Medical Marijuana, State by State

With New York poised to pass a comprehensive medical marijuana bill, check out how it compares to other states that already have legalized the drug.

New York: Legislation set to pass in 2014. Requires patients to register into the state’s medical marijuana program and apply for an identification card. A registered doctor must diagnose one of the qualifying illnesses or symptoms in a patient. 

Allows medical marijuana for patients with cancer, HIV or AIDS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord nerve damage with objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity, epilepsy, inflammatory bowel disease, neuropathies and Huntington’s disease. It can also be used for patients with the following symptoms: cachexia or wasting syndrome, severe or chronic pain, severe nausea, and severe or persistent muscle spasms.

Patients may only possess a 30-day supply of medical marijuana, although the exact amount is unclear. Minors can use marijuana-based oils under the supervision of an authorized adult.

Alaska: Legislation passed in 1998. Requires patients to register into the state’s medical marijuana program. Application fees are about $20 to $25.

Allows medical marijuana use for cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, cachexia, severe pain, severe nausea, seizures, epilepsy, persistent muscle spasms including multiple sclerosis and any chronic or debilitating disease that is recommended in the professional opinion of the patient’s physician.

Patients may grow medical marijuana plants in their home, but cannot possess more than one ounce of marijuana in usable form and no more than six marijuana plants, with no more than three of them mature.

Minors are allowed to use medical marijuana under the consent and control of a parent or guardian.

Arizona: Voted into law on a ballot measure in 2010. Patients must be diagnosed and certified by a state-licensed doctor. The application fee for patients is $150 and most marijuana doctors charge from $100 to $150 dollars for doctor certification. Therefore, and a medical marijuana ID card costs about $300 and must be renewed annually.

Arizona is one a few states to allow other states’ registry cards.

Patients qualify for medical marijuana when suffering from cancer; glaucoma; HIV/AIDS; hepatitis C; Crohn’s disease; Alzheimer’s disease; ALS or a chronic or debilitating disease that produces severe and chronic pain, nausea, wasting syndrome, seizures, which includes epilepsy and severe muscle spasms, which includes multiple sclerosis.

Patients are allowed to grow medical marijuana plants in their home, but cannot possess more than 2.5 ounces of usable marijuana and no more than 12 plants. 

Minors are allowed to use medical marijuana under the consent and control of a parent or guardian.

California: Voted into law through a ballot measure in 1996. Patients must register into the medical marijuana program. The application fee is $66, but only $33 with Medicaid. Additional county-level fees may apply.

Patients qualify for medical marijuana when suffering from AIDS; anorexia; arthritis; wasting syndrome; cancer, chronic pain; glaucoma; migraines; persistent muscle spasms, including multiple sclerosis; seizures, including epilepsy and any other chronic or persistent medical symptom that limits the ability of the person to conduct one or more major life activity.

Patients can grow marijuana plants, but cannot possess more than eight ounces of usable marijuana and no more than six mature marijuana plants or 12 immature plants.

Minors are allowed to use medical marijuana under the consent and control of a parent or guardian.

Colorado: Voted into law through a ballot measure in 2000. Patients must pay a $15 application fee to register into the medical marijuana program that has to be renewed annually.

Patients qualify for medical marijuana if suffering from AIDS/HIV; cancer; glaucoma or a chronic or debilitating condition that produces cachexia, persistent muscle spasms, including multiple sclerosis, and seizures, including epilepsy, and severe nausea and severe pain.

Colorado in 2014 decriminalized the recreational use of marijuana, though medical marijuana use would still apply to minors with the eligible conditions.

Minors are allowed to use medical marijuana under the consent and control of a parent or guardian.

Connecticut: Legislation was passed in 2012.  Patients must register into the medical marijuana program and pay a $100 application fee.  

Patients qualify for medical marijuana if suffering from cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, Parkinson’s disease, MS, spinal cord damage, epilepsy, wasting syndrome, cachexia, Crohn’s disease or any medical condition approved by the Department of Consumer Protection.

