take a variety of shapes. Currently, one in five Americans can access some form of legal cannabis. But laws between states vary dramatically.