How Do State Laws Vary for Users of Medical Marijuana?
State laws vary greatly as to the legality of medical marijuana. Some states provide no protection for the users of medical marijuana. In other states medical marijuana has been legalized, but even among these states, there remain differences as to the specific criteria for being a legal user of medical marijuana. There are two main policy determinations for determining the ultimate scope of state medical marijuana laws: • Types of Programs – Currently, there are four types of state programs that determine whether medical marijuana is legal. States may follow only one or all of the following programs: • Therapeutic Research Program (TRP): Medical marijuana use is allowed after the enlistment into a state program, with treatment and use monitored and studied by doctors and scientists. These programs offer the least protection for users of medical marijuana, and are typically very rare even in states with an active program. (14 states). • Rescheduling: Most states mirror the federal sche