Patients cannot possess more than 2.5 ounces in a 30-day period. Growing plants is not allowed.

Patients under the age of 18 cannot be prescribed medical marijuana.

Delaware: Legislation passed in 2011. Patients must pay a $125 fee to register into the medical marijuana program.

Patients qualify for medical marijuana if suffering from cancer; HIV/AIDS; hepatitis C; ALS; Alzheimer’s disease or a chronic or debilitating condition that produces cachexia, persistant muscle spasms including multiple sclerosis, seizures including epilepsy and severe nausea and severe pain.

Patients cannot possess more than six ounces of usable marijuana and growing plants is not allowed.

Patients under the age of 18 cannot be prescribed medical marijuana.

District of Columbia: Legislation passed in 2010. Patients must pay a $100 fee to register into the program.

Patients qualify for medical marijuana if suffering from HIV/AIDS; cancer; glaucoma; a chronic or debilitating condition that produces persistant muscle spasms, which includes MS; patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy or using azidothymidine or protease inhibitors. 

Patients cannot possess more than two ounces of usable marijuana.

Minors are allowed to use medical marijuana under the consent and control of a parent or guardian.

Hawaii: Legislation passed in 2000. Patients must pay a $25 fee to register into the medical marijuana program.

Patients qualify for medical marijuana if suffering from HIV/AIDS; a chronic or debilitating condition that produces cachexia, persistant muscle spasms—including MS, seizures—including epilepsy; severe nausea and severe pain; Crohn’s disease or other conditions subject to approval by the Hawaii Department of Health.

Patients are allowed to grow marijuana plants. Patients cannot possess more than three ounces of usable marijuana or more than seven plants, with no more than three mature.

Minors are allowed to use medical marijuana under the consent and control of a parent or guardian.

Illinois: Legislation passed in 2013. Fees to register into the medical marijuana program have not yet been determined by the state.

Patients qualify for medical marijuana if suffering from cancer; glaucoma; HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; Crohn's disease; Alzheimer's disease; cachexia; muscular dystrophy; severe fibromyalgia; spinal cord disease (including but not limited to arachnoiditis); Tarlov cysts; hydromyelia syringomyelia; rheumatoid arthritis; fibrous dysplasia; spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury and post concussion syndrome; multiple sclerosis; Arnold-Chiari malformation and syringomelia, spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA); Parkinson's disease; Tourette's syndrome; myoclonus; dystonia; reflex sympathetic dystrophy, causalgia; complex regional pain syndrome type II; neurofibromatosis; chronic inflammatory eemyelinating polyneuropathy; chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy; Sjogren's syndrome; lupus; interstitial cystitis; myasthenia gravis; hydrocephalus; nail-patella syndrome or residual limb pain.

Patients cannot possess more than 2.5 ounces of usable marijuana during a period of two weeks.

Legislation to allow the use of cannabidiol oil for minors passed the state Legislature this month and is awaiting the governor’s signature. 

Maine: Voted into law through a ballot measure in 1999. There is no fee to register into the medical marijuana program.

Patients qualify for medical marijuana if suffering from cancer; epilepsy or other disorders characterized by seizures; multiple sclerosis and other disorders characterized by muscle spasticity and nausea or vomiting as a result of AIDS or cancer chemotherapy.

Patients can grow their own marijuana plants. Patients cannot possess more than 2.5 ounces of usable marijuana and no more than six plants.

Minors are allowed to use medical marijuana under the consent and control of a parent or guardian.

Massachusetts: Voted into law through a ballot measure in 2012. Patients must pay a $50 fee to register into the medical marijuana program.

Patients qualify for medical marijuana if suffering from cancer; glaucoma; HIV/AIDS; ALS; Crohn’s disease; Parkinson’s disease; multiple sclerosis or other conditions as determined in writing by a qualifying patient’s physician. 

