Health Conditions A-Z Pain Chronic Pain Medicinal Marijuana by State Here's a state-by-state guide to medical marijuana use. By Health.com Editorial Team Health.com Editorial Team An article by 'Health.com Editorial Team' indicates a collaborative effort from our in-house team. Sometimes, several writers and editors may contribute to an article over the years. These collaborations allow Health.com editors to provide you with the most accurate, up-to-date, and comprehensive information available. The editors at Health.com are a dedicated team of experienced health editors, writers, and other media professionals who strive to bring trustworthy and responsible health and medical content to their readers. As a team, we have decades of experience in health journalism, and have worked at legacy publishers and some of the biggest news and media companies in the U.S. health's editorial guidelines Published on December 16, 2010 Share Tweet Pin Email Research shows that marijuana may relieve symptoms of certain chronic illnesses. It has been proven to treat nausea, vomiting, and lack of appetite, and it may also ease pain. Marijuana is illegal in the U.S., but certain states allow it to be used as medical treatment. Here’s a state-by-state guide to medical marijuana use. Adapted from research by procon.org Image: The dark green represents states that allow medicinal marijuana. Light green represents states with marijuana-friendly laws or pending legislation. Alaska and Hawaii (not pictured) allow medicinal marijuana. 01 of 16 Alaska Getty Images Year passed: 1998 Possession limit: 1 oz. usable; 6 plants (3 mature) Some approved conditions: Cancer, chronic pain, epilepsy, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis Fee: $25 ($20 renewal) 02 of 16 Arizona Getty Images Year passed: 2010 Possession limit: 2.5 oz. usable; 12 plants* Some approved conditions: Cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, Crohn's disease, Alzheimer's disease, chronic pain, severe nausea, seizures Fee: Not yet determined *Patients can grow up to 12 plants if they live more than 25 miles from the closest dispensary. 03 of 16 California Getty Images Year passed: 1996 Possession limit: 8 oz. usable; 18 plants (6 mature)* Some approved conditions: AIDS, anorexia, arthritis, cancer, chronic pain, migraines, seizures, severe nausea Fee: $33–$66, depending on Medi-Cal status *Exceptions to the guidelines can be made if patients have a physician’s note stating they need more. 04 of 16 Colorado Istockphoto Year passed: 2000 Possession limit: 2 oz. usuable; 6 plants (3 mature) Some approved conditions: Cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, persistent muscle spasms, severe pain, severe nausea, seizures Fee: $90 05 of 16 Hawaii Getty Images Year passed: 2000 Possession limit: 3 oz. usable; 7 plants (3 mature) Some approved conditions: Cancer, Crohn’s disease, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis Fee: $25 06 of 16 Maine Getty Images Year passed: 1999 Possession limit: 2.5 oz. usable; 6 plants Some approved conditions: Alzheimer’s, cancer, Crohn’s disease, epilepsy, glaucoma, hepatitis C, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, nausea or vomiting as a result of AIDS or cancer chemotherapy Fee: $100 ($75 for Medicaid patients) 07 of 16 Michigan Getty Images Year passed: 2008 Possession limit: 2.5 oz. usable; 12 plants Some approved conditions: Alzheimer’s, Lou Gehrig’s disease, cancer, Crohn’s disease, glaucoma, hepatitis C, HIV/AIDS, severe and chronic pain Fee: $100 ($25 for Medicaid patients) 08 of 16 Montana Getty Images Year passed: 2004 Possession limit: 1 oz. usable; 6 plants Some approved conditions: Cancer, Crohn’s disease, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, severe and chronic pain Fee: $25 ($10 renewal) 09 of 16 Nevada Getty Images Year passed: 2000 Possession limit: 1 oz. usable; 7 plants (3 mature) Some approved conditions: AIDS, cancer, glaucoma, conditions that produce weight loss and loss of appetite, severe nausea or pain Fee: $150 (plus $15–$42 in additional fees) 10 of 16 New Jersey Getty Images Year passed: 2010 Possession limit: 2 oz. usable* Some approved conditions: Cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, inflammatory bowel disease (including Crohn’s disease), Lou Gehrig’s disease, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, seizure disorder, severe or chronic pain, severe nausea or vomiting Fee: Not yet determined *Exceptions to the guidelines can be made if physicians specify that patients needs more. 11 of 16 New Mexico Getty Images Year passed: 2007 Possession limit: 6 oz. usable; 16 plants (4 mature) Some approved conditions: Cancer, Crohn’s disease, epilepsy, glaucoma, hepatitis C, HIV/AIDS, intractable nausea/vomiting, Lou Gehrig’s disease, multiple sclerosis, post-traumatic stress disorder, severe chronic pain, severe anorexia Fee: None 12 of 16 Oregon Istockphoto Year passed: 1998 Possession limit: 24 oz. usable; 24 plants (6 mature) Some approved conditions: Cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, seizures, severe pain Fee: $100 ($20 for low-income users) 13 of 16 Rhode Island Getty Images Year passed: 2006 Possession limit: 2.5 oz. usable; 12 plants Some approved conditions: Alzheimer’s, cancer, chronic pain, Crohn’s disease, glaucoma, hepatitis C, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, seizures, severe nausea Fee: $75 ($10 for Medicaid and Social Security applicants) 14 of 16 Vermont Getty Images Year passed: 2004 Possession limit: 2 oz. usable; 9 plants (2 mature) Some approved conditions: Cancer, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, diseases that cause weight loss and nausea Fee: $50 15 of 16 Washington Getty Images Year passed: 1998 Possession limit: 24 oz. usable; 15 plants Some approved conditions: Anorexia, cancer, Crohn’s disease, epilepsy, glaucoma, hepatitis C, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis Fee: No state registration 16 of 16 States with pending legislation Getty Images Though only 15 states currently allow medicinal marijuana, other states have legislation in the works or marijuana-friendly laws. These states include Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland (allows a medical-use defense in court), Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Virginia. There have also been petition drives in South Dakota and Florida, but nothing has been added to their state ballots. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit