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

While Jefferson County does not have medical marijuana on the ballot, residents in more than 50 counties and cities around the state voted Tuesday on whether or not to allow cannabis businesses to operate in their regions. —Eleanor McCrary, The Courier-Journal, 6 Nov. 2024

Despite voters approving medical marijuana in 2020 and an amendment legalizing recreational use, the state Supreme Court invalidated the recreational measure. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024

Arkansas Supreme Court has ordered that votes for and against a proposal to expand access to medical marijuana should not count. —Dario Sabaghi, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024

The Arkansas Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that Secretary of State John Thurston must continue verifying signatures to put an amendment loosening medical marijuana laws on the November ballot, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported. —Alex Golden, Axios, 4 Oct. 2024

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