Patients may not possess more than a 60-day supply of prescribed marijuana

Minors are allowed to use medical marijuana under the consent and control of a parent or guardian.

Michigan: Voted into law through a proposal in 2008. Patients must pay a $100 fee to register into the medical marijuana program.

Patients qualify for medical marijuana if suffering from cancer; glaucoma; HIV/AIDS; hepatitis C; ALS; Crohn’s disease; agitation of Alzheimer’s disease; nail patella; chachexia; severe and chronic pain; sever nausea; seizures; epilepsy; muscle spasms; multiple sclerosis or PTSD.

Patients can grow their own marijuana plants. Patients cannot possess more than 2.5 ounces of usable marijuana and no more than 12 plants.

Minors are allowed to use medical marijuana under the consent and control of a parent or guardian and must have two physicians sign off on use.  

Minnesota: Legislation passed in 2014. Patients must pay a $200 application fee to register into the state’s medical marijuana program.

Patients qualify for medical marijuana if suffering from cancer; glaucoma; HIV/AIDS; Tourette’s syndrome; ALS; seizures/epilepsy; severe and persistent muscle spasms/MS; Crohn’s disease or terminal illness with a life expectancy of under one year.

Patients cannot possess more than a 30-day supply of non-smokable marijuana as prescribed by a doctor.

Minors are allowed to use medical marijuana under the consent and control of a parent or guardian for “severe illness.”

Montana: Voted into law through an initiative in 2004. Patients must pay a $75 dollar fee to register into the state’s medical marijuana program.

Patients qualify for medical marijuana when suffering from cancer; glaucoma; HIV/AIDS; a chronic or debilitating condition that produces cachexia, persistant muscle spasms—including MS, seizures—including epilepsy and severe nausea and severe pain; Crohn’s disease or any medical condition adopted by the state’s Department of Health.

Patients can grow their own marijuana plants at home. Patients cannot possess more than one ounce of usable marijuana and no more than four mature plants and 12 seedlings.

Minors are allowed to use medical marijuana under the consent and control of a parent or guardian, but parents must submit a provider application and have their fingerprints on file with the Department of Health.

Nevada: Voted into law through a ballot measure in 2000. Patients must pay a $100 fee.

Patients who qualify for medical marijuana when suffering from AIDS; cancer; glaucoma; any medical condition that produces cachexia, persistent muscle spasms or seizures, severe nausea or pain and PTSD. Other conditions are subject to approval by the health division of the state’s Department of Human Resources.

Patients cannot possess more than 2.5 ounces of usable marijuana in a 14-day period. Patients may grow up to 12 plants in their home.

Minors are allowed to use medical marijuana under the consent and control of a parent or guardian.

New Hampshire: Legislation passed in 2013. Patients must register for the state’s medical marijuana program, but a fee is still to be decided.

Patients qualify for medical marijuana if they suffer from HIV/AIDS; hepatitis C; ALS; muscular dystrophy; Crohn's disease; agitation of Alzheimer's disease; multiple sclerosis; chronic pancreatitis; spinal cord injury or disease; traumatic brain injury; or one or more injuries that significantly interferes with daily activities as documented by the patient's provider; and a severely debilitating or terminal medical condition or its treatment that has produced at least one of the following: elevated intraocular pressure, cachexia, chemotherapy induced anorexia, wasting syndrome, severe pain that has not responded to previously prescribed medication or surgical measures or for which other treatment options produced serious side effects, constant or severe nausea, moderate to severe vomiting, seizures, or severe, persistent muscle spasms.

Patients may not possess more than two ounces of usable marijuana in a 10-day period.

Minors are allowed to use medical marijuana under the consent and control of a parent or guardian and with permission from two physicians.

New Jersey: Passed legislation in 2010. Patients must pay a $200 fee to register with the state’s medical marijuana program.

