medical marijuana

noun

variants or less commonly medical cannabis

: marijuana that is available only by prescription and is used to treat a variety of medical conditions (such as pain, anxiety, nausea, and glaucoma)

In the 14 states that allow medical marijuana, middle-aged baby boomers talk quite freely about filling their prescriptions at the local dispensary (of which there are nearly 1,400 in California alone).

—Eve Conant

also : any of various substances (such as cannabidiol) extracted from marijuana and used similarly

Examples of medical marijuana in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Now, these women are turning to medical marijuana for help. —Toni Odejimi, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2026

This crackdown on the hemp market is particularly significant in states like Iowa that have no legal market for recreational marijuana use and only a limited medical marijuana market. —William Garriott, The Conversation, 17 Apr. 2026

According to 2025 data from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), medical marijuana is legal in 40 states and recreational marijuana is legal in 24 states and Washington, DC. —Greta Cross, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026

Thirty-eight states plus the District of Columbia allow practitioners to recommend medical marijuana for post-traumatic stress disorder. —Kevin A. Sabet, STAT, 1 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1976, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for medical marijuana

• ana
• bwana
• dhyana
• donna
• fauna
• gonna
• mana
• sauna
• tswana
• wanna
• asana
• chicana

Medical Definition

medical marijuana

noun

variants also medical cannabis

: marijuana that is available only by prescription and is used to treat a variety of medical conditions (as pain, anxiety, nausea, and glaucoma)

also : any of various substances (as cannabidiol) extracted from marijuana and used similarly