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

The Dispensary had been open as a medical marijuana business for three years before expanding to recreational sales in July. —Sherry Greenfield, Baltimore Sun, 10 Sep. 2023

Back then, recreational weed was only legal in four states and the District of Columbia; today, 23 states have legalized recreational use, while medical marijuana is legal in 38 states — and a whole research industry has cropped up around it. —Tessa Stuart, Rolling Stone, 31 Aug. 2023

The audit found that the CRA was mostly effective in the areas the audit examined, such as processing applications for medical and recreational marijuana business licenses and medical marijuana patient and caregiver cards in a timely matter, and meeting legislative reporting requirements. —Adrienne Roberts, Detroit Free Press, 24 Aug. 2023

The backers of the Just Like Alcohol proposal are businesses involved in Ohio’s medical marijuana program. —cleveland, 25 July 2023

And legalization appears to have been a major factor fueling use among the elderly: Folks over 65 saw the largest increase in those who viewed marijuana as more easily available after their state passed medical marijuana laws, according to a 2016 analysis. —Andrew Van Dam, Washington Post, 14 July 2023

The Legislature passed a law in 2021 to authorize medical marijuana. —Mike Cason | [e-mail], al, 22 June 2023

The strain will be sold at RISE medical marijuana dispensaries through out the state of Pennsylvania. —Jasmine Browley, Essence, 30 Aug. 2023

What is up with more than 30 medical marijuana dispensaries that should have been open by now but are not? —Laura Johnston, cleveland, 29 Aug. 2023

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Word History

First Known Use

1976, in the meaning defined above

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