Medical cannabis programs now exist in most of the country, but eligibility is not one-size-fits-all. As of 2025, forty states, three territories, and Washington, D.C., authorize medical use of cannabis products. Each jurisdiction sets its own rules for who qualifies, what products are allowed, and how patients are certified.
How Qualifying Conditions Are Decided
In the U.S., there’s no single federal list of qualifying conditions. Instead, state legislatures and regulators decide program criteria, and those criteria evolve over time. Research also shows states vary widely not just in conditions but in dosing and possession frameworks—evidence of how decentralized these programs are.
Broadly, states use one of two approaches:
1. Fixed lists of conditions
Many states publish an explicit list of diagnoses such as cancer, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, Crohn’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, PTSD, and certain forms of chronic pain. Florida’s Office of Medical Marijuana Use is a clear illustration: the program enumerates conditions and also permits physician discretion for “medical conditions of the same kind or class,” capturing patients whose symptoms mirror listed conditions.
2. Physician discretion models
Other jurisdictions allow licensed practitioners to certify patients for “any condition” they deem clinically appropriate. New York took this path, allowing registered practitioners to certify a patient for medical cannabis for any condition they find appropriate after meeting education requirements.
Examples from Major States
California (the first modern medical program) still references a set of “serious medical conditions” in statute—AIDS/HIV, cancer, glaucoma, chronic pain, migraine, seizures/epilepsy, persistent muscle spasms (including MS), severe nausea, anorexia, arthritis, cachexia—and explicitly includes “any other chronic or persistent medical symptom” as determined appropriate by a physician. This blend of a list plus a catch-all shows how some states preserve flexibility within statutory frameworks.
New York shifted from a fixed list to broad clinician discretion. For patients, that means the key threshold is a licensed practitioner’s certification that medical cannabis is appropriate for their condition—whether that’s neuropathy, PTSD, inflammatory bowel disease, or another debilitating diagnosis.
Florida uses a defined list (e.g., cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, Crohn’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, PTSD, chronic nonmalignant pain, and terminal conditions) while still allowing similar-in-kind determinations. Patients are certified by qualified physicians and registered through the state’s OMMU portal.
Common Categories That Often Qualify
While lists vary, several clinical buckets recur across states:
- Cancer-related symptoms (pain, nausea, appetite loss) and palliative or terminal care
- Neurologic disorders such as epilepsy and multiple sclerosis
- Chronic or intractable pain where other therapies have failed
- Gastrointestinal or autoimmune conditions such as Crohn’s disease and inflammatory bowel disease
- Neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s disease and ALS
- Behavioral health conditions including PTSD where permitted
States decide these categories; clinical evidence and policymaker priorities both influence adoption. For a national overview of which states cover which conditions—and how rules have changed—policy trackers from the National Conference of State Legislatures and state health agencies provide the most accurate information.
Is It the Same Everywhere?
No. Programs differ on qualifying conditions, product types, purchase and possession limits, home cultivation rights, and who may certify patients (physicians only versus broader provider types). Even among medical programs, limits and qualifying frameworks can diverge substantially—one analysis found a striking range in allowed THC over 30-day periods across states, underscoring that dosing ceilings are a policy choice rather than a clinical consensus.
What Patients Should Know Before Applying
- Check your state’s official site. Health department or cannabis authority pages publish the authoritative list (or explain practitioner discretion). Start here rather than relying on third-party summaries.
- Expect an evaluation. Even in list-based states, a clinician must determine that medical cannabis is appropriate for your condition and symptoms.
- Understand benefits and risks. Cannabis can help some symptoms—like pain, spasticity, or chemotherapy-induced nausea—but it also carries risks such as impaired attention, coordination, or dependence potential. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers balanced summaries for patients and providers.
- Laws evolve. States periodically add conditions or change certification rules—advocacy and new evidence can drive updates. Always confirm the most recent requirements on your state site or with a qualified clinician.
Bottom Line
Qualifying for medical cannabis depends on where a patient lives and how their state structures eligibility. Some states keep fixed lists; others empower clinicians to certify for any appropriate condition. Patients should review their state’s official guidance, speak with a licensed practitioner, and weigh potential benefits against risks using reputable public-health resources.