The Qualifying Conditions of Each Medical Cannabis State

While many countries are well on their way to legalizing marijuana, the United States has yet to make a significant move. On a federal level, rule-makers seem adamant about leaving the plant classed as a Schedule 1 drug. However, it is an entirely different story regarding individual states.

The gap between state and federal marijuana law is causing a huge amount of confusion. We’re at the point where most people cannot keep up with the latest news regarding legalized medical and recreational marijuana in different states.

A significant majority of states have legalized MMJ and offer fully functioning programs. Others recently permitted medical or recreational weed but are still creating frameworks, processes that often take several years. Sadly, a handful of states seem as if they are a long way away from allowing any form of marijuana plant.

In this article, we attempt to clear up the confusion once and for all. Here are the state-by-state qualifying conditions for every state where medical marijuana is legal. We regularly update this information as necessary.

Medical Marijuana Legal States and their Qualifying Conditions

1. Alabama

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
Autism
Depression
PTSD
Parkinson’s disease
Crohn’s disease
Terminal illness
Tourette’s syndrome
Sickle cell anemia
Epilepsy/seizures
Nausea or weight loss related to HIV/AIDS
Spasticity associated with MS, ALS, or spinal cord injury
Persistent nausea that traditional treatments haven’t helped
Any condition causing intractable/chronic pain where conventional therapies/treatments have proven ineffective
Weight loss, nausea, chronic pain, or cachexia related to cancer

Learn more about how to get an MMJ card in Alabama here.

2. Alaska

Cancer
Glaucoma
HIV/AIDS
Multiple sclerosis

*Treatment for any of the above conditions, as well as any “chronic or debilitating disease or treatment of such diseases which produces, for a specific patient, one or more of the following”:

Cachexia (wasting syndrome)
Chronic or severe pain
Severe nausea
Epilepsy/seizures
Persistent muscle spasms (relating to MS)

Get the full details on the Alaska MMJ program here.

3. Arizona

Cancer
Glaucoma
HIV/AIDS
Hepatitis C
ALS
Crohn’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease

*A chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition that causes any one of the following:

Cachexia (wasting syndrome)
Severe and chronic pain
Severe nausea
Seizures/epilepsy
Severe or persistent muscle spasms (including those characteristic of multiple sclerosis)
PTSD

Here’s how to apply for an MMJ card in Arizona.

4. Arkansas

Cancer
Glaucoma
HIV/AIDS
Hepatitis C
ALS
Tourette’s syndrome
Crohn’s disease
Ulcerative colitis
PTSD
Severe arthritis
Fibromyalgia
Alzheimer’s disease
Cachexia or wasting syndrome
Peripheral neuropathy
Intractable pain (pain that has not responded to ordinary medications, treatment, or surgical measures for more than six months)
Severe nausea
Epilepsy/seizures
Persistent muscle spasms (including those characteristic of multiple sclerosis)

*Any other medical condition or its treatment approved by the Department of Health.

Here are the details on how to apply for MMJ in Arkansas.

5. California

California is one of the most lenient states regarding qualifying conditions. Generally speaking, the use of medical marijuana and the issuance of an MMJ card in California is up to the physician’s discretion. Qualifying conditions include, but are not limited to:

HIV/AIDS
Glaucoma
Radiation therapy side effects
Severe nausea
Cancer
Multiple sclerosis
Anxiety
Arthritis
Migraine headaches
Chronic pain
Cachexia, or wasting syndrome
Anorexia
Any persistent/chronic medical symptom that could cause serious mental or physical harm if left untreated

Learn more about the California MMJ program here.

6. Colorado

Cancer
Glaucoma
HIV or AIDS
Cachexia
Persistent muscle spasms
Seizures
Severe nausea
Severe pain
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Autism spectrum disorder

Click here for more information on the Colorado MMJ program.

7. Connecticut

Cancer
Glaucoma
HIV/AIDS
Parkinson’s disease
Multiple sclerosis
Spinal cord damage/intractable spasticity
Epilepsy/uncontrollable seizures
Cachexia/wasting syndrome
Crohn’s disease
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Sickle cell disease
Post laminectomy syndrome with chronic radiculopathy
Severe psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis
ALS
Ulcerative colitis
Complex regional pain syndrome
Cerebral palsy
Cystic fibrosis
Terminal illness requiring end-of-life care
Spasticity or neuropathic pain associated with fibromyalgia
Severe rheumatoid arthritis
Postherpetic neuralgia
Hydrocephalus with intractable headache
Intractable headache syndromes
Neuropathic facial pain
Muscular dystrophy
Osteogenesis imperfecta
Tourette syndrome
Chronic neuropathic pain
Interstitial cystitis

Here’s how to get your MMJ card in Connecticut.

