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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Texas has some of the strictest marijuana laws in the country, prohibiting all recreational use and providing a limited medical marijuana program. — Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Nov. 2026 Texas has limited access to medical marijuana that’s been incrementally expanded over the past several legislative sessions. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Nov. 2026 The move comes months after a push to put medical marijuana legalization to voters failed to garner enough signatures to gain inclusion on Tuesday’s ballot. — Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 3 Nov. 2026 Furthermore, many states have merged their recreational and medical marijuana industries. — Gene Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for medical marijuana

Word History

First Known Use

1976, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of medical marijuana was in 1976

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Cite this Entry

“Medical marijuana.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/medical%20marijuana. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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
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