How many states allow medical marijuana?
Thirteen states — Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and Rhode Island — have effective laws protecting qualified patients from arrest and imprisonment for using marijuana under the advice of a physician. Maryland has a law protecting patients from imprisonment but not arrest; the maximum penalty for medical marijuana use is a $100 fine. Arizona has a law requiring patients to possess a doctor’s prescription for medical marijuana, while the other states require only a recommendation or endorsement. Because of this technicality, Arizona’s law cannot go into effect: The federal government regulates the prescription of controlled substances, and classifies marijuana as a substance that cannot be used under any condition. Therefore, marijuana cannot be prescribed, so Arizona’s law cannot go into effect. The District of Columbia’s medical marijuana law cannot go into effect because of an amendment to the federal spe
Twelve states — Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and Rhode Island — have effective laws protecting qualified patients from arrest and imprisonment for using marijuana under the advice of a physician. In addition, voters in six cities — Ann Arbor, Detroit, Ferndale, Flint, and Traverse City, Michigan and Columbia, Missouri — have approved medical marijuana measures. Maryland has a law protecting patients from imprisonment but not arrest; the maximum penalty for medical marijuana use is a $100 fine. Arizona has a law requiring patients to possess a doctor’s prescription for medical marijuana, while the other states require only a recommendation or endorsement. Because of this technicality, Arizona’s law cannot go into effect: The federal government regulates the prescription of controlled substances, and classifies marijuana as a substance that cannot be used under any condition. Therefore, marijuana cannot be prescribe
Eleven states — Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and Rhode Island — and one city — Detroit — have effective laws protecting qualified patients from arrest and imprisonment for using marijuana under the advice of a physician. Maryland has a law protecting patients from imprisonment but not arrest; the maximum penalty for medical marijuana use is a $100 fine. Arizona has a law requiring patients to possess a doctor’s prescription for medical marijuana, while the other states require only a recommendation or endorsement. Because of this technicality, Arizona’s law cannot go into effect: The federal government regulates the prescription of controlled substances, and classifies marijuana as a substance that cannot be used under any condition. Therefore, marijuana cannot be prescribed, so Arizona’s law cannot go into effect. The District of Columbia’s medical marijuana law cannot go into effect because of an amendment to the federal sp