Patients qualify for medical marijuana if they suffer from a seizure disorder, including epilepsy; MS; glaucoma; severe or chronic pain; severe nausea or vomiting; cachexia; wasting syndrome resulting from HIV/AIDS; cancer; muscular dystrophy; Inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn’s disease; terminal illness if the physician has determined a prognosis of no less than 12 months of life or any other medical condition approved by the state’s Department of Health and Senior Services.

Patients may not possess more than 2 ounces of usable marijuana.

Minors are allowed to use medical marijuana under the consent and control of a parent or guardian.

New Mexico: Legislation passed in 2007. There are no fees for a patient to register with the state’s medical marijuana program.

Patients qualify for medical marijuana if suffering from severe chronic pain; painful peripheral neuropathy; intractable nausea or vomiting; severe anorexia; severe cachexia; Hepatitis C; Crohn’s disease; PTSD; ALS; cancer; glaucoma; multiple sclerosis; spinal cord damage; epilepsy; HIV/AIDS; hospice patients; cervical dystonia; inflammatory autoimmune-mediated arthritis; Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease.

Patients may grow their own marijuana plants. Patients cannot possess more than six ounces of usable marijuana or 16 plants, four mature.

Minors are allowed to use medical marijuana under the consent and control of a parent or guardian.

Oregon: Law passed through a ballot measure in 1998. Patients must pay a $200 application fee to register with the state’s medical marijuana program.

Patients qualify for medical marijuana if suffering from cancer; glaucoma; HIV/AIDS; treatment for a medical condition that produces cachexia, severe pain, severe nausea; seizures including epilepsy, persistent muscle spasms including those caused by multiple sclerosis or any other conditions subject to approval by the Health Division of the Oregon Department of Human Resources.

Patients cannot possess more than 24 ounces of usable marijuana and more than six marijuana plants and more than 18 immature plants.

Minors are allowed to use medical marijuana under the consent and control of a parent or guardian.

Rhode Island: Legislation passed in 2006. Patients must pay a $75 fee to register in the state’s medical marijuana program.

Patients qualify for medical marijuana if suffering from cancer; glaucoma; HIV/AIDS; Hepatitis C; any medical condition that produces cachexia, persistent muscle spasms or seizures, severe nausea or pain; epilepsy; MS; Crohn’s disease; agitation of Alzheimer’s disease or any other treatment approved by the state’s Department of Health.

Patients can grow marijuana plants in their home. Patients cannot possess more than 2.5 ounces of marijuana and can grow up to 12 plants and 12 seedlings.

Minors are allowed to use medical marijuana under the consent and control of a parent or guardian.

Vermont: Legislation passed in 2004. Patients must pay a $50 fee to register with the state’s medical marijuana program.

Patients qualify for medical marijuana if suffering from cancer; glaucoma; HIV/AIDS; hepatitis C or if a disease or treatment results in severe, persistent and intractable symptoms and produces one of the following symptoms: cachexia, severe pain, severe nausea or seizures.

Patients may grow their own marijuana plants at home. Patients may not possess more than two ounces of usable marijuana and no more than nine plants, two mature.

Minors are allowed to use medical marijuana under the consent and control of a parent or guardian.

Washington: Voted into law through an initiative in 1998. Patients do not have to register into a medical marijuana program, since 2011.

Patients qualify for medical marijuana if suffering from cachexia; cancer; HIV/AIDS; epilepsy; glaucoma; intractable pain (defined as pain unrelieved by standard treatment or medications); multiple sclerosis; Crohn's disease; hepatitis C with debilitating nausea or intractable pain; diseases, including anorexia which result in nausea, vomiting, wasting, appetite loss, cramping, seizures, muscle spasms, or spasticity or when those conditions are unrelieved by standard treatments or medications or other conditions are subject to approval by the Washington Board of Health. 

Patients cannot possess more than 24 ounces of usable marijuana and more than 15 plants.

Minors are allowed to use medical marijuana as the law does not specifically address eligibility of minors and has no specific age requirement. 

Sources: Official state medical marijuana web sites and the Marijuana Policy Project