Short answer
38 states, the District of Columbia, and three US territories run medical cannabis programs as of 2025. Each state writes its own rules for qualifying conditions, possession limits, product types, patient cards, and dispensaries. Federal law still lists cannabis as a Schedule I drug, so no federal medical cannabis program exists.
States with medical cannabis programs
State programs fall into two groups. Comprehensive programs allow flower, edibles, concentrates, tinctures, and topicals, and cover a longer condition list. Limited programs cap THC, restrict products to oils or tinctures, and serve a short condition list. Texas runs a limited program with a 1 percent THC cap by weight. Georgia keeps a Low THC Oil registry with a 5 percent cap. Idaho and Kansas run no medical cannabis program at all.
how to get medical card by state
What changes from state to state
- Qualifying conditions, from a few named diagnoses to full physician discretion.
- Possession limits measured in ounces or in a day supply.
- THC caps on flower, oil, and edibles.
- Patient registry requirements, fees, and renewal terms.
- Caregiver rules and how many patients one caregiver can serve.
- Home cultivation limits for patients.
- Dispensary licensing, store counts, and sales taxes.
- Recognition of out-of-state patient cards.
Qualifying conditions
Common entries on state lists include cancer, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, PTSD, chronic pain, and terminal illness. California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, and Maine let a physician certify any condition the physician judges debilitating. In those states the published list is a floor, not a ceiling.
State by State Medical Marijuana Regulations: What Changes and What Does Not
Possession limits
Colorado allows 2 ounces for registered patients. Michigan allows 2.5 ounces on hand and up to 10 ounces at home. Florida caps flower at 4 ounces per 35 days. Some states set separate limits by product type, so a patient can hold more oil than flower.
how to get medical card by state
Patient cards
Most states require a state-issued card or registry entry. A physician certifies the condition, then the patient registers with the state health or cannabis agency. Fees range from under $25 to more than $200. Card terms run from 30 days to two years. Some states issue a card the same day. Others take weeks.
Out-of-state cards
A small number of states let visitors buy with a home-state card or register as a visiting patient. Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Maine, and Rhode Island have reciprocity rules of some kind. Most states do not. Crossing a state line with cannabis is a federal offense even when both states allow medical use.
Federal law
Cannabis sits in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. Federal charges can follow possession on federal land, at airports, and across state lines. A congressional appropriations rider, first passed in 2014 and renewed since, blocks the Justice Department from spending funds to stop states from running medical cannabis programs.
The FDA has approved one cannabis-derived drug, Epidiolex, for seizures tied to Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome. Dronabinol and nabilone are FDA-approved synthetic cannabinoids, both available by prescription.
How to check a state program
- Find the state health department or cannabis regulatory agency page.
- Read the qualifying condition list and any THC cap.
- Check the certification process and the fee.
- Confirm the card term, renewal steps, and possession limit.
- Check reciprocity rules if you travel.
State rules change each legislative session. Confirm details with the state agency before you apply or buy.