8. Delaware

Broadly speaking, Delaware doesn’t require prospective MMJ patients to have specific qualifying conditions due to the introduction of Senate Bill 24. Physicians can approve patients with any debilitating condition. Here are examples of medical conditions that often result in MMJ card approval when proven:

Terminal illness
Cancer
HIV/AIDS
Decompensated cirrhosis
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS/Lou Gehrig’s disease)
Agitation of Alzheimer’s disease
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Intractable epilepsy
Autism (with self-injurious or aggressive behavior)
Glaucoma
Chronic debilitating migraines

*A chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition or its treatment that produces one or more of the following:

Cachexia or wasting syndrome
Severe, debilitating pain that has not responded to previously prescribed medication or surgical measures for more than three months or where other treatment options produced serious side effects.
Intractable nausea
Seizures
Severe and persistent muscle spasms, including but not limited to those characteristic of multiple sclerosis

Learn more about MMJ in Delaware here.

9. Florida

Cancer
Epilepsy
Seizures
Chronic muscle spasms
Glaucoma
HIV/AIDS
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
Crohn’s disease
Parkinson’s disease
Multiple sclerosis (MS)
Medical conditions of the same kind or class as or comparable to those above
A terminal condition diagnosed by a physician other than the qualified physician issuing the physician certification
Chronic nonmalignant pain caused by a qualifying medical condition or that originates from a qualifying medical condition and persists beyond the usual course of that qualifying medical condition

Here’s all you need to know about MMJ in Florida.

10. Hawaii

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
Inflammatory bowel disorders
Cancer
Glaucoma
Lupus
Epilepsy
Multiple sclerosis (MS)
Rheumatoid arthritis
HIV/AIDS
Illnesses/injuries relating to military service, including PTSD
Asthma under certain conditions
Fibromyalgia and painful neuropathies

*The treatment of these conditions or chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition or its treatment that produces one or more of the following:

Cachexia (wasting syndrome)
Severe pain
Chronic nausea
Seizures/epilepsy
Severe and persistent muscle spasms (including those characteristic of multiple sclerosis or Crohn’s disease)

Find out more about getting a Hawaii MMJ card here.

11. Illinois

Includes, but is not limited to:

Agitation of Alzheimer’s disease
HIV/AIDS
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
Arnold-Chiari malformation
Cancer
Causalgia
Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy
Crohn’s disease
CRPS (complex regional pain syndrome Type II)
Dystonia
Fibrous dysplasia
Glaucoma
Hepatitis C
Hydrocephalus
Hydromyelia
Interstitial cystitis
Lupus
Multiple sclerosis
Muscular dystrophy
Myasthenia gravis
Myoclonus
Nail-patella syndrome
Neurofibromatosis
Parkinson’s disease
Post-concussion syndrome
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Reflex sympathetic dystrophy
Residual limb pain
Rheumatoid arthritis
Seizures (including those characteristic of epilepsy)
Severe fibromyalgia
Sjogren’s syndrome
Spinal cord disease (including but not limited to arachnoiditis)
Spinal cord injury, i.e., damage to the nervous tissue of the spinal cord with objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity
Spinocerebellar ataxia
Syringomyelia
Tarlov cysts
Tourette syndrome
Traumatic brain injury
Cachexia/wasting syndrome

Read our complete guide to MMJ in Illinois here.

12. Louisiana

Includes, but is not limited to:

Cancer
HIV/AIDS
Cachexia or wasting syndrome
Seizure disorders/epilepsy
Spasticity
Crohn’s disease
Muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis
Glaucoma
Parkinson’s disease
Severe muscle spasms
Intractable pain
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

*Any of these four conditions associated with autism spectrum disorder:

Repetitive or self-stimulatory behavior of such severity that the physical health of the person with autism is jeopardized
Avoidance of others or inability to communicate of such severity that the physical health of the person with autism is jeopardized
Self-injuring behavior
Physically aggressive or destructive behavior

Click here for more on MMJ in Louisiana.

13. Maine

Cancer
Glaucoma
HIV/AIDS
Hepatitis C
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
Alzheimer’s disease
Nail-patella syndrome or the treatment of these conditions;
A chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition or its treatment that produces intractable pain, which is pain that has not responded to ordinary medical or surgical measures for more than six months

*A chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition or its treatment that produces one or more of the following:

Cachexia or wasting syndrome
Severe nausea
Seizures (including but not limited to those characteristic of epilepsy)

*Any other medical condition or its treatment as approved by the DHHS, or:

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Inflammatory bowel disease
Dyskinetic and spastic movement disorders
Other diseases causing severe and persistent muscle spasms

Here’s everything you need to know about MMJ in Maine.

14. Maryland

Cachexia/wasting syndrome
Anorexia
Severe pain
Severe nausea
Seizures
Severe or persistent muscle spasms
Glaucoma
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Chronic pain

Follow this link for more on MMJ in Maryland.

15. Massachusetts

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
Cancer
Crohn’s disease
Glaucoma
HIV/AIDS
Hepatitis C
Multiple sclerosis (MS)
Parkinson’s disease
Other conditions as approved by a qualifying patient’s physician

Learn how to get a Massachusetts MMJ card here.

16. Michigan

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Cancer
Glaucoma
HIV/AIDS
Hepatitis C
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
Crohn’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease
Arthritis
Autism
Chronic pain
Colitis/ulcerative colitis
Inflammatory bowel disease
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Parkinson’s disease
Rheumatoid arthritis
Cerebral palsy
Spinal cord injury
Tourette syndrome
Nail patella, or the treatment of the following conditions:
A chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition or its treatment that results in wasting syndrome; severe and chronic pain; severe nausea; seizures; and severe and persistent muscle spasms.

Here’s more information on the Michigan MMJ card process.

17. Minnesota

Cancer (associated with severe/chronic pain, nausea or severe vomiting, or cachexia or severe wasting syndrome)
Glaucoma
HIV/AIDS
Tourette Syndrome
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
Seizures/epilepsy
Severe and persistent muscle spasms, including those characteristic of multiple sclerosis
Inflammatory bowel disease
Crohn’s disease
Terminal illness (with a probable life expectancy of less than one year)
Intractable pain
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Autism
Obstructive sleep apnea

*If your illness or its treatment produces one or more of the following, you must have cancer or a terminal illness with a probable life expectancy of under one year to qualify for the program:

Severe or chronic pain
Nausea or severe vomiting
Cachexia or severe wasting

Read our in-depth guide to MMJ in Minnesota here.

18. Mississippi

Cancer
Cachexia
Epilepsy/seizures
Hepatitis
Huntingdon’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease
Parkinson’s disease
MS
Diabetic/peripheral neuropathy
HIV/AIDS
Muscular dystrophy
ALS
PTSD
Agitation of dementia
Chronic or debilitating pain
Ulcerative colitis
Crohn’s disease
Glaucoma
Sickle-cell anemia
Autism (with aggressive or self-injurious behaviors)
Spastic quadriplegia
Severe muscle spasticity
Spinal cord disease or severe injury
Intractable nausea
Pain refractory to the appropriate management of opioids

Learn more about MMJ in Mississippi here.

19. Missouri

Includes, but is not limited to:

Cancer
Epilepsy
Glaucoma
Intractable migraines
Chronic pain or persistent muscle spasms (including those associated with multiple sclerosis, seizures, Parkinson’s disease, and Tourette syndrome)
Debilitating psychiatric disorders (including but not limited to PTSD)
HIV/AIDS
A medical condition typically treated with prescription drugs that could lead to physical or psychological dependence
Any terminal illness

*Any other chronic debilitating medical condition, including but not limited to:

Hepatitis C
ALS
Irritable bowel syndrome
Crohn’s disease
Huntington’s disease
Autism
Neuropathy
Sickle cell anemia
Alzheimer’s disease
Cachexia
Wasting syndrome

Here’s how to get your Missouri MMJ card.

20. Montana

Cancer
Glaucoma
HIV/AIDS
Cachexia or wasting syndrome
Severe chronic pain
Intractable nausea or vomiting
Epilepsy or an intractable seizure disorder
Multiple sclerosis
Crohn’s disease
Painful peripheral neuropathy
A central nervous system disorder resulting in chronic, painful spasticity or muscle spasms
Admittance into hospice care
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Learn more about the Montana MMJ program here.

21. Nevada

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)
Cancer
Glaucoma
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Cachexia (general physical wasting and malnutrition from chronic disease)
Persistent muscle spasms (including multiple sclerosis)
Seizures (including epilepsy)
Severe nausea
Severe pain
Additional conditions as subject to approval by the Nevada DPBH (Division of Public and Behavioral Health)

Follow this link for more on MMJ in Nevada.

22. New Hampshire

Cancer
Glaucoma
HIV/AIDS
Hepatitis C
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Muscular dystrophy
Crohn’s disease
Multiple sclerosis
Chronic pancreatitis
Spinal cord injury or disease
Traumatic brain injury (TMI)
Epilepsy
Lupus
Parkinson’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease
Ulcerative colitis
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

*One or more injuries or conditions that have resulted in one of the following qualifying symptoms, or a severely debilitating or terminal medical condition or its treatment that has produced at least one of the following:

Elevated intraocular pressure (glaucoma)
Cachexia/wasting syndrome
Chemotherapy-induced anorexia
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
Severe or persistent muscle spasms

“Qualifying medical condition” can also mean:

Moderate to severe chronic pain
Severe pain that has not responded to previously prescribed medication or surgical measures or for which other treatment options produced serious side effects
Moderate or severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Read the full guide to MMJ in New Hampshire here.

23. New Jersey

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease)
Multiple sclerosis
Terminal cancer
Muscular dystrophy
Inflammatory bowel disease
Crohn’s disease
Any terminal illness with a prognosis of fewer than 12 months
Seizure disorders (including epilepsy)
Intractable skeletal, muscular spasticity
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Glaucoma (if traditional medicine has failed)
Severe or chronic pain
Severe nausea or vomiting
Wasting syndrome caused by HIV/AIDS and cancer
Anxiety
Migraines
Tourette syndrome
Chronic pain related to musculoskeletal disorders (including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, fibromyalgia, and opioid use disorder)
Chronic pain of “visceral origin” (including pancreatitis, irritable bowel syndrome, and bowel dysfunction)

Learn more about how to get MMJ in New Jersey here.

24. New Mexico

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
Cancer
Crohn’s disease
Epilepsy/seizure disorders
Glaucoma
HCV infection and receiving antiviral treatment currently
HIV/AIDS
Huntington’s disease
Hospice care
Inclusion body myositis
Inflammatory autoimmune-mediated arthritis
Intractable nausea/vomiting
Multiple sclerosis
Damage to the nervous tissue of the spinal cord
Painful peripheral neuropathy
Parkinson’s disease
Post‐traumatic stress disorder
Severe chronic pain
Severe anorexia
Cachexia
Spasmodic torticollis (cervical dystonia)
Ulcerative colitis
Obstructive sleep apnea

Here’s all you need to know about MMJ in New Mexico.

25. New York

Cancer
HIV infection or AIDS
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
Parkinson’s disease
Multiple sclerosis
Spinal cord injury with spasticity
Epilepsy
Inflammatory bowel disease
Neuropathy
Huntington’s disease
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Chronic pain

*Any condition for which an opioid could be prescribed or for which a severe debilitating or life-threatening condition is accompanied by one or more of the following conditions or complications:

Cachexia or wasting syndrome
Severe or chronic pain
Severe nausea
Seizures
Severe or persistent muscle spasms
PTSD or opioid use disorder

The Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) has legalized the sale of recreational marijuana in New York and has also expanded the MMJ program. You may qualify for medical marijuana if you have one of the following medical conditions:

Alzheimer’s disease
Autism
Dystonia
Muscular dystrophy
Rheumatoid arthritis
Any other condition certified by a medical practitioner

Here’s our complete guide to MMJ in New York.

