Medical marijuana specifically refers to marijuana that is prescribed by a doctor for a specific injury, disease, syndrome or ailment. Medical marijuana does not differ from regular cannabis (although varieties can be cultivated for specific thc or cbd concentrations by cross-breeding cannabis-indica and cannabis-sativa plants) and is a term used to differentiate it from recreational marijuana.
Medical marijuana is still tightly regulated, and many states require specific criteria be filled before a license can be obtained. Currently, within the United States, the following states and localities allow medical marijuana programs (listed below with year that programs began):
- Alaska (1998)
- Arizona (2010)
- California (1996)
- Colorado (2000)
- District of Columbia (2010)
- Delaware (2011)
- Hawaii (2000)
- Illinois (2013)
- Maine (1999)
- Massachusetts (2012)
- Michigan (2008)
- Montana (2004)
- Nevada (2000)
- New Hampshire (2013)
- New Jersey (2010)
- New Mexico (2007)
- Oregon (1998)
- Rhode Island (2006)
- Vermont (2004)
- Washington (1998)
Medical marijuana is typically distributed to patients through a marijuana dispensary.