26. North Dakota

Cancer
HIV/AIDS
Decompensated cirrhosis due to hepatitis C
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Agitation of Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia
Crohn’s disease
Fibromyalgia
Spinal stenosis/chronic back pain (including neuropathy or damage to the nervous tissue of the spinal cord with objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity)
Glaucoma
Epilepsy
Anorexia nervosa
Bulimia nervosa
Anxiety disorder
Tourette syndrome
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
Endometriosis
Interstitial cystitis
Neuropathy
Migraine
Rheumatoid arthritis
Autism spectrum disorder
Brain injury
Terminal illness

*Chronic or debilitating diseases or medical conditions or the treatment for such diseases or medical conditions that produce one or more of the following:

Cachexia or wasting syndrome
Severe debilitating pain that has not responded to previously prescribed medication or surgical measures for more than three months or for which other treatment options produced serious side effects
Intractable nausea
Seizures
Severe and persistent muscle spasms, including those characteristic of multiple sclerosis

Find out how to get your North Dakota MMJ card here.

27. Ohio

Alzheimer’s disease
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)/Lou Gehrig’s disease
Cancer
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy
Crohn’s disease
Epilepsy
Fibromyalgia
Glaucoma
Hepatitis C
HIV/AIDS
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
Chronic pain or severe/intractable pain
Multiple sclerosis
Parkinson’s disease
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Sickle cell anemia
Spinal cord disease or injury
Tourette syndrome
Traumatic brain injury
Ulcerative colitis

Here’s how to apply for your Ohio MMJ card.

28. Oklahoma

A licensed Oklahoma physician must submit the application and recommendation. There are currently no specific qualifying conditions (recommendations are left up to the physician’s discretion). Here are a few conditions that often lead to MMJ card approval when proven:

Cancer
Autism
Anxiety
PTSD
Depression
Seizures
Muscle spasms
Cachexia
Anorexia
Severe nausea

Learn more about Oklahoma’s MMJ program here.

29. Oregon

Cancer
Glaucoma
A degenerative or pervasive neurological condition
HIV/AIDS
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

*A medical condition or treatment for a medical condition that produces one or more of the following:

Cachexia (a weight-loss disease that can be caused by HIV or cancer)
Severe pain
Severe nausea
Seizures, including but not limited to seizures caused by epilepsy
Persistent muscle spasms, including but not limited to spasms caused by multiple sclerosis

The following medical conditions may also lead to MMJ approval when proven:

GERD
Spondylitis
Fibromyalgia
Arthritis
IBS
Degenerative disk disease
Carpal tunnel syndrome

Here are more details on the MMJ card process in Oregon.

30. Pennsylvania

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Anxiety disorders
Autism
Cancer, including remission therapy
Crohn’s disease
Damage to the nervous tissue of the central nervous system (brain-spinal cord) with objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity and other associated neuropathies
Dyskinetic and spastic movement disorders
Epilepsy
Glaucoma
HIV/AIDS
Huntington’s disease
Inflammatory bowel disease
Intractable seizures
Multiple sclerosis
Neurodegenerative diseases
Neuropathies
Opioid use disorder for which conventional therapeutic interventions are contraindicated or ineffective, or for which adjunctive therapy is indicated in combination with primary therapeutic interventions
Parkinson’s disease
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Severe chronic or intractable pain of neuropathic origin or severe chronic or intractable pain
Sickle cell anemia
Terminal illness
Tourette syndrome

Click here to learn more about MMJ in Pennsylvania.

31. Rhode Island

Cancer
Glaucoma
HIV/AIDS
Hepatitis C
Autism spectrum disorder
PTSD

*A chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition or its treatment that produces one or more of the following:

Cachexia or wasting syndrome
Severe, debilitating, chronic pain
Severe nausea
Seizures, including but not limited to those characteristic of epilepsy
Severe and persistent muscle spasms, including but not limited to those characteristic of multiple sclerosis or Crohn’s disease
Agitation related to Alzheimer’s Disease

Read our complete guide to MMJ in Rhode Island here.

32. South Dakota

Cancer
Glaucoma
Severe debilitating pain
Cachexia/wasting syndrome
Severe or persistent muscle spasms, including those part of multiple sclerosis

You may also be eligible for a South Dakota MMJ card if you have one of the following conditions:

Hepatitis C
Alzheimer’s
Crohn’s disease
PTSD
HIV/AIDS
Endometriosis
Ulcerative colitis

Here’s more information on how to get MMJ in South Dakota.

33. Utah

HIV/AIDS
Alzheimer’s disease
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
Cancer
Cachexia
Persistent nausea that is not significantly responsive to conventional treatment except for nausea associated with pregnancy, cannabis-induced cyclical vomiting syndrome, or CBD hyperemesis syndrome
Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis
Epilepsy or debilitating seizures
Multiple sclerosis or debilitating muscle spasms
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that is being treated and monitored by a mental health therapist and has been properly diagnosed and documented
Autism
Terminal illness when the remaining life expectancy is less than six months
A condition resulting in the individual receiving hospice care
A rare condition or disease (affecting less than 200,000 individuals in the U.S., as defined by federal law) which is inadequately managed using conventional treatments (other than opioids or opiates) or physical interventions
Pain lasting longer than two weeks that is inadequately managed, in the qualified medical provider’s opinion, despite treatment with conventional medications (other than opioids or opiates) or physical intervention

*If the patient does not have a specifically named qualifying condition, they may petition the Compassionate Use Board for medical cannabis approval

Find out how to get a Utah MMJ card here.

34. Vermont

Cancer
Multiple sclerosis
HIV/AIDS
Glaucoma
Crohn’s disease
Parkinson’s disease

*Or the treatment of ANY ONE OF THE ABOVE conditions, or if the disease or the treatment results in severe, persistent, and intractable symptoms of:

PTSD (provided the applicant is undergoing psychotherapy or counseling with a licensed mental health care provider)
Cachexia or wasting syndrome
Chronic pain
Severe nausea
Seizures
Severe and persistent muscle spasms

Here are the full details of Vermont’s MMJ program.

35. Virginia

There are no specific qualifying conditions to get a Virginia MMJ card as it is at the doctor’s discretion. However, patients with the following conditions are likely to receive a physician’s recommendation:

PTSD
HIV/AIDS
MS
Cancer
Chronic pain where conventional treatments such as opioids have proven ineffective
Crohn’s disease

Learn more about MMJ in Virginia here.

36. Washington

Cancer
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
Multiple sclerosis
Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
Spasticity disorders
Intractable pain (pain unrelieved by standard medical treatments and medications)
Glaucoma
Crohn’s disease
Hepatitis C

*Other diseases which result in:

Anorexia
Nausea
Vomiting
Wasting
Appetite loss
Cramping
Seizures
Muscle spasms/spasticity
Chronic renal failure requiring hemodialysis
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Traumatic brain injury (TBI)

Here’s more on how to get MMJ in Washington.

37. West Virginia

Cancer
HIV/AIDS
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
Parkinson’s disease
Multiple sclerosis
Damage to the nervous tissue of the spinal cord with objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity
Epilepsy
Neuropathies
Huntington’s disease
Crohn’s disease
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Intractable seizures
Sickle cell anemia
Severe chronic or intractable pain of neuropathic origin or severe chronic or intractable pain for which conventional treatment and opiate therapy is contraindicated or has proved ineffective
Terminal illness with a life expectancy of approximately one year or less if the illness runs its normal course

Learn how to get your West Virginia MMJ card here.

38. Washington D.C.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)
Glaucoma
Conditions characterized by severe and persistent muscle spasms, such as multiple sclerosis
Cancer

*Medical treatments that qualify for the use of medical marijuana:

Chemotherapy
Use of azidothymidine or protease inhibitors
Radiotherapy

Read our in-depth guide to MMJ in Washington D.C. here.

39. Puerto Rico

Anorexia
Autism
Cancer
HIV/AIDS
ALS
Anxiety disorders
Bipolar disorder
Crohn’s disease
Depression
Fibromyalgia
Glaucoma
Parkinson’s disease
Spinal cord injury
Hepatitis C
Inflammatory bowel disease
PTSD
Peripheral neuropathies
Epilepsy
Arthritis
Multiple sclerosis
Alzheimer’s disease
Migraine

Here’s more on getting an MMJ card in Puerto Rico.

Legal Marijuana States (Recreational)

In the following states, it is legal to purchase marijuana without an MMJ card as long as you’re aged 21+.

Alaska
Arizona
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Illinois
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
Montana
Nevada
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
Ohio
Oregon
Rhode Island
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
Washington, D.C.

However, please note that recreational sales have yet to begin in certain states. Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., adult-use weed is technically legal, but there is no provision for commercial sales.

Also, the American territories of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands legalized recreational cannabis in 2019 and 2018, respectively. The U.S. Virgin Islands legalized MMJ in 2019, and followed up with recreational legalization in January 2023.

There are also some states that have specific rules on the use of CBD oil and other CBD (hemp) products